Use of "or"

Question

Can you please tell me if this sentence is correct "Your gesture can mean the difference between scarring your daughter or helping her."
I am not sure about the use of "between" and "or" in this sentence. Is it fine? If not, could you tell me how to rephrase it?

Enoon · Accepted Answer

I think it should be "between X and Y", but you see this "or" all the time, and the meaning is clear either way—English isn't Boolean algebra. Still, if I were editing that sentence, I'd change "or" to "and".

Vimzification · Answer

Thanks enoon. I am going to change it to "and"

Anonymous · Answer

Hi
I have 2 sentences with 'difference' would it be possible to take a gander
Do you need to change up the sentence?

One shot can make the difference between going home a winner and a loser. If you make it you go home a winner, in this instance, he missed and went home a loser.
He's made a difference when he's been in the game.

regards

Enoon · Answer

AnonymousHiI have 2 sentences with 'difference' would it be possible to take a ganderDo you need to change up the sentence?One shot can make the difference between going home a winner and a loser. If you make it you go home a winner, in this instance, he missed and went home a loser.He's made a difference when he's been in the game.regards

Interesting. The sentence "One shot can make the difference between going home a winner and a loser" is short for "One shot can make the difference between going home a winner and going home a loser." When it is shortened, "or" becomes better: "One shot can make the difference between going home a winner or a loser." The reason is that the difference is not between a winner and a loser, it is between going home one or the other. Maybe English really is Boolean algebra.

The rest of the first set is a bit messy: If you make it, you go home a winner. In this instance, he missed and went home a loser.

The other sentence is fine.

Anonymous · Answer

very confusing

I've stubbled over this that I find very confusing, I don't know if it is me but
I don't know what to think

Difference in = difference between

Are there different ways to say this paragrah?

2. There is a big difference between the winnings of the biggest winner and the second biggest winner, but as you go down the list the difference winnings tightens up. 1st place has 10 million 2nd place has 5 million, 3rd place 3 million, 4th 2.8 million, 5th 2.7 million, 6th 2.65 million, 7th 2.45 million.

3. There is a big difference in winnings between the biggest winner and the second biggest winner, but as you go down the list the difference winnings the gap shrinks tighten. 1st place has 10 million 2nd place has 5 million, 3rd place 3 million, 4th 2.8 million, 5th 2.7 million, 6th 2.65 million, 7th 2.45 million.

4 There any significant difference in quality between these two items.

5There any significant difference between the quality these two items.

What's the difference between
big difference between the X of something and something.
big difference in X between something and something.

Enoon · Answer

Yes, it is confusing for all of us. It's not an exact science. People use all sorts of loose variations with "between" and "difference".

The grammar in example 2 is questionable. We have "difference between X of Y and Z", which at first looks like two things—Z and X of Y. That "winnings" is not really plural makes it worse. What is meant is "There is a big difference between the winnings of the biggest winner and the winnings of the second biggest winner ...". To yoke "winnings" to the two winners, we have to tie them to it—at a minimum, "There is a big difference between the winnings of the biggest winner and of the second biggest winner ...". Better yet, "There is a big difference between the winnings of the biggest winner and those of the second biggest winner ...".

Still number 2, I think you left out a word (and a comma): "but as you go down the list, the difference in winnings tightens up." You could just as well use "between" there.

The second clause in number 3 is garbled. If you want to try again, I'll look at it.

You left out words in 4 and 5 (and a question mark): "Is there any significant difference between the quality of these two items?" I don't see a difference in meaning between the two forms. I don't see a difference between the meaning of 4 and that of 5. (The first of those is the way I'd naturally put it, but the second is possible.)

Anonymous · Answer

1 There is a big difference between the winnings of the biggest winner and those of second biggest winner, but as you go down the list the difference in winnings tightens up. 1st place has 10 million 2nd place has 5 million, 3rd place 3 million, 4th 2.8 million, 5th 2.7 million, 6th 2.65 million, 7th 2.45 million.

2 There is a big difference in winnings between the biggest winner and that of the second biggest winner, but as you go down the list the difference in winnings tighten up. 1st place has 10 million 2nd place has 5 million, 3rd place 3 million, 4th 2.8 million, 5th 2.7 million, 6th 2.65 million, 7th 2.45 million.

Is "those" and "that" correct in 1 and 2.
Those refers to the winnings in 1 and that refers to the difference in 2, right?

Which is the one you prefer again?

Which is natural?
As you go down the list the difference in winnings tightens up.
As you go down the list the difference in winnings shrinks.
As you go down the list the gap in winnings shrinks. [tightens up]
As you go down the list the gap between winnings shrinks. [tightens up]

Which one is your preference? Both are correct from what I read above right?
1 There is a significant difference in quality between these two items.
2 There is a significant difference between the quality these two items.

Thank You

Anonymous · Answer

Can I get your thoughts?

Anonymous · Answer

Enoon,
Please give me your opinion?

Use of "or"

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