"Wide scope for" vs "Wide room for"

Question

Hi. Could you check whether the following sentences are correct? The question is — can "wide room for" be used as an equivalent for "wide scope for" (and is there a need for the indefinite article in both cases)?

1. This territory provides a wide scope for traveling.

2. This territory provides a wide room for traveling.

Thanks.

Clive · Accepted Answer

B

Could you check whether the following sentences are correct? The question is — can "wide room for" be used as an equivalent for "wide scope for" (and is there a need for the indefinite article in both cases)?

1. This territory provides a wide scope for travelling.

2. This territory provides a wide room for travelling.

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Both words are hard to define, but here are a few comments.

room often refers to physical space,

eg I couldn't get on the bus because there was not enough room.

But the adjective 'wide' doesn't work with 'room'. I can't find a ,meaning in 'a wide room'. I'd say 'a lot of room'

It also sounds odd to say a lot of room for travelling. I'd say simply eg This territory is a big place.

scope This is usually used figuratively.

eg That topic is outside the scope of this project.

You could say eg This project has a wide scope, but I don't know what a wide scope for travelling could mean

I haven't said much about articles because your intended meaning is very unclear to me.

Clive

Anonymous · Answer

Of course, I have in mind not a premise but a figurative meaning. Thus, both "scope" and "room" have the following meaning in Cambridge Dictionary: "the opportunity for doing something". Perhaps, they could also mean "possibility, potential". However, whereas I can find examples of "wide scope for", I cannot find any for "wide room for". This is the substance of my question. Here are some more examples:

1. There is wide scope for closer cooperation.

2. Clearly, there is still wide scope for research on the molecular basis of dengue virus epidemiology and pathogenesis.

3. Suffice it to say that there is wide scope for interpretation and, even among conservatives, there is the possibility that things will change – just as they might do, one day, in the Church of England.

"Wide scope for" vs "Wide room for"

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