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Optimus Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
Or
Hello.
Say there are two problems, A and B, and you want to ask in writing which of the two problems you should solve. How would you say that?
First of all, do native speakers perceive the following sentences as equivalent to one another?
1. Should I solve problem A or problem B?
2. Should I solve problem A, or problem B?
3. Should I solve problem A? Or problem B?
It seems to me sentence 1 can be construed as a yes/no question while sentence 2 and 3 are asking for a specific answer.
A "yes" to the sentence 1 means: you should solve i) problem A or ii) problem B or iii) problems A and B. A "no" to the sentence 1 means you should solve neither A nor B.
I think the last two sentences are interchangeable, but I was wondering if the punctuations in the sentences 2 and 3 correct (MS Word says it's fragmented).
To ask the question again, what is the most common way of asking such a question?
Thank you
Say there are two problems, A and B, and you want to ask in writing which of the two problems you should solve. How would you say that?
First of all, do native speakers perceive the following sentences as equivalent to one another?
1. Should I solve problem A or problem B?
2. Should I solve problem A, or problem B?
3. Should I solve problem A? Or problem B?
It seems to me sentence 1 can be construed as a yes/no question while sentence 2 and 3 are asking for a specific answer.
A "yes" to the sentence 1 means: you should solve i) problem A or ii) problem B or iii) problems A and B. A "no" to the sentence 1 means you should solve neither A nor B.
I think the last two sentences are interchangeable, but I was wondering if the punctuations in the sentences 2 and 3 correct (MS Word says it's fragmented).
To ask the question again, what is the most common way of asking such a question?
Thank you
Top answer
" It can be one, the other, or both. With #3, the answer could be "yes... " #2 went against the grain with me at first, but it's the least ambiguous when you mean thtat only one of the problems would be solved.
- " It can be one, the other, or both.
- With #3, the answer could be "yes...
- " #2 went against the grain with me at first, but it's the least ambiguous when you mean thtat only one of the problems would be solved.
- I'm sure there's a reason you wouldn't want to solve both, which is what most people would ask you to do.
- How about this alternative: Which problem do you want me to solve, A or B?
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2 Answers
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That's one of the ambiguities of "or." It can be one, the other, or both. With #3, the answer could be "yes... and yes." #2 went against the grain with me at first, but it's the least ambiguous when you mean thtat only one of the problems would be solved. I'm sure there's a reason you wouldn't want to solve both, which is what most people would ask you to do. How about this alternative: Which p
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I would treat this as exclusive "or" -- which is the most common meaning in ordinary language, and I would not answer the first question with "yes" or "no", but rather with "A" or "B". The punctuation in the second version is too confusing. I'd use 1 or 3.
CJ
CJ
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