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Navitasan Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

Might have stolen

1) He might have stolen some money or a piece of jewelry.
2) He might have stolen either some money or a piece of jewelry.

Can't these sentences be used in two contexts:
a) We know he has committed theft. We don't know what he has stolen. He has stolen either some money or a piece of jewelry.

b) Maybe he has stolen some money. Maybe he has stolen a piece of jewelry. Maybe he hasn't anything at all.

Gratefully,
Navi.
  

Top answer

Yes. The 'might' could either go with the stolen (where maybe he didn't steal anything), the whole phrase, or the two listed things. As with all things, sentences always come in a context of other sentences, and the meaning in practice needn't be ambiguous unless intended to be.

— Meteorquake

  • Yes.
  • The 'might' could either go with the stolen (where maybe he didn't steal anything), the whole phrase, or the two listed things.
  • As with all things, sentences always come in a context of other sentences, and the meaning in practice needn't be ambiguous unless intended to be.
  • (1) has the ability to be looser and include further items he might have stolen, with the two listed simply being examples, whereas (2) is tighter in its expectation of the choices being exactly or primarily the two given (money or jewelry).
  • d
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1 Answers
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Yes. The 'might' could either go with the stolen (where maybe he didn't steal anything), the whole phrase, or the two listed things. As with all things, sentences always come in a context of other sentences, and the meaning in practice needn't be ambiguous unless intended to be.

(1) has the ability to be looser and include further items he might have stolen, with the two listed simply bei
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