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      Legal Conditions - is it grammatically correct?
      Submitted by huining on 23 July, 2010 - 05:09

      I have received a standard appointment letter from a legal firm, in which I have read this condition:

      We will use our reasonable endeavors to communicate with you by whatever means may seem appropriate to us.

       

      Is it grammatically correct? I think it should be:

       

      We will use our reasonable endeavors to communicate with you by whatever means that/which may seem appropriate to us.

       

      PLEASE HELP?

       

      ‹ Difference between "As part of" and "As a part of" teachers grammar ›

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      Ridha Abdellaoui's picture
      Ridha Abdellaoui
      The Omission of "That / Which" in a complex sentence
      Submitted on 24 July, 2010 - 22:40

      Hello Huining!

      The missing of "that / which" in such structures are not ungrammatical. Some people think (that) it is more rhetorical to omit "that / which" in such cases. However, I do not think so.

      Look at the following examples:

          1)

          - I think that he is very intelligent.

          - I think he is very intelligent.

         2) 

        - Some people think that it is more rhetorical to omit "that / which" in such cases.

              - Some people think it is more rhetorical...

      However I think it is a matter of FORMALITY and INFORMALITY.

       

      For more information follow this link:

      http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv286.shtml

      besherry's picture
      besherry
      I think its incorrect
      Submitted on 6 August, 2010 - 17:12

      The word endeavour means 'earnest attempt' 

      in a sentence like "We will use our reasonable endeavors to communicate with you" the word 'reasonable' is unnecessary.

      The sentence could be 'We will endeavor to communicate with you by whatever means that may seem appropriate to us'  

      JaneDerbyshire's picture
      JaneDerbyshire
      I think it's fine
      Submitted on 10 August, 2010 - 00:19

       

      It's common legal jargon.

      "Reasonable" endeavour means they don't have to try too hard - it is frequently included in terms and conditions.

      "that/which" is completely unnecessary, because     means= manner/format/style of communication i.e. a noun

      so if, for example, you substituted "by whatever letter my seem appropriate to us" you can see that "that/which" would not only be unnecessary, but wrong.