which = disease?

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Context:

"We are treating a disease caused by antibiotics with yet another antibiotic, which creates the conditions for re-infection from the same bacteria," said study co-author Dr. Charalabos Pothoulakis, director of UCLA's Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center and a professor of medicine in the division of digestive diseases. "Identification of new treatment modalities to treat this infection would be a major advance."

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http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110821141128.htm

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Type: Question • Score: 2 • Views: 1,210 • Replies: 22

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@oristarA,

No. Which = "another antibiotic."

1 Reply

@Lustig Andrei,

Lustig Andrei wrote:

No. Which = "another antibiotic."

Thank you.

But I hope others will confirm your opinion.

What does "with yet another antibiotic" mean there?

1 Reply

@oristarA,

It means that the disease in question was caused by antibiotic A and is being treated by antibiotic B (the "yet another antibiotic"), but antibiotic B also makes the patient susceptible to illness, likely because killing beneficial bacteria is the source of the problem.

0 Replies

@oristarA,

"We are treating a disease caused by antibiotics with yet another antibiotic. This other antibiotic creates the conditions for re-infection from the same bacteria,"

0 Replies

@oristarA,

Quote:

"We are treating a disease caused by antibiotics with yet another antibiotic, which creates the conditions for re-infection

Here, "which" means "this method".

The method we have chosen to treat the disease creates the conditions for re-infection.

0 Replies

"Which" refers to the treating of the disease caused by antibiotics with yet another antibiotic.

1 Reply

@InfraBlue,

Original text:
"We are treating a disease caused by antibiotics with yet another antibiotic, which creates the conditions for re-infection from the same bacteria," said study co-author Dr. Charalabos Pothoulakis,

Quote:

McTag wrote:
Here, "which" means "this method".

The method we have chosen to treat the disease creates the conditions for re-infection.

Quote:

InfraBlue wrote: "Which" refers to the treating of the disease caused by antibiotics with yet another antibiotic.

McTag is on the right track and I don't think he intends to suggest a specific referent [the method] that ain't there. But, in essence, he is saying the same thing as Infra.

Is this a whole sentence/clause relative pronoun, on the order of,

We got the afternoon off, which was good.

After but a momentary thought, Smile

I believe it is.

Actually, I'm not completely sold on the idea but it certainly does have merit.

We are treating a disease caused by antibiotics with yet another antibiotic, which creates the conditions for re-infection from the same bacteria.

"We are treating a disease caused by antibiotics with yet another antibiotic. This method/This process/That/Such a situation creates the conditions for re-infection from the same bacteria.

However,

We are treating a disease caused by antibiotics with yet another antibiotic. That new antibiotic creates the conditions for re-infection from the same bacteria.

I think that it could be either and I'm not knowledgeable about the whole issue nor am I privy to Dr. Charalabos Pothoulakis's thoughts.

1 Reply

@JTT,

JTT, you have overcomplicated this, as is your wont, and arrived at a faulty conclusion, which unfortunately is not an infrequent occurrence either.

imho.

1 Reply

@McTag,

Quote:

JTT, you have overcomplicated this, as is your wont, and arrived at a faulty conclusion, which unfortunately is not an infrequent occurrence either.

I'm not sure who stuck the burr under your saddle blanket, McTag. Methinks it was of your own doing because you seem not to have understood.

But your pat answer is, as usual, nonsense. Language is much more difficult than the cruising that you are used in the peeves threads. Those days are over, I'm afraid that if you can't get up to speed, then you might want to bow out.

Not that I'd like to see that, mind you.

1 Reply

@JTT,

Quote:

I'm not sure who stuck the burr under your saddle blanket, McTag.

You didn't notice you were being insulting and patronising, then, in your earlier post?

Quote:

I'm afraid that if you can't get up to speed

"Up to speed", Jesus H Christ, who is it that runs these threads into the sand with reams of cloying (and ofttimes misleading, and not infrequently wrong) verbiage?

Oristar, if you want a clear and easily-understood answer to your question, I refer you to my earlier answer.

1 Reply

@McTag,

Quote:

You didn't notice you were being insulting and patronising, then, in your earlier post?

No, not at all. But regardless, let me take this moment to apologize if that's what you think I was doing.

Quote:

"Up to speed", Jesus H Christ, who is it that runs these threads into the sand with reams of cloying (and ofttimes misleading, and not infrequently wrong) verbiage?

Reading this, I guess that might be you, McTag. But if you would like to describe my "faulty conclusion", I'm all ears.

1 Reply

@JTT,

Your first alternative was correct, and was the same as my answer, although more longwinded.

Your second alternative

Quote:

We are treating a disease caused by antibiotics with yet another antibiotic. That new antibiotic creates the conditions for re-infection from the same bacteria.

is faulty. "Which" refers to the method, not the antibiotic itself.

It is worth remarking here that answers should ideally be directed towards helping the questioner. Isn't that what we're doing here? Often though, the more complex answers do not do that, even the ones which don't end up ascending their own fundament.

1 Reply

@McTag,

Quote:

It is worth remarking here that answers should ideally be directed towards helping the questioner. Isn't that what we're doing here? Often though, the more complex answers do not do that, even the ones which don't end up ascending their own fundament.

That is hardly an issue for you to decide, McTag. It's helpful for a learner coming to know that there are whole clause/whole sentence modifying relatives.

1 Reply

Yeah, for advanced learners, ofttimes the more the better.

1 Reply

@oristarA,

Be careful of what you ask for. The truth can usually be stated in clear and concise form.

0 Replies

@JTT,

Quote:

That is hardly an issue for you to decide, McTag

Up to now haven't noticed any particular constraint from you whenever you want to make a point.

1 Reply

@McTag,

I've not suggested that you refrain from giving your opinions, Sire, but I'd not presume to suggest that you, as a engineer, not cover a topic as thoroughly as you thought need be.

1 Reply

@JTT,

Okay then. I think I understand that.

I've just taken delivery of a book which I heartily recommend. It's The Language Wars by Henry Hitchings. Subtitled "A History of Proper English".
Entertainingly written, it makes many of the points which you, JTT, are fond of making.

More details on request.

p.s. Is it permissible for former engineers to read such books?

1 Reply

@McTag,

Quote:

p.s. Is it permissible for former engineers to read such books?

If they advance their knowledge and share. Does he discuss specifics or just the general nature of the war? Have you ever read "Tense Present" - David Foster Wallace?

[I think I've got that title right]

1 Reply

which = disease?

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