関係代名詞の先行詞の決定：こんな英語の先生はまあいない

Moneyball, The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, Michael Lewisより。

Me: Consider the following passage: "a ruptured nerve in his elbow, that he crushed each time he straightened his throwing arm" What did he crush each time he moved his arm, a ruptured nerve, or his elbow?

ChatGPT:

In the passage, "a ruptured nerve in his elbow, that he crushed each time he straightened his throwing arm," the phrase "that he crushed" refers to the ruptured nerve.

The structure implies that the nerve was crushed each time he straightened his arm, not the elbow itself.

あなた:

What makes you believe so? On what grounds can you tell it's the nerve and not his elbow?

ChatGPT:

The reasoning is based on grammatical structure and the meaning of the words in the sentence. Here's the breakdown:

1. Relative Clause Reference:

   • The phrase "that he crushed each time he straightened his throwing arm" is a relative clause that provides additional information about something mentioned earlier in the sentence.
   • Relative clauses usually refer to the most recent noun, which in this case is "a ruptured nerve."

2. Context and Logic:

   • The sentence mentions a "ruptured nerve" in the elbow. It’s logical that if something is being crushed each time he moves his arm, it would likely be the nerve, as it is both physically vulnerable (due to being ruptured) and sensitive to movement.
   • The elbow, as a joint, isn't something one typically "crushes" by merely straightening the arm. The crushing action is more plausibly affecting the nerve.

3. Meaning of the Words:

   • The word "crush" implies pressing or squeezing something delicate. The nerve, especially a ruptured one, fits this description, whereas the elbow, a bone and joint, does not.

These points make it clear that the "ruptured nerve" is the object being crushed each time the arm is straightened, not the elbow itself.

Me: You said, "Relative clauses usually refer to the most recent noun". By "the most recent," do you mean the noun that has appeared most recently, i.e., the newest noun?

ChatGPT:

Yes, by "the most recent noun," I mean the noun that has appeared most recently in the sentence, i.e., the newest noun. In this case, the relative clause "that he crushed each time he straightened his throwing arm" is most likely referring to "a ruptured nerve," which is the newest noun before the clause begins. This is a common grammatical pattern in English, where a relative clause typically modifies the nearest preceding noun.

あなた:

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How can you tell "a ruptured nerve" is the newest noun? Why not "his elbow"?

ChatGPT:

You're right to question this. Let's clarify the reasoning by breaking down the passage:

• "a ruptured nerve in his elbow": This phrase contains two nouns—"nerve" and "elbow."
• The phrase "in his elbow" functions as a prepositional phrase that modifies "nerve," indicating the location of the nerve.

In terms of grammatical structure, the noun "nerve" is the primary subject of the phrase, and "elbow" is part of the prepositional phrase that describes the location of the nerve.

• When I referred to "the most recent noun," I was considering the primary noun that the relative clause is modifying. In this case, "nerve" is the most recent primary noun, even though "elbow" is the last noun mentioned in the prepositional phrase.

So, the relative clause "that he crushed each time he straightened his throwing arm" most logically refers back to the "ruptured nerve" rather than "elbow." This is because the nerve is the main subject in the phrase, and the crushing action would more naturally apply to the nerve, especially since it’s described as ruptured and sensitive.

あなた:

Then, what if I wanted to say that it was in fact his elbow that was crushed every time he straightened his throwing arm? How should I modify the original sentence "a ruptured nerve in his elbow, that he crushed each time he straightened his throwing arm" so that the verb "crush" pins on "his elbow"?

ChatGPT:

To make it clear that the elbow is being crushed each time he straightens his throwing arm, you can revise the sentence to emphasize "elbow" as the subject of the action. Here’s how you might rewrite the sentence:

• "He crushed his elbow each time he straightened his throwing arm, aggravating a ruptured nerve."
• "A ruptured nerve in his elbow, which he crushed each time he straightened his throwing arm."

In these versions, the structure makes it clear that the elbow is what’s being crushed. The first sentence directly states "his elbow" as the object of "crushed," while the second version explicitly links the crushing action to the elbow by using "which."

あなた:

What if I revised the second version by eliminating the comma before "which", so that it now reads "A ruptured nerve in his elbow which he crushed each time he straightened his throwing arm"? Does the "which" still modify "his elbow"? How is my revised second version differ in meaning from the original second version?

ChatGPT:

どちらの回答がお好みですか？

お客様の選択は ChatGPT の改善に役立てられます。

 

ChatGPT

回答 1

By eliminating the comma in the revised version—"A ruptured nerve in his elbow which he crushed each time he straightened his throwing arm"—the meaning and grammatical structure change slightly.

Key differences:

1. With the Comma (Non-restrictive Clause):

   • "A ruptured nerve in his elbow, which he crushed each time he straightened his throwing arm."
   • The clause "which he crushed each time he straightened his throwing arm" is a non-restrictive relative clause. This means it provides extra information about the nerve, but it isn’t essential to identifying which nerve is being discussed. In this case, "which" can refer to either the nerve or the elbow, though "nerve" is the more logical interpretation.
   • The comma makes it clear that this is additional information about the nerve/elbow, and it's not necessary to define or limit which part of the body is being crushed.

2. Without the Comma (Restrictive Clause):

   • "A ruptured nerve in his elbow which he crushed each time he straightened his throwing arm."
   • The clause "which he crushed each time he straightened his throwing arm" is now a restrictive relative clause, meaning that it is essential to the meaning of the sentence. It limits or defines which nerve or which elbow is being discussed.
   • Without the comma, the "which" refers more strongly to the noun closest to it: "elbow." This version implies that the elbow is what is being crushed each time he straightens his arm, making it clearer that the action of crushing is tied to the elbow.

Summary of Differences:

• With the comma: The clause is extra information and "which" most likely refers to the nerve.
• Without the comma: The clause is essential information and "which" more likely refers to the elbow due to its proximity.

Thus, by removing the comma, you're making it more explicit that his elbow is the part being crushed.

ChatGPT

回答 2

When you eliminate the comma before "which," as in "A ruptured nerve in his elbow which he crushed each time he straightened his throwing arm," the sentence's meaning and structure change subtly. Here's how:

1. Without the Comma:

   • "A ruptured nerve in his elbow which he crushed each time he straightened his throwing arm":
     • Here, "which he crushed" becomes a restrictive clause (or defining clause). A restrictive clause provides essential information that defines or identifies the noun it follows.
     • In this structure, "which" could logically still refer to "nerve" because it's closer to that noun, and the sentence is read as if specifying a particular nerve that is being crushed.
     • The absence of the comma suggests that the clause is integral to understanding the specific nerve in question, and "which" would likely still be understood to modify "nerve," not "elbow."

2. With the Comma:

   • "A ruptured nerve in his elbow, which he crushed each time he straightened his throwing arm":
     • The comma before "which" turns the clause into a non-restrictive (or non-defining) clause. This type of clause adds extra information about the noun but doesn’t define it.
     • Here, "which" could still refer to "nerve," but with the comma, the sentence more clearly separates the description of the nerve from the action of crushing, making it a comment on the whole preceding idea, which could include the elbow.

Key Differences:

• Restrictive (no comma): The clause is essential, directly tying the action of crushing to the nerve. "Which" more likely refers to "nerve."
• Non-restrictive (with comma): The clause adds additional information and is less tightly bound to the preceding noun. "Which" could more broadly refer to the elbow and the whole situation, but "nerve" is still the most likely reference.

Conclusion:

If your goal is to make it clear that the elbow is what’s being crushed, you’d need to rephrase the sentence more directly, as simply removing the comma doesn’t shift the meaning in the way you might intend. For instance, you could write:

• "He had a ruptured nerve in his elbow, and each time he straightened his throwing arm, he crushed his elbow."

This version directly attributes the crushing action to the elbow, avoiding ambiguity.

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