... that...

This topic has expert replies
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 183
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2010 1:02 am
Location: Switzerland
Thanked: 5 times

... that...

by Fractal » Tue Sep 21, 2010 5:26 am
In the simple ballads, such as We are Seven, and the lyrical meditation of Tintern Abbey, Wordsworth achieves an interplay between nature and the imagination that explores both the external world of sensory experience and the internal workings of the mind in contemplation.

isn't there a rule, that "that" should refer to the nearest noun? so in the sentence above, "that" would refer to "imagination", or can it also refer to "interplay"?

thx a lot
Source: — Sentence Correction |

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 1172
Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 6:20 pm
Thanked: 74 times
Followed by:4 members

by uwhusky » Tue Sep 21, 2010 8:51 am
You can refer to the advance section of MGMAT SC, which talks about "mission critical" information. Construction such as this one, which a mission critical statement providing key information to explain the noun, is acceptable.

In another words, there isn't a better place to insert "between nature and the imagination" than after "interplay", and thus it is acceptable to place relative pronoun "that" away from its antecedent.
Yep.

• Page 1 of 1