Twenty men and women
1) Twenty men and women attended the ceremony.
Isn't this sentence ambiguous?
a) Twenty people attended the ceremony in all.
b) Twenty men and twenty women attended the ceremony. Forty people in all.
If meaning (b) is intended, wouldn't you say that the men and women attended the ceremony in couples?
Gratefully,
Navi
Top answer
My response: I see your point. It can be tricky to describe attendance figures if you are dealing with a group comprised of couples. You could just say that 20 couples attended the event.
- My response: I see your point.
- It can be tricky to describe attendance figures if you are dealing with a group comprised of couples.
- You could just say that 20 couples attended the event.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
My response:
I see your point. It can be tricky to describe attendance figures if you are dealing with a group comprised of couples.
You could just say that 20 couples attended the event.
0I think a native speaker is unlikely to think that meaning B is intended.
Clive.
0Ambiguity only arises because the reader wonders why you specified the only two sexes there are instead of saying "people". If it is supposed to be surprising that representatives of one *** or the other showed up at all, you need to say more.
0
Related Questions