Posted by Oden · July 31, 2011 · 2 replies
While asleep earlier today, an earthquake hit Japan. It woke me up.
BBC News - Earthquake jolts north-east Japan - no tsunami warning
[INDENT]More than 20,000 people died or were reported missing as a result of the disaster in March, which also crippled nuclear reactors in the Fukushima area.
[/INDENT]Is the "also" necessary? Does the sentence sound strange without the word?
Is the "also" necessary?
No, because we recognise that the adjective clause (which...) provides additional information.
Does the sentence sound strange without the word?
No, but I think it does sound a little better with the word 'also' for emphasis.
I think it's also because "also" disambiguates the relative clause, pointing out that it is defining rather than non-defining. Compare :
More than 20,000 people died or were reported missing as a result of the disaster in March which crippled nuclear reactors in the Fukushima area.
Like that - no comma and no "also" - the relative clause becomes defining : it's telling you which disaster in March we're talking about.
With the comma/also it is, as emile says, just giving extra info about a disaster which you are presumed to have already identified. The "also" signposts this and thus disambiguates the clause function.
