0
Fire1 Posted 6 years ago
Grammar

What does "what" refers to?

1. I think you have to consider this for what you think it is worth.

https://www.google.co.kr/search?tbm=bks&sxsrf=ALeKk02h4ZGsapa4Tffqiz-ovtGpEuxTUw%3A1584368310924&ei=topvXor8N5G9mAXBsb54&q=%22I+think+you+have+to+consider+it+for+what+you+think+it+is+worth%22&oq=%22I+think+you+have+to+consider+it+for+what+you+think+it+is+worth%22&gs_l=psy-ab.3...2119.3530.0.3762.6.6.0.0.0.0.181.510.0j3.3.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..3.0.0....0.DJQ8xQjrc2k

2. It sickened her to think of this for what it was.

https://books.google.co.kr/books?id=uKS3JgPQS_YC&pg=PA57&dq=It+sickened+her+to+think+of+it+for+what+it+was%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=It%20sickened%20her%20to%20think%20of%20it%20for%20what%20it%20was%22&f=false

(I found 1 and 2 sentences on Google, and in the original sentences, I changed "it" to "this" to make this question simple)

Q1) Are both sentences correct?

Q2) Is "what" referring to "this" in both sentences?

I do think that both sentences are correct and "this" is referring to "what" because by doing so, both sentences make sense.

  

Top answer

[1] I think you have to consider this for what you think it is worth . [2] It sickened her to think of this for what it was . No, "what" does not refer to "this": "it" does.

— BillJ

Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

1 Answers
0

[1] I think you have to consider this for what you think it is worth.

[2] It sickened her to think of this for what it was.


No, "what" does not refer to "this": "it" does.

These are both 'fused' relative constructions where the underlined elements are noun phrases in which the relative word "what" functions s

0