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Navitasan Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

And ambiguity?

A-He can be tender and tough.

Can't this sentence mean two things:
FIRST MEANING:
a1-He can either be tender or be tough.
a2-He can be tender or tough.
a3-He can both be tender and be tough.
a4-He can be both tender and tough.

SECOND MEANING:
b1-He can be tender and tough at the same time.
  

Top answer

I don't see how a3 and a4 differ from each other, nor that they exclude b1. Do you?

— BarbaraPA

  • I don't see how a3 and a4 differ from each other, nor that they exclude b1.
  • Do you?
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5 Answers
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I don't see how a3 and a4 differ from each other, nor that they exclude b1. Do you?
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Thanks for your reply.


Grammar GeekI don't see how a3 and a4 differ from each other, nor that they exclude b1. Do you?

Well, a3 and a4 have different word order, but I think you are right that they do not exclude b1 either. Those two as well are ambiguous.
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My only interpretation of the original is a3/a4 (the same thing), which doesn't exclude b1.

It's not either/or -- the original clearly has an "and."
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Ah! I think I see what you mean.

I think there is an overlap between the 'and' and the 'or' sentences.

A-This actor can be tender or tough. (He can play the roles of tender people or the roles of tough people.)

B-This actor can be tender and tough. (He can play the roles of tender people and the roles of tough people.)

I think if in B we exclude the "at the sa
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