How to properly format a list of verbs with an ambiguous object?
Is there ambiguity in the following sentence?
"You will not support, display, or show favor for the drinking of water."
I understand it as "You will not support the drinking of water, You will not display the drinking of water, You will not show favor for the drinking of water.".
But could one understand it as, "You will not support water, you will not display water, or you will not show favor for the drinking of water." correct?
I know it's an odd example. Is there a correct, preferred, or "more correct" understanding of the sentence?
verbs commas sentence lists
asked 5 hours ago
JamesJames
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Is there ambiguity in the following sentence?
"You will not support, display, or show favor for the drinking of water."
I understand it as "You will not support the drinking of water, You will not display the drinking of water, You will not show favor for the drinking of water.".
But could one understand it as, "You will not support water, you will not display water, or you will not show favor for the drinking of water." correct?
I know it's an odd example. Is there a correct, preferred, or "more correct" understanding of the sentence?
verbs commas sentence lists
asked 5 hours ago
JamesJames
1
New contributor
James is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
2
In print, it's ambiguous. But spoken, the intonation and rhythm would distinguish and clarify the significant constituents and their boundaries. You will not [[support, display, or show favor for] [the drinking of water]]. All written English sentences are multiply ambiguous; it is only by constant training and excluding unlikely parses that we can manage to read at all, since so much of the language is not conveyed by the orthography.
– John Lawler
3 hours ago
add a comment |
Is there ambiguity in the following sentence?
"You will not support, display, or show favor for the drinking of water."
I understand it as "You will not support the drinking of water, You will not display the drinking of water, You will not show favor for the drinking of water.".
But could one understand it as, "You will not support water, you will not display water, or you will not show favor for the drinking of water." correct?
I know it's an odd example. Is there a correct, preferred, or "more correct" understanding of the sentence?
verbs commas sentence lists
asked 5 hours ago
JamesJames
1
New contributor
James is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Is there ambiguity in the following sentence?
"You will not support, display, or show favor for the drinking of water."
I understand it as "You will not support the drinking of water, You will not display the drinking of water, You will not show favor for the drinking of water.".
But could one understand it as, "You will not support water, you will not display water, or you will not show favor for the drinking of water." correct?
I know it's an odd example. Is there a correct, preferred, or "more correct" understanding of the sentence?
verbs commas sentence lists
verbs commas sentence lists
asked 5 hours ago
JamesJames
1
New contributor
James is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 5 hours ago
JamesJames
1
New contributor
James is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 5 hours ago
JamesJames
1
New contributor
James is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 5 hours ago
JamesJames
1
asked 5 hours ago
JamesJames
1
1
New contributor
James is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
James is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
James is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
2
In print, it's ambiguous. But spoken, the intonation and rhythm would distinguish and clarify the significant constituents and their boundaries. You will not [[support, display, or show favor for] [the drinking of water]]. All written English sentences are multiply ambiguous; it is only by constant training and excluding unlikely parses that we can manage to read at all, since so much of the language is not conveyed by the orthography.
– John Lawler
3 hours ago
add a comment |
2
In print, it's ambiguous. But spoken, the intonation and rhythm would distinguish and clarify the significant constituents and their boundaries. You will not [[support, display, or show favor for] [the drinking of water]]. All written English sentences are multiply ambiguous; it is only by constant training and excluding unlikely parses that we can manage to read at all, since so much of the language is not conveyed by the orthography.
– John Lawler
3 hours ago
2
2
In print, it's ambiguous. But spoken, the intonation and rhythm would distinguish and clarify the significant constituents and their boundaries. You will not [[support, display, or show favor for] [the drinking of water]]. All written English sentences are multiply ambiguous; it is only by constant training and excluding unlikely parses that we can manage to read at all, since so much of the language is not conveyed by the orthography.
– John Lawler
3 hours ago
In print, it's ambiguous. But spoken, the intonation and rhythm would distinguish and clarify the significant constituents and their boundaries. You will not [[support, display, or show favor for] [the drinking of water]]. All written English sentences are multiply ambiguous; it is only by constant training and excluding unlikely parses that we can manage to read at all, since so much of the language is not conveyed by the orthography.
– John Lawler
3 hours ago
add a comment |
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In print, it's ambiguous. But spoken, the intonation and rhythm would distinguish and clarify the significant constituents and their boundaries. You will not [[support, display, or show favor for] [the drinking of water]]. All written English sentences are multiply ambiguous; it is only by constant training and excluding unlikely parses that we can manage to read at all, since so much of the language is not conveyed by the orthography.
– John Lawler
3 hours ago