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Yoyoimut Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Please Correct My Ambiguous Sentences
I want to study how to make the simplest sentences without ambiguity.
Ambiguous sentece : "Two cards A and B are labeled 1 and 2."
First interpretation: Card A is labeled 1 and 2 and so is card B.
Second interpretation: Card A is labeled 1 and card B is labeled 2.
My question is how to make a clear sentence for each interpretation above.
Thank you in advance.
Ambiguous sentece : "Two cards A and B are labeled 1 and 2."
First interpretation: Card A is labeled 1 and 2 and so is card B.
Second interpretation: Card A is labeled 1 and card B is labeled 2.
My question is how to make a clear sentence for each interpretation above.
Thank you in advance.
Top answer
Well what's the correct interpretation? If you want to make clear that your idea is the second interpretation you might say: "Two cards A and B are respectively labeled 1 and 2" As for the first interpretation you have: "Two cards A and B are both labeled 1 and 2" Hope this helps you.
- Well what's the correct interpretation?
- If you want to make clear that your idea is the second interpretation you might say: "Two cards A and B are respectively labeled 1 and 2" As for the first interpretation you have: "Two cards A and B are both labeled 1 and 2" Hope this helps you.
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8 Answers
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Well what's the correct interpretation?
If you want to make clear that your idea is the second interpretation you might say:
"Two cards A and B are respectively labeled 1 and 2"
As for the first interpretation you have:
"Two cards A and B are both labeled 1 and 2"
Hope this helps you.
If you want to make clear that your idea is the second interpretation you might say:
"Two cards A and B are respectively labeled 1 and 2"
As for the first interpretation you have:
"Two cards A and B are both labeled 1 and 2"
Hope this helps you.
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The condition I want to say:
---> There are N cards.
---> Each card has a single distinct label taken from the first N natural numbers.
For those who do NOT know natural number: The first N natural numbers is a set consists of integers from 1 to N.
Mathematics authors often say like "Each of the first N natural numbers is labeled on a card."
For the
---> There are N cards.
---> Each card has a single distinct label taken from the first N natural numbers.
For those who do NOT know natural number: The first N natural numbers is a set consists of integers from 1 to N.
Mathematics authors often say like "Each of the first N natural numbers is labeled on a card."
For the
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Yoyoimut"There are N cards labeled a single distinct number from 1 to N each."There are N cards, each labeled with a single, distinct number from 1 to N.
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I think this would be clear enough:
N cards are labeled 1 through N.
CJ
N cards are labeled 1 through N.
CJ
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Thanks Grammar Geek 
Good idea.
By the way, Are you an English native speaker?
Good idea.
By the way, Are you an English native speaker?
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Thanks for replying Calif Jim,
Your statement "N cards are labeled 1 to N" is ambiguous.
It can also be interpreted as "each of N cards is labeled N numbers from 1 to N".
Your statement "N cards are labeled 1 to N" is ambiguous.
It can also be interpreted as "each of N cards is labeled N numbers from 1 to N".
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