Universal Personal Pronoun of the Type Us All [on hold]
Which one is correct?
- The teacher gave us all a task. Mine was to interview four students.
- The teacher gave us each a task. Mine was to interview four students.
All can mean either every member or part of — used with a plural noun or pronoun to mean that a statement is true of every person or thing in a group OR the whole number or sum of — used with a plural noun or pronoun to mean that a statement is true of a group of people or things considered together. So, I think it's the second sentence that decides the meaning of all, and without the second sentence, it could mean either a single or a separate task for the students.
There's something else that's confusing me.
It's an insult to us all. (Correct)
It's an insult to us each. (Incorrect)
I'm quoting the above two sentences from a book. I wonder why the second one is wrong here whereas The teacher gave each a task is not [I'm not claiming that it's correct; it's just a possible answer someone gave -- suggesting changing us all to us each because of the second sentence (Mine was to interview four students)].
Please read the snippet from The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language by Rodney Huddleston and Geoffrey K. Pullum.
meaning-in-context personal-pronouns
asked yesterday
user249253user249253
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put on hold as off-topic by tchrist♦ yesterday
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "Please include the research you’ve done, or consider if your question suits our English Language Learners site better. Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic." – tchrist
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
add a comment |
Which one is correct?
- The teacher gave us all a task. Mine was to interview four students.
- The teacher gave us each a task. Mine was to interview four students.
All can mean either every member or part of — used with a plural noun or pronoun to mean that a statement is true of every person or thing in a group OR the whole number or sum of — used with a plural noun or pronoun to mean that a statement is true of a group of people or things considered together. So, I think it's the second sentence that decides the meaning of all, and without the second sentence, it could mean either a single or a separate task for the students.
There's something else that's confusing me.
It's an insult to us all. (Correct)
It's an insult to us each. (Incorrect)
I'm quoting the above two sentences from a book. I wonder why the second one is wrong here whereas The teacher gave each a task is not [I'm not claiming that it's correct; it's just a possible answer someone gave -- suggesting changing us all to us each because of the second sentence (Mine was to interview four students)].
Please read the snippet from The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language by Rodney Huddleston and Geoffrey K. Pullum.
meaning-in-context personal-pronouns
asked yesterday
user249253user249253
185
put on hold as off-topic by tchrist♦ yesterday
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "Please include the research you’ve done, or consider if your question suits our English Language Learners site better. Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic." – tchrist
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
All is only appropriate if it's a single task that is accomplished through a group effort. Based on the second sentence in each example, it should be each. Otherwise, it should be all, with the second sentence being something like we had to interview four students.
– Jason Bassford
yesterday
OK, I have edited the question.
– user249253
18 hours ago
MEGO with this question.
– Lambie
15 hours ago
If each student was tasked with a separate responsibility (e.g., analyze and code data, recruit participants or, interview four students) then #2 is appropriate. On the one hand, "gave us each a task" implies that one or more tasks (not necessarily the same one) was assigned to every student. On the other hand, "gave us all the task of interviewing four students..." or "gave us all one task: interview four students" make sense.
– Omar Al Jamal
15 hours ago
add a comment |
Which one is correct?
- The teacher gave us all a task. Mine was to interview four students.
- The teacher gave us each a task. Mine was to interview four students.
All can mean either every member or part of — used with a plural noun or pronoun to mean that a statement is true of every person or thing in a group OR the whole number or sum of — used with a plural noun or pronoun to mean that a statement is true of a group of people or things considered together. So, I think it's the second sentence that decides the meaning of all, and without the second sentence, it could mean either a single or a separate task for the students.
There's something else that's confusing me.
It's an insult to us all. (Correct)
It's an insult to us each. (Incorrect)
I'm quoting the above two sentences from a book. I wonder why the second one is wrong here whereas The teacher gave each a task is not [I'm not claiming that it's correct; it's just a possible answer someone gave -- suggesting changing us all to us each because of the second sentence (Mine was to interview four students)].
Please read the snippet from The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language by Rodney Huddleston and Geoffrey K. Pullum.
meaning-in-context personal-pronouns
asked yesterday
user249253user249253
185
Which one is correct?
- The teacher gave us all a task. Mine was to interview four students.
- The teacher gave us each a task. Mine was to interview four students.
All can mean either every member or part of — used with a plural noun or pronoun to mean that a statement is true of every person or thing in a group OR the whole number or sum of — used with a plural noun or pronoun to mean that a statement is true of a group of people or things considered together. So, I think it's the second sentence that decides the meaning of all, and without the second sentence, it could mean either a single or a separate task for the students.
There's something else that's confusing me.
It's an insult to us all. (Correct)
It's an insult to us each. (Incorrect)
I'm quoting the above two sentences from a book. I wonder why the second one is wrong here whereas The teacher gave each a task is not [I'm not claiming that it's correct; it's just a possible answer someone gave -- suggesting changing us all to us each because of the second sentence (Mine was to interview four students)].
Please read the snippet from The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language by Rodney Huddleston and Geoffrey K. Pullum.
meaning-in-context personal-pronouns
meaning-in-context personal-pronouns
asked yesterday
user249253user249253
185
asked yesterday
user249253user249253
185
edited 16 hours ago
user249253
asked yesterday
user249253user249253
185
asked yesterday
user249253user249253
185
asked yesterday
user249253user249253
185
185
put on hold as off-topic by tchrist♦ yesterday
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "Please include the research you’ve done, or consider if your question suits our English Language Learners site better. Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic." – tchrist
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
put on hold as off-topic by tchrist♦ yesterday
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "Please include the research you’ve done, or consider if your question suits our English Language Learners site better. Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic." – tchrist
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
All is only appropriate if it's a single task that is accomplished through a group effort. Based on the second sentence in each example, it should be each. Otherwise, it should be all, with the second sentence being something like we had to interview four students.
– Jason Bassford
yesterday
OK, I have edited the question.
– user249253
18 hours ago
MEGO with this question.
– Lambie
15 hours ago
If each student was tasked with a separate responsibility (e.g., analyze and code data, recruit participants or, interview four students) then #2 is appropriate. On the one hand, "gave us each a task" implies that one or more tasks (not necessarily the same one) was assigned to every student. On the other hand, "gave us all the task of interviewing four students..." or "gave us all one task: interview four students" make sense.
– Omar Al Jamal
15 hours ago
add a comment |
All is only appropriate if it's a single task that is accomplished through a group effort. Based on the second sentence in each example, it should be each. Otherwise, it should be all, with the second sentence being something like we had to interview four students.
– Jason Bassford
yesterday
OK, I have edited the question.
– user249253
18 hours ago
MEGO with this question.
– Lambie
15 hours ago
If each student was tasked with a separate responsibility (e.g., analyze and code data, recruit participants or, interview four students) then #2 is appropriate. On the one hand, "gave us each a task" implies that one or more tasks (not necessarily the same one) was assigned to every student. On the other hand, "gave us all the task of interviewing four students..." or "gave us all one task: interview four students" make sense.
– Omar Al Jamal
15 hours ago
All is only appropriate if it's a single task that is accomplished through a group effort. Based on the second sentence in each example, it should be each. Otherwise, it should be all, with the second sentence being something like we had to interview four students.
– Jason Bassford
yesterday
All is only appropriate if it's a single task that is accomplished through a group effort. Based on the second sentence in each example, it should be each. Otherwise, it should be all, with the second sentence being something like we had to interview four students.
– Jason Bassford
yesterday
OK, I have edited the question.
– user249253
18 hours ago
OK, I have edited the question.
– user249253
18 hours ago
MEGO with this question.
– Lambie
15 hours ago
MEGO with this question.
– Lambie
15 hours ago
If each student was tasked with a separate responsibility (e.g., analyze and code data, recruit participants or, interview four students) then #2 is appropriate. On the one hand, "gave us each a task" implies that one or more tasks (not necessarily the same one) was assigned to every student. On the other hand, "gave us all the task of interviewing four students..." or "gave us all one task: interview four students" make sense.
– Omar Al Jamal
15 hours ago
If each student was tasked with a separate responsibility (e.g., analyze and code data, recruit participants or, interview four students) then #2 is appropriate. On the one hand, "gave us each a task" implies that one or more tasks (not necessarily the same one) was assigned to every student. On the other hand, "gave us all the task of interviewing four students..." or "gave us all one task: interview four students" make sense.
– Omar Al Jamal
15 hours ago
add a comment |
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All is only appropriate if it's a single task that is accomplished through a group effort. Based on the second sentence in each example, it should be each. Otherwise, it should be all, with the second sentence being something like we had to interview four students.
– Jason Bassford
yesterday
OK, I have edited the question.
– user249253
18 hours ago
MEGO with this question.
– Lambie
15 hours ago
If each student was tasked with a separate responsibility (e.g., analyze and code data, recruit participants or, interview four students) then #2 is appropriate. On the one hand, "gave us each a task" implies that one or more tasks (not necessarily the same one) was assigned to every student. On the other hand, "gave us all the task of interviewing four students..." or "gave us all one task: interview four students" make sense.
– Omar Al Jamal
15 hours ago