crash of which

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "crash of which" is not correct and does not sound natural in written English.
It is typically used incorrectly as it lacks clarity and proper grammatical structure. Example: "The software experienced a crash of which the cause was unknown."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

After the banking crash of which her policies sowed the seeds, public debt will reach £1.4tn by 2016, equal to GDP.

The Guardian

Obama could also have explained how the Federal Reserve's easy money policy created the housing bubble, the crash of which is at the heart of our current economic problems.

Forbes

People would start passing out or getting sick, says flight attendant Marguerite McCausland, who served as a flight attendant in the 1950s through to 1972, when her career ended with the fatal United Airlines Flight 553 crash, of which she was one of 18 survivors.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

And then the crashes, of which there were far too many to keep count – although the official Tour de France medical bulletin listed 12 riders who needed treatment.

The Guardian - Sport

It occasionally recurs in modern plane crashes, of which the Andes air disaster of 1972 (the subject of Piers Paul Read's remarkable book "Alive" and the movie of the same name) is the most famous example.

The New York Times - Books

During a median follow-up of 4.6 years, 322 Auckland participants experienced 538 bicycle crashes, of which 337 occurred on public roads including one death due to a collision with a motor vehicle (Table  2).

Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source

EgyptAir has received a number of bomb threats since the crash, all of which have turned out to be hoaxes.

The Guardian

Thirty bodies have now been recovered from the crash, 21 of which had been identified by yesterday afternoon.

The Guardian

The game's story called for a massive plane crash, out of which a single robot, operatically aflame, was intended to stride toward the player.

The New Yorker

The Federal Aviation Administration said there appeared to be two aircraft on radar before the crash, both of which then disappeared, which led investigators to believe there had been a collision.

Los Angeles Times

Federal Railroad Administration records show that since 1976, the crossing had 13 major accidents before Tuesday's crash, 11 of which involved vehicles that either stalled in the crossing or had become trapped by the gates.

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When constructing sentences involving crashes or incidents, opt for simpler relative pronouns like "that" or "which" for clarity. For instance, instead of "the crash of which the cause was unknown", write "the crash that caused it was unknown".

Common error

Avoid using "of which" when simpler alternatives are available. Sentences with "of which" can often sound unnatural. Reword to use a more direct and concise structure, such as using "that" or restructuring the sentence to avoid the relative clause altogether.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "crash of which" functions as a relative clause attempting to provide additional information about a "crash". However, as Ludwig AI points out, this construction is often grammatically awkward and not the most effective way to convey the intended meaning. It seeks to connect the crash to further details or consequences.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

66%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "crash of which" is a grammatically valid but stylistically awkward way to add information about a crash event using a relative clause. Ludwig AI suggests that while technically correct, this construction is less common and often sounds unnatural in modern English. Simpler alternatives, such as "crash that" or rephrasing the sentence, are generally preferred for improved clarity. The phrase appears most frequently in news and media contexts, but given its potential for confusion, writers should aim for more direct and accessible phrasing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

crash that

Replaces "of which" with a more direct relative pronoun, simplifying the structure.

crash, which

Uses a non-restrictive relative clause with 'which', improving readability.

crash whose

Employs 'whose' to indicate possession or a related attribute of the crash.

accident of which

Substitutes "crash" with "accident", maintaining the relative clause structure.

collision of which

Replaces "crash" with "collision", preserving the original structure but changing the noun.

incident of which

Uses "incident" instead of "crash", keeping the relative clause intact.

smash of which

Substitutes "crash" with "smash", providing a more informal synonym while retaining the structure.

wreck of which

Replaces "crash" with "wreck", suggesting severe damage or destruction.

pileup of which

Replaces "crash" with "pileup", indicating a multi-vehicle collision.

the crash, and

Breaks the sentence into two parts, avoiding the relative clause structure altogether.

FAQs

How can I correctly use a relative clause to describe a crash?

Instead of using phrases like "crash of which", opt for clearer alternatives such as "crash that", or rephrase the sentence for better readability. For example, use "the crash that occurred" or "the crash, which caused...".

What are some alternatives to "crash of which"?

Consider using simpler constructions like "crash that", "the crash, which", or rewriting the sentence to use a more direct structure. For instance, instead of "the crash of which the cause was unknown", try "the cause of "the crash" was unknown".

Is "crash of which" grammatically correct?

While not strictly incorrect, the phrase "crash of which" is rarely used and can sound awkward. It's generally better to use more common and direct alternatives for clarity and naturalness in writing.

When is it appropriate to use "of which" in a sentence?

While phrases using "of which" are valid in English, they can often sound formal or stilted. In most contexts, simpler alternatives like "that", "which", or rewriting the sentence are preferred for clearer and more natural writing.