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Navitasan Posted 11 years ago
Grammar
Older members
1) I received support from the older members of the association.
Can't this sentence have two meanings:
a) The speaker is dividing the association into two group, ie. the: younger members and the older members, and is saying that the latter group supported him
b) The speaker is saying that he received support from the members who were older than him or her.
I think the same ambiguity exists in this sentence:
2) I received support from older members of the association.
The meaning of '2 differs from that of '1' though, because of the 'the'.
Am I correct?
Gratefully,
Navi.
Can't this sentence have two meanings:
a) The speaker is dividing the association into two group, ie. the: younger members and the older members, and is saying that the latter group supported him
b) The speaker is saying that he received support from the members who were older than him or her.
I think the same ambiguity exists in this sentence:
2) I received support from older members of the association.
The meaning of '2 differs from that of '1' though, because of the 'the'.
Am I correct?
Gratefully,
Navi.
Top answer
1 A is the only reasonable option. You continue to rediscover the truism that language is ambiguous for those who have no common sense. The same is true of your own.
- 1 A is the only reasonable option.
- You continue to rediscover the truism that language is ambiguous for those who have no common sense.
- The same is true of your own.
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2 Answers
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1 A is the only reasonable option.
You continue to rediscover the truism that language is ambiguous for those who have no common sense. The same is true of your own.
You continue to rediscover the truism that language is ambiguous for those who have no common sense. The same is true of your own.
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Thank you very much Mr. Micawber.
You are quite right. But when I speak and write in my own language, I know what I am doing. That is not the case in English. I have doubts when it comes to English. I am a bit obsessed with ambiguity in general, but that doesn't mean that I believe there is no ambiguity in my language. I am less obsessed with it, because I know it when I see it. Ambiguity
You are quite right. But when I speak and write in my own language, I know what I am doing. That is not the case in English. I have doubts when it comes to English. I am a bit obsessed with ambiguity in general, but that doesn't mean that I believe there is no ambiguity in my language. I am less obsessed with it, because I know it when I see it. Ambiguity
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