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Here is a sentence from the Examination:

The science medicine, which progress has been rapid lately, is perhaps the most important of all sciences.

As I know, which clause can still + Object, so it's very nearly with of which. In that sentence (find an error), the answer: Which is wrong but no has answer (I think is of which?). But I'm disturbed so much. Please help me to classify them, thanks.

mmo2112
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    I think you probably want *in which*. "Progress has been very rapid **in** medicine lately." – StoneyB on hiatus Jul 01 '16 at 13:07
  • Hm, I have found the right answer: `in which` = `when`. It's so amazing because I often use `which` only, rarely use `of which`, never use `in which`. I hope someone will explain me more about them, thanks so much! – mmo2112 Jul 01 '16 at 13:10
  • @StoneyB. Yes, you're right. May you explain me more sir? – mmo2112 Jul 01 '16 at 13:10
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    *in which* doesn't mean *when*. *Which* replaces *science medecide*. Perhaps you meant where or something? – Archa Jul 01 '16 at 13:16
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    This is an instance of "pied piping"; click [here](http://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/pied-piping) for questions about this. – StoneyB on hiatus Jul 01 '16 at 13:20
  • @StoneyB. Thanks for help. I will check it out. If I need your assistance more, I will tag you later (please forgive me). – mmo2112 Jul 01 '16 at 13:28
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    I suddenly realized that this may also intend to represent the possessive relative *whose*: "Medicine's progress has been very rapid recently". *Whose* acts as the possessive for both *who* and *which*. – StoneyB on hiatus Jul 01 '16 at 13:44
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    If this was from an "examination", I suggest whoever set the test wasn't a native speaker. The subject of the sentence would almost always be *The science **of** medicine* (and to continue, my choice would be *... **within** which progress has been rapid **of late***). – FumbleFingers Jul 01 '16 at 13:45
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    @StoneyB **of which** is the correct one - *"The science medicine, of which progress has been rapid lately, is perhaps the most important of all sciences."* – Man_From_India Jul 01 '16 at 14:00
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    This answer might help - http://ell.stackexchange.com/a/49493/3463 – Man_From_India Jul 01 '16 at 14:05
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    @Man_From_India That may be what is meant, but it's unlikely any contemporary Anglo writer would use it: we'd say "...whose progress..." or "...the progress of which..." – StoneyB on hiatus Jul 01 '16 at 14:46
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    @StoneyB Ah I see. So it sounds a little oldish. Personally I haven't seen or heard such usage outside grammar books :-) btw I also think *in which* is also correct. – Man_From_India Jul 01 '16 at 14:50
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    Hmm... I would use *where*, but see the Usage note here: [where](http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/where). Personally I don't have a problem with *in which*. – user3169 Jul 01 '16 at 18:29
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    I wouldn't use `which` at all. I'd rewrite the entire thing into separate sentences as it contains two separate ideas, one of `which` is regarding progress, and another `which` is an opinion about the importance thereof. `Lately, the science of medicine has progressed rapidly. It is perhaps one of the most important sciences.` – gattsbr Jul 11 '16 at 17:29
  • I think native speakers would tend to say "medical science" rather than "the science of medicine" unless trying to sound a little extra pompous on purpose — and "the science medicine" even more so, since that's not a typical construct. See [Google Ngram of these three phrases](https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=the+science+medicine%2Cthe+science+of+medicine%2Cmedical+science&year_start=1800&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Cthe%20science%20of%20medicine%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cmedical%20science%3B%2Cc0) (and note "the science medicine" doesn't occur at all). – mattdm Aug 28 '16 at 14:54

1 Answers1

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The science of 'medicine' is the subject there and the use of commas at the beginning and end of the sentence talks about the type of the sentence which is known as a non-relative clause. This means the string between those two commas is merely for additional information removing which the sentence can stand all alone.

New York city, which is a very good place to visit, saw a great fall in tourism last year.

[mark two commas]

The science medicine, which progress has been rapid lately, is perhaps the most important of all sciences.

Here, the pronoun 'which' lacks in introducing the noun properly. 'Whose progress'? 'Progress in which field...?'

Adding a preposition or changing the pronoun work.

The science medicine, of which (the) progress has been rapid lately, is perhaps the most important of all sciences.

OR

The science medicine, whose progress has been rapid lately, is perhaps the most important of all sciences.

['whose' can be used for inanimate objects as well].

Maulik V
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  • I would suggest "in" as the preposition, rather than "of" — "progress in some field" is a common expression, and then you don't need the (the). – mattdm Aug 28 '16 at 14:57