Positioning two instances of “it” in a question, is one option more likely to be confusing, ambiguous, or...
I'm torn how to position the two instances of "it" in this question. I believe that both sentences are acceptable and convey the same meaning, but I'm not sure which is more likely to be confusing, ambiguous, or mis-understood.
Does one stand out as the better title for a Stack Exchange question? Is there a standard rule at play here that I should know about?
A: Is honey really a supersaturated solution? Does heating to un-crystalize redissolve it or melt it?
B: Is honey really a supersaturated solution? Does heating to un-crystalize it redissolve or melt it?
I suppose I could also get rid of one instance all together as well:
C: Is honey really a supersaturated solution? Does heating to un-crystalize redissolve or melt it?
word-order it
asked yesterday
uhohuhoh
350113
add a comment |
I'm torn how to position the two instances of "it" in this question. I believe that both sentences are acceptable and convey the same meaning, but I'm not sure which is more likely to be confusing, ambiguous, or mis-understood.
Does one stand out as the better title for a Stack Exchange question? Is there a standard rule at play here that I should know about?
A: Is honey really a supersaturated solution? Does heating to un-crystalize redissolve it or melt it?
B: Is honey really a supersaturated solution? Does heating to un-crystalize it redissolve or melt it?
I suppose I could also get rid of one instance all together as well:
C: Is honey really a supersaturated solution? Does heating to un-crystalize redissolve or melt it?
word-order it
asked yesterday
uhohuhoh
350113
I may need some help with proper tagging.
– uhoh
yesterday
2
I find all three options perfectly clear and natural, with a slight preference for B. In natural conversation, I think I’d probably use it three times: “Does heating to decrystallise it redissolve it or melt it?”. (Note the double L and the prefix in decrystallise – I’ve never heard of un-crystallising honey, but decrystallising honey is a reasonably common phrase.)
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
yesterday
@JanusBahsJacquet thanks for the reassurance, and for a new word for me; decrystallise
– uhoh
yesterday
1
@JanusBahsJacquet I might even use four instances of the pronoun: Does heating it to un-crystalize it redissolve it or melt it?
– Jason Bassford
yesterday
add a comment |
I'm torn how to position the two instances of "it" in this question. I believe that both sentences are acceptable and convey the same meaning, but I'm not sure which is more likely to be confusing, ambiguous, or mis-understood.
Does one stand out as the better title for a Stack Exchange question? Is there a standard rule at play here that I should know about?
A: Is honey really a supersaturated solution? Does heating to un-crystalize redissolve it or melt it?
B: Is honey really a supersaturated solution? Does heating to un-crystalize it redissolve or melt it?
I suppose I could also get rid of one instance all together as well:
C: Is honey really a supersaturated solution? Does heating to un-crystalize redissolve or melt it?
word-order it
asked yesterday
uhohuhoh
350113
I'm torn how to position the two instances of "it" in this question. I believe that both sentences are acceptable and convey the same meaning, but I'm not sure which is more likely to be confusing, ambiguous, or mis-understood.
Does one stand out as the better title for a Stack Exchange question? Is there a standard rule at play here that I should know about?
A: Is honey really a supersaturated solution? Does heating to un-crystalize redissolve it or melt it?
B: Is honey really a supersaturated solution? Does heating to un-crystalize it redissolve or melt it?
I suppose I could also get rid of one instance all together as well:
C: Is honey really a supersaturated solution? Does heating to un-crystalize redissolve or melt it?
word-order it
word-order it
asked yesterday
uhohuhoh
350113
asked yesterday
uhohuhoh
350113
edited yesterday
uhoh
asked yesterday
uhohuhoh
350113
asked yesterday
uhohuhoh
350113
asked yesterday
uhohuhoh
350113
350113
I may need some help with proper tagging.
– uhoh
yesterday
2
I find all three options perfectly clear and natural, with a slight preference for B. In natural conversation, I think I’d probably use it three times: “Does heating to decrystallise it redissolve it or melt it?”. (Note the double L and the prefix in decrystallise – I’ve never heard of un-crystallising honey, but decrystallising honey is a reasonably common phrase.)
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
yesterday
@JanusBahsJacquet thanks for the reassurance, and for a new word for me; decrystallise
– uhoh
yesterday
1
@JanusBahsJacquet I might even use four instances of the pronoun: Does heating it to un-crystalize it redissolve it or melt it?
– Jason Bassford
yesterday
add a comment |
I may need some help with proper tagging.
– uhoh
yesterday
2
I find all three options perfectly clear and natural, with a slight preference for B. In natural conversation, I think I’d probably use it three times: “Does heating to decrystallise it redissolve it or melt it?”. (Note the double L and the prefix in decrystallise – I’ve never heard of un-crystallising honey, but decrystallising honey is a reasonably common phrase.)
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
yesterday
@JanusBahsJacquet thanks for the reassurance, and for a new word for me; decrystallise
– uhoh
yesterday
1
@JanusBahsJacquet I might even use four instances of the pronoun: Does heating it to un-crystalize it redissolve it or melt it?
– Jason Bassford
yesterday
I may need some help with proper tagging.
– uhoh
yesterday
I may need some help with proper tagging.
– uhoh
yesterday
2
2
I find all three options perfectly clear and natural, with a slight preference for B. In natural conversation, I think I’d probably use it three times: “Does heating to decrystallise it redissolve it or melt it?”. (Note the double L and the prefix in decrystallise – I’ve never heard of un-crystallising honey, but decrystallising honey is a reasonably common phrase.)
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
yesterday
I find all three options perfectly clear and natural, with a slight preference for B. In natural conversation, I think I’d probably use it three times: “Does heating to decrystallise it redissolve it or melt it?”. (Note the double L and the prefix in decrystallise – I’ve never heard of un-crystallising honey, but decrystallising honey is a reasonably common phrase.)
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
yesterday
@JanusBahsJacquet thanks for the reassurance, and for a new word for me; decrystallise
– uhoh
yesterday
@JanusBahsJacquet thanks for the reassurance, and for a new word for me; decrystallise
– uhoh
yesterday
1
1
@JanusBahsJacquet I might even use four instances of the pronoun: Does heating it to un-crystalize it redissolve it or melt it?
– Jason Bassford
yesterday
@JanusBahsJacquet I might even use four instances of the pronoun: Does heating it to un-crystalize it redissolve it or melt it?
– Jason Bassford
yesterday
add a comment |
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I may need some help with proper tagging.
– uhoh
yesterday
2
I find all three options perfectly clear and natural, with a slight preference for B. In natural conversation, I think I’d probably use it three times: “Does heating to decrystallise it redissolve it or melt it?”. (Note the double L and the prefix in decrystallise – I’ve never heard of un-crystallising honey, but decrystallising honey is a reasonably common phrase.)
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
yesterday
@JanusBahsJacquet thanks for the reassurance, and for a new word for me; decrystallise
– uhoh
yesterday
1
@JanusBahsJacquet I might even use four instances of the pronoun: Does heating it to un-crystalize it redissolve it or melt it?
– Jason Bassford
yesterday