Question 1

Why use el cual here instead of just que or quien?

Accepted Answer

In this sentence, el cual means "who". It is a formal relative pronoun used in non-defining relative clauses (clauses surrounded by commas that add extra background information). While you could grammatically use que or quien here, el cual elevates the register, making it sound much more formal or literary. It agrees in gender and number with the noun it replaces, el maestro.

Question 2

Are the commas around el cual conoce la técnica strictly necessary?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Because this clause adds extra, non-essential information about a specific master, it must be set off by commas. Furthermore, when used as a simple subject like this (meaning "who" or "which" without a preposition like "con" or "para" in front of it), you can only use el cual in these comma-separated clauses.

Question 3

Why is "since" translated as puesto que instead of desde?

Accepted Answer

You use desde when "since" refers to a starting point in time or space (like "since 1999"). When "since" is used to explain a reason or cause, meaning "because" or "given that", you must use a conjunction like puesto que or ya que.

Question 4

In la enseña, does la refer to the philosophy or the technique?

Accepted Answer

Grammatically, it could refer to either, since both la filosofía and la técnica are feminine singular nouns. However, contextually, it means he "teaches it (the philosophy)". The first clause establishes that philosophy is the important subject, so it makes the most sense as the object being taught.

Puesto que la filosofía es importante, el maestro, el cual conoce la técnica, la enseña.

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