something that you think happens

[hhtt21]

"If your problem is something that you think happens too often, state approximately how often it occurs."

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The structure of above sentence is confusing to me, especially the part "you think happens". Should not there be a subject it for verb happens in the sentence as "If your problem is something that you think it happens too often, state approximately how often it occurs."?

PS: I tried to do non-italic the writing but that feature didn't work now in Mozilla.

 

[teechar]

The structure of the above sentence is confusing to me, especially the part "you think happens". Should [STRIKE]not[/STRIKE] there not be a subject it for the verb "happens" in the sentence as in "If your problem is something that you think it happens too often, state approximately how often it occurs"?

No, there shouldn't. Brush up on the use of relative pronouns.

 

[jutfrank]

If you remove you think, you get:

something that happens too often

 

[hhtt21]

If you remove you think, you get:

something that happens too often

It's still confusing. Is it "something that happens too often and you think that thing (here it is something) or "It is something and you think it happens too often." These two are different thing. In your sentence, removal of you think, relative pronoun connects "something" and "happens" but in the original does relative pronoun not connect "something" and "you think"?

 

[hhtt21]

You think (that) your problem happens too often.
You think (that) your problem is something that happens too often.
Your problem is something that (you think) happens too often.


The underlined thats are relative pronouns.
The others are subordinators.

Now I started to understand. But it is clear that the part "you think" is a paranthetical expression. Should it be not in paranthesis, commas or hyphens?

 

[Matthew Wai]

I think the brackets around 'you think' denote the two words are optional.

 

[jutfrank]

But it is clear that the part "you think" is a paranthetical expression. Should it be not in paranthesis, commas or hyphens?

No, it's not parenthetical, it's an essential part of the meaning of the sentence. Can you understand the important difference between the following two statements?

It happens too often.
You think it happens too often.

 

[hhtt21]

No, it's not parenthetical, it's an essential part of the meaning of the sentence. Can you understand the important difference between the following two statements?

It happens too often.
You think it happens too often.

This was what I mean to say. Why is the subject it ommited in the original? Should the original not be as "Something that you think it happens too often?" Is it an ellipsis-the neglection of subject?

 

[jutfrank]

The subject isn't omitted. The subject is the relative pronoun 'that'.

 

[hhtt21]

You think (that) your problem is something that happens too often.
The underlined thats are relative pronouns.
The others are subordinators.

What is the difference between: 1 and 2?

1. "You think (that) your problem is something that happens too often."
2. "Your problem is something that you think happens too often.

 

[hhtt21]

How can "you think" come between "that", the relative pronoun, and "happens", the verb? This is the key to understand it.

I can easily understand the sentence "problem is something that happens too often."

"That" is both "the relative pronoun" and "subject".

 

[emsr2d2]

This is something [that] you think happens too often.

I think hurricanes happen too often.
Hurricanes are something I think happen too often.

You think post corrections happen too often.
Post corrections are something you think happen too often.

 

[hhtt21]

This is something [that] you think happens too often.

I think hurricanes happen too often.
Hurricanes are something I think happen too often.

You think post corrections happen too often.
Post corrections are something you think happen too often.

I almost completely understood it but have slight hesitations about.

Does the phrases "I think" and "you think" acts as an adverb there? Are they part of the verb "happen" there? Can we think them as a whole as "I think happen" and "you think happen"?

Thank you.

Thank you.

 

[jutfrank]

Does the phrases "I think" and "you think" acts as an adverb there?

No. They're clauses embedded inside another clause.

Are they part of the verb "happen" there? Can we think them as a whole as "I think happen" and "you think happen"?

No. This is where you're getting confused. Try to disconnect I think from happen. The I think really stands apart grammatically from the rest of the surrounding clause. Just pretend that it has commas or dashes around it.

 

[tzfujimino]

1. Your problem is something.
2. You think it happens too often.

3. Your problem is something that you think happens too often.

I hope it helps.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Does the phrases "I think" and "you think" acts as an adverb there?

In post #14, 'I think happen too often' and 'you think happen too often' are contact clauses modifying 'something', so I think they act as adjectives there.

 

[hhtt21]

In post #14, 'I think happen too often' and 'you think happen too often' are contact clauses modifying 'something', so I think they act as adjectives there.

But if you ask the question "how they happen", "I think too often" is the answer. So isn't it an adverb?

Thank you.

 

[emsr2d2]

But if you ask the question "How often do they happen?", "I think they happen too often" is the answer.

Note my corrections above.

"I think too often" is not natural. You can say either "I think they happen too often" or "Too often, I think".

 

[Matthew Wai]

But if you ask the question "how they happen", "I think too often" is the answer. So isn't it an adverb?

Question: How often do they happen?
Answer: I think they happen too often.

'Too often' is an adverb phrase modifying the verb 'happen'.
Adverb phrases: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/adjective-and-adverb-phrases/adverb-phrases

 

[hhtt21]

Note my corrections above.

"I think too often" is not natural. You can say either "I think they happen too often" or "Too often, I think".

First thank you for your corrections but you didn't share your opinions? Do you agree with me?

-How do they happen?
-I think they happen too often.

Do I think not play a role as an adverb next to too often?