atw: Re: Not ... all
- From: Ken Randall <kenneth_james_randall@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 8 Oct 2009 17:59:04 -0700 (PDT)
The confusion stems from whether "not" qualifies
"permitted" or "all". Since "not" immediately
precedes "permitted", logically that should be
what it is qualifying. However, the interpretation
of the sentence in practice is that "not"
qualifies all of "permitted in all".
In mathematics such confusion can be obviated
using punctuation
e,g, 2(3 + 7) = 20
not(permitted in all)
but
2x3 + 7 = 13
(not permitted) in all
I suppose the question is whether the
sentence could likewise be punctuated to show
the difference.
Another example is:
"I don't think I agree"
(just not thinking about it or realising
at the time does not necessarily mean you
would not agree were to think about it)
"I don't think I agree" really means:
"I think I do not agree"
--- On Fri, 9/10/09, Jim Rountree <James.Rountree@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> From: Jim Rountree <James.Rountree@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: atw: Re: Not ... all
> To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Received: Friday, 9 October, 2009, 11:39 AM
>
>
>
>
>
> Hi Howard
>
> I don't think you're being
> pedantic ... "not all" is consistent
> with "some", and definitely doesn't mean
> "not any"
>
> I wonder what the difference is between
> the smoking and telephone
> examples ... I agree noone would get the telephone one
> wrong but I bet lots of
> people get the smoking one wrong.
>
>
> Jim
> Jim
> Rountree
> Lead Technical Writer
> Biosystems Division
>
> Leica Biosystems Melbourne Pty
> Ltd
> 495 Blackburn Road
> Mt Waverley VIC 3149
> Australia
> telephone +61
> 3 9211 7400
> personal +61 3 9211 7587
> facsimile +61 3 9211
> 7590
> www.leica-microsystems.com
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> From:
> austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
> Howard
> Silcock
> Sent: Friday, 9 October 2009 11:26
> To:
> austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: atw: Not ...
> all
>
>
>
> An email circulated in the government department where
> I work says 'smoking is not permitted
> in all areas of the
> building occupied or controlled by the Department'. I
> think the intended meaning
> is that you mustn't smoke in any of those
> areas.
>
> Am I being
> pedantic if I
> object that you could quite accurately interpret
> that as
> meaning just that there's at least one area where
> smoking isn't
> permitted?
>
> If I said, for
>
> example, 'telephones are not installed in all
> offices', surely you wouldn't
> think I meant that none of the offices had a phone? And
> isn't that a parallel
> example?
>
> Howard
>
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