Slog - Comments on "That" Versus "Which"

Comment by imaginary dana

imaginary dana — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:27:48 -0800

I share your editorial geekiness on this issue, David.

Comment by Mr Fuzzy

Mr Fuzzy — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:34:31 -0800

It took me a few full minutes to get what the headline is trying to say.

Comment by sw

sw — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:35:16 -0800

Apparently, at the Sun, God no longer resides in the details.

As of the last round of buyouts, no doubt.

Comment by DaiBando

DaiBando — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:41:46 -0800

Everyone knows THAT paralyzed victim probably deserved it.

Comment by Levislade

Levislade — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:47:26 -0800

Yeah, but then they would've had to add a comma.

How about "Man Sentenced for Victim-Paralyzing Shooting"?

Comment by Uncle Vinny

Uncle Vinny — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:48:37 -0800

More grammar-blogging at Slog, pleeeeeze!

Comment by RHETT ORACLE

RHETT ORACLE — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:56:02 -0800

Alternatively, "Man sentenced for shooting which paralyzed victim" sounds as if the reader is expected to guess which paralyzed victim was shot.

Comment by laterite

laterite — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:57:04 -0800

Well, it's bad either way, right? Either shooting someone so that they become paralyzed, or shooting someone who is already paralyzed.

Another great headline, right off to the side:

"Teen admits slaying man after watching him kill"

Not a huge grammatical head-scratcher, but WTF-inducing all the same.

Comment by laterite

laterite — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:59:15 -0800

Let us also lament the demise of The Wire...who will take up the mantle of documenting and dramatizing Baltimore's continual idiosyncracies?

Comment by infrequent

infrequent — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:01:37 -0800

Man sentenced for shooting witch paralyzed victim.

Comment by Brendan

Brendan — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:13:39 -0800

"That" is the appropriate choice over "which", unless there was only one shooting in Baltimore.

Comment by PJ

PJ — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:15:38 -0800

Could someone dumb this down for me? "That" sounds much better to me, but I'm not great with grammar. The shoot is what paralyzed the victim, and since "the victim" could be considered an essential clause, then "that" is correct. I also understand that a comma almost always goes before "which" as well.

Comment by Balt-O-Matt

Balt-O-Matt — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:30:26 -0800

@12. I think you're right. But when I first read it I thought it was talking about "that paralyzed man" over there. I was afraid that everyone in Baltimore knew "that paralyzed man" except for me.

Comment by antiuser

antiuser — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:30:31 -0800

Congratulations, you have been garden path'd :)

Comment by keshmeshi

keshmeshi — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:31:34 -0800

@12,

I don't agree that "victim" is an essential clause. "Man sentenced for shooting" works fine on its own. And, yeah, if you don't use a comma with "which," the headline is still guffaw worthy.

Comment by Chris in Tampa

Chris in Tampa — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:02:08 -0800

Shooting paralyzed victim, which man was sentenced for.

Comment by David Wright

David Wright — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:59:20 -0800

Agreed. Now can we get Stranger writers to use "who" and "whom" correctly?

Comment by twee

twee — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 12:52:05 -0800

I'd have written it: "Man Sentenced for Shooting, Paralyzing Victim"

Comment by kk

kk — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 22:38:16 -0800

Man Sentenced for Shooting Which Paralyzed Victim?