For many people, the question of which is better – dentures or implants? It’s a difficult decision that can make even the most educated person wrinkle their nose in disgust. But for the millions of missing teeth sufferers out there, the answer is dentures. They’re the simplest, cheapest, and most effective way of restoring full mouth function. So why would anyone consider implants over dentures?
Well, it all boils down to the difference between a pre-operational sentence (which can be both grammatically correct and grammatically incorrect) and a sentence that begins with “is.” When presenting two options to a person, how can you ask them which one would be better…which one makes more sense? In the English language, there is a simple solution to this problem. Asking Which is better – dentures or implants?
In the English language, a sentence can be divided into two groups based on the position of a single verb (which always involves a preposition). For example, the sentence that watches looks better can be divided into two equally valid groups, the first containing “watch” and the second “is.” The problem with these predicates is that they change the meaning of the sentences. The word “watch” here is used to describe something that does not exist in our world, whereas “is” is used to describe something that does exist in our world.
This subtle grammatical difference is one of the biggest reasons why English speakers and readers tend to have contrasting views on the subject. One camp believes that which watches look better than what watches do, while another believes “watches look better than isn’t” is a better solution. The solution to the grammar debate lies in understanding that these two kinds of sentences are using different words to describe the same thing. When you understand this, you’ll find that you can use the English language far more flexibly, resulting in a greater understanding of how it all works.
Which is better – watches or is? These two questions are not as easy to answer as the first one. Using “which is” in the second sentence makes you question the very basis of the sentence. On the other hand, using “is” forces you to choose between the two possibilities, forcing you to choose which you believe is true.
A better way to tackle the problem would be to ask, “What exactly does the word ‘watches’ mean?” This question forces you to think about what you’re talking about. If you already assume that” watches” refers to watches that don’t run out of batteries, then “which is” won’t make much difference to you. You already believe that the second sentence says that some watches are better than others. If you’re wrong about that belief, then “which is” could make all the difference. So now you know what the word watches means!
If you have a difficult time understanding “which is” sentences where the subject of the sentences is already implied in the verb, then you might want to look for other types of sentences. For instance, if you say something like “John loves his watch,” then you’re making a statement about what John loves. But you could also say something like, “John loves his grandfather’s watch” which would imply that he loves a particular kind of watch.
Which is better – watches or is? It really depends on the context. If your subject is making a statement about his or her happiness, then “which is” can be used in place of “is.” But if the subject is merely asking you whether one of the watches they own is any good, then “which is” is clearly preferable. The rule of thumb, however, is “which is” if the subject is a true sentence writer and “is” if your subject simply wants you to know whether his watch is any good.
