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Discussion Groups / English Usage / July 2009Students' parents
Hello: "The committee consists of THE students' parents." Does this somehow imply that ALL the students' parents are in the committee? -- Thanks. Marius Hancu > "The committee consists of THE students' parents." > > Does this somehow imply that ALL the students' parents are in the > committee? I would read it that way. But they're "on" the committee, not "in" it. ¬R Marius Hancu: > "The committee consists of THE students' parents." > > Does this somehow imply that ALL the students' parents are in the > committee? It should mean that, but at the same time, if someone actually meant that, I'd expect them to use the word "all". So if I came across the sentence, I'd guess that it was carelessly composed and the "the" was not intended.  SignatureMark Brader | "Don't be silly. A pedant is something you hang Toronto | round your neck, or else you hang them by the neck." msb@vex.net | --Rob Bannister My text in this article is in the public domain. > > "The committee consists of THE students' parents." > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > the sentence, I'd guess that it was carelessly composed and the "the" > was not intended. Fully agree. Thank you both. Marius Hancu >> > "The committee consists of THE students' parents." >> [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Fully agree. I'm not so sure: if it does not necessarily imply all, we are left with "The committee consists of students' parents," which leaves its membership extraordinarily vague as to number and identity. It seems more likely that inclusiveness is indeed implied. Granted, once imputed carelessness enters at the door, logic leaves by the window. SignatureCordially, Eric Walker, Owlcroft House http://owlcroft.com/english/ > >> > "The committee consists of THE students' parents." > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > membership extraordinarily vague as to number and identity. It seems > more likely that inclusiveness is indeed implied. Do you mean: _total_/_complete_ inclusiveness, i.e. including all? Thanks. Marius Hancu >> >> > "The committee consists of THE students' parents." >> [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Do you mean: _total_/_complete_ inclusiveness, i.e. including all? Including all parents of all students is how I would interpret it. SignatureCordially, Eric Walker, Owlcroft House http://owlcroft.com/english/ >"The committee consists of students' parents," which leaves its >membership extraordinarily vague as to number and identity. If that were the intention, I would say "parents of students" instead. "Students'" with no qualifier or article still suggests to me that it would mean all the students identified by some preceding context. ¬R http://users.bestweb.net/~notr You are already too educated stupid to understand the truth of nature's harmonic simultaneous 4-liter wine cube |
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