"the X, to Y and which I do Z"

Question

Let's say I look up to Alice and Bob. Can I convey this fact about Bob in a comma-delimited clause like this?

"This is Bob, up to Alice and whom I look."

or similarly

"My couch, on my bed and which I often sleep, is brown."

Of course I'd avoid this awkward phrasing in practice, but I'm curious whether it's considered technically valid.

Charlie Bernstein · Answer

Absolutely not. They're not grammatical and don't make sense.

The first one could be rephrased, "This is Bob and Alice, up to whom I look." That's grammatical, but it's painfully convoluted and unnatural. It would never happen in conversation or writing.

Use something like: "This is Bob and Alice. I look up to them." Or if you absolutly have to get that whom in: "This Bob and Alice, whom I look up to."

The second one simply can't be untangled. Your couch is probably not on your bed, right? So which do you sleep on? The couch or the bed? Which one is brown?

Try again!

"the X, to Y and which I do Z"

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