3

The description for our (main site's) third most popular tag reads:

This tag is for questions which a dictionary cannot answer about what a word means.

This sentence seems ..off to me, if not entirely wrong—I would never phrase it like that, in any case.
Can a native English speaker defend this usage, or can it be altered?

4
  • 2
    It might benefit from parenthetical commas, parentheses, or em dashes: This tag is for questions, which a dictionary cannot answer, about what a word means. Other than that I think it's fine. Mar 24 at 16:39
  • 3
    Or simply a reordering: This tag is for questions about what a word means which a dictionary cannot answer. (though a comma after means would help here too)
    – Glorfindel Mod
    Mar 24 at 17:15
  • 2
    It's good grammar, but poor style as both the "which" and "about" phrases modify the simple noun "questions". @Glorfindel's rewording is my suggestion too because the "which" phrase modifies "questions about what a word means".
    – gotube Mod
    Mar 24 at 18:50
  • 2
    @MichaelHarvey I see that the text has been updated, but it still includes a parenthetical comma, making "which a dictionary cannot answer" nonrestrictive. However, if that clause were removed, then the meaning of the sentence would change to something that I don't think we want. (After all, if the dictionary can answer the meaning of a word, then there would presumably be no reason for such a question.) Apr 12 at 17:15

0

You must log in to answer this question.

Browse other questions tagged .