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Navitasan Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

A clean shirt and trousers

Can one use:
1-a clean shirt and trousers
instead of:
a clean shirt and clean trousers

Can one use:
2-a clean cowboy hat and boots
instead of:
a clean cowboy hat and clean cowboy boots
or
a clean cowboy hat and clean boots

Can one use:
3-an original painting and books
instead of:
an original painting and original books.

Gratefully,
Navi.
  

Top answer

1. Yes. It's a common combination of words.

  • 1.
  • Yes.
  • It's a common combination of words.
  • 2.
  • Only the long version is free of ambiguity.
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2 Answers
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1. Yes. It's a common combination of words.

2. Only the long version is free of ambiguity.

3. What do you mean by 'original books'?
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Thank you very much Clive,

I am sorry. My example was bad.
I should have probably said 'original stories'.
I just wanted something that did not normally go with 'painting'.

Is this one ambiguous as well:
4-a new shirt and a pair of shoes

I think 'new' only modifies 'shirt' here.

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