Abbreviation

Question

Some say that alcohol is more harmful to women than to men and it is more harmful to younger people than to adults.Do these below work as abbreviated versions of the sentence above?Some say that alcohol is more harmful to women than to men and it is so to younger people than to adults.Some say that alcohol is more harmful to women than to men and it is to younger people than to adults.Some say that alcohol is more harmful to women than to men and to younger people than to adults.

Enoon · Accepted Answer

No. "More" and "than" are a team you can't break up.

Taka · Answer

OK.

But this one means something different, right?

Some say that alcohol is more harmful to women than to men and it is more so to younger people than to adults.

So is it impossible to make the sentence shorter?

Enoon · Answer

Yes, that is a good sentence.

Some say that alcohol is more harmful to women than to men and even more to younger people than to adults. That is two small words shorter. I think you should be happy with that. You are jamming two complex ideas into one sentence, and that does not often work at all.

Taka · Answer

I see (it's not me that are trying to jam those two into one. One of those examples was a translation that someone else had made, and I wondered if it really worked). So those revised three don't work. Good.

To make things clear, let me ask. Strictly speaking, your version, with 'even':

Some say that alcohol is more harmful to women than to men and even more to younger people than to adults.

is not the same in meaning as this one, or is it?

Some say that alcohol is more harmful to women than to men and it is more harmful to younger people than to adults.

Enoon · Answer

I left "harmful" understood: Some say that alcohol is more harmful to women than to men and even more [harmful] to younger people than to adults. I'm not in love with it, but I think it gets us there. The harm alcohol does is greater with children than it is with men or women, men and women being the adults we mention at the end just to be clear.

Yours, "Some say that alcohol is more harmful to women than to men and it is more harmful to younger people than to adults.", says the same thing, basically, except it makes two separate statements. I was trying to condense.

Taka · Answer

OK. So your 'even' shows your understanding of the logics of the original sentence. I have two questions about your version.

·Would it still work without 'even'?

Some say that alcohol is more harmful to women than to men and more to younger people than to adults.

·How would you interpret this?

Some say that alcohol is more harmful to women than to men and (it is) more so to younger people than to adults.

Do you think it means the same as your version with 'even more'? Or you think it means something different?

Enoon · Answer

Taka·Would it still work without 'even'?Some say that alcohol is more harmful to women than to men and more to younger people than to adults.

That states two unrelated comparisons.

Some say that alcohol is more harmful to women than to men and (it is) more so to younger people than to adults.

Do you think it means the same as your version with 'even more'? Or you think it means something different?

Your parentheses make it hard to tell what you're asking. The sentence gets complicated because it is not clear whether the second clause belongs to the "that" clause or is an independent clause of its own.

Taka · Answer

enoon Your parentheses make it hard to tell what you're asking. The sentence gets complicated because it is not clear whether the second clause belongs to the "that" clause or is an independent clause of its own.

Then what about this? Does it mean the same as the original? Or does it mean something different?

Some say that alcohol is more harmful to women than to men and that it is more so to younger people than to adults.

Enoon · Answer

Taka enoon Your parentheses make it hard to tell what you're asking. The sentence gets complicated because it is not clear whether the second clause belongs to the "that" clause or is an independent clause of its own.Then what about this? Does it mean the same as the original? Or does it mean something different?Some say that alcohol is more harmful to women than to men and that it is more so to younger people than to adults.

The original sentence was this:

"Some say that alcohol is more harmful to women than to men and it is more harmful to younger people than to adults."

You are asking whether this sentence is equivalent:

"Some say that alcohol is more harmful to women than to men and that it is more so to younger people than to adults."

No. The first makes two unrelated comparisons—women vs. men, and children vs. adults. The second makes three comparisons—the same two as in the first sentence and an additional one, women/men vs. children/adults.

I have to say I don't like any of the sentences here, even the ones I've offered. I have a personal rule never to sacrifice clarity for the sake of brevity, and we're breaking it. Words cost nothing. If I understand the original sentence, I make it: "Some say that alcohol is more harmful to women than to men, and that the harm done younger people is greater still than that done adults of either ***."

Taka · Answer

I see.

Thank you, enoon!

Abbreviation

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions