39
"There's a thing that I don't know what is" - Is this correct grammar? (lemmy.world)
submitted 2 years ago* by to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml
29 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

How do you say something like that?

"There's a thing for which I don't know what it is" "There's a thing where I don't know what it is" "There's a thing that I don't know what is"

or (the one which I hear people say a lot but sounds awkward:) "There's a thing that/which I don't know what it is"?

To be honest they all sound awkward to me to varying degrees

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[โ€“] 33 points 2 years ago (1 child)

I'm not a grammar expert and English is not my first language but I think I used to say this before and I just ended up taking out the "what it is" and changed it for the thing I'm trying to remember:

There's a thing that I don't know the name of

Or

There's a thing that I don't know how to describe

Or

There's a thing whose purpose is a mystery to me

Is that what you're refering to? Sorry if it's not. I don't think any of the first three examples are correct, or at least they sound really weird to me.

Please do correct me if there's an English mayor somewhere though!

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •