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Relative pronoun "where"! Hi!So I'd like to know if this sentence is grammatically correct because something doesn't really click to me. :Wind power was used in the Middle Ages, in Europe, to grind corn, which is where the term "windmill" comes from. I completely understand the meaning of the sentence and the usage of the which and where. (what they refer to) But, shouldn't it be "which is where the term comes" instead of "which is where the term comes from"? You'd say "this is a house where he lives" but not "this is a house where he lives in" I learned that relative pronouns like where and when include a preposition, which is "from" in the sentence above. I've asked some English speakers prior to posting this question here and they said "which is where the term comes from" isn't necessarily wrong but weren't sure. So I'd like to know wether the sentence is grammatically correct, and if so, how can the from be there, and if there's any grammatical rule I'm missing here. Thanks for your help :)

Answers · 16

4
It's the idea of *origin* that prompts the use of "from": it comes from ___ (it originates from ___, it is derived from ___.) It might help to think of this as an answer to the question "Where does the word 'windmill' come from?"
2
Who are you? What's your name? I don't know what your name is. (See how the first two are questions? The last one is a statement, but using the same words as the "what" question.) My name is Chris. I am Chris the teacher. It's who I am. It's what my name is. What do you do? I don't know what you do. I am a teacher. Teaching is what I do. Where do you come from? I come from England. That's where I'm from. This structure may sound strange because the focus of the sentence is different from what you expect. Let me try to explain with two examples. Focus on what you like: What's your favourite movie? My favourite movie is Star Wars. NOT Star Wars is my favourite movie. Focus on the movie: Do you want to watch Star Wars? Yes, it's my favourite movie. OR No, I hate Star Wars NOT My favourite movie is Star Wars. You put the focus at the beginning. If the question is about your favourite, you start by saying "my favourite". If the question is about Star Wars, don't talk about "my favourite movie". Then try to make a more complex sentence, introduce something first, and link to the second piece of information using "which". Yesterday I watched Star Wars, which is my favourite movie. I love teaching, which is what I do. The best country in the world is England, which is where I'm from. Here is a statement about windmills, which is what we're talking about. This is a grammar lesson, which is what you're asking about! Statement, which is [noun]. You can also use the same structure to explain things. (Instead of "because" or "so".) It's raining, which is why I brought my umbrella. I brought my umbrella because it's raining. Hope this helps, which is why I'm here!
1
Using the word "from" indicates a past tense. Saying "comes" by itself, says that it is still happening.
0
I don't know how will right, but I many times have heard phrases like these: Where are you from? Where are you going to?
0
Hi, Akina! I can see why there's a confusion. Maybe it helps to remember that 'comes' is another way of saying 'arrives' whereas 'comes from' talks about the origin--in this case, of the term 'windmill'. Hope that clears it up! Regards, ServiceTier

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