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Thread: among the rest

  1. #1
    notletrest is offline Member
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    Default among the rest

    I don't want you to explain it according to the dictionaries.The reasson is simple. I can look it up in them. I want to know something beyond them.
    As we know if we should choose one among a ,b, and c. We can only choose one from a, b and c.But the rest may be d, e or f.Of course among the rest only including d, e, or f. If you agree with me, trouble is coming:
    "Many guests were present and there were two Englishmen among the rest." In my eyes the two Englishmen sbould belong to d, e or f. who were not present.What's your idea? I am listening with reverence atrention.Thanks!

  2. #2
    JMurray is offline Senior Member
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    Default Re: among the rest

    "Many guests were present and there were two Englishmen among the rest."

    notletrest.
    I see two ways to interpret this.

    1) Many guests were present and there were more to come, including two Englishmen.
    2) Many of the people present were guests, the others who were present (the rest) were not guests (perhaps not currently lodging there) and among them were two Englishmen.

    not a teacher
    Last edited by JMurray; 16-Apr-2011 at 06:43. Reason: clarification of #2

  3. #3
    Gillnetter is offline Key Member
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    Default Re: among the rest

    Quote Originally Posted by notletrest View Post
    I don't want you to explain it according to the dictionaries.The reasson is simple. I can look it up in them. I want to know something beyond them.
    As we know if we should choose one among a ,b, and c. We can only choose one from a, b and c.But the rest may be d, e or f.Of course among the rest only including d, e, or f. If you agree with me, trouble is coming:
    "Many guests were present and there were two Englishmen among the rest." In my eyes the two Englishmen sbould belong to d, e or f. who were not present.What's your idea? I am listening with reverence atrention.Thanks!
    The Englishmen were present. Consider this as a math problem. Everyone is a member of a set. The Englishmen are in a subset. Members of the subset are also members of the set. "The rest" are composed of "many guests."

  4. #4
    notletrest is offline Member
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    Threadstarter / Original Poster

    Default Re: among the rest

    Quote Originally Posted by JMurray View Post
    "Many guests were present and there were two Englishmen among the rest."

    notletrest.
    I see two ways to interpret this.

    1) Many guests were present and there were more to come, including two Englishmen.
    2) Many of the people present were guests, the others who were present (the rest) were not guests (perhaps not currently lodging there) and among them were two Englishmen.

    not a teacher
    Thanks for your attention.

  5. #5
    notletrest is offline Member
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    Default Re: among the rest

    Quote Originally Posted by Gillnetter View Post
    The Englishmen were present. Consider this as a math problem. Everyone is a member of a set. The Englishmen are in a subset. Members of the subset are also members of the set. "The rest" are composed of "many guests."
    It sounds well,but doesn't convince me.It seems to give a forced explain.I am afraid.Thanks.

  6. #6
    freezeframe is offline Key Member
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    Default Re: among the rest

    Quote Originally Posted by notletrest View Post
    It sounds well,but doesn't convince me.It seems to give a forced explain.I am afraid.Thanks.
    That's because your original sentence is "forced". It doesn't sound like something a native speaker would say.
    5jj likes this.

  7. #7
    notletrest is offline Member
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    Default Re: among the rest

    Quote Originally Posted by freezeframe View Post
    That's because your original sentence is "forced". It doesn't sound like something a native speaker would say.
    1.I should correct what I said last. "It sounds well,but doesn't convince me.It seems to give a forced explain.I am afraid.Thanks. "There is a wrong word i.e. explain , among them. It ought to be explanation instead. I beg your parden!
    2.My original sentence is not said by me , but from a book by a famous professor in china.No doubt that sentence is idiomatic English. I came across a lot of similar ones in books ,such as "The whole group started off, I myself was among the rest. We finished our work in half an hour .I was among the rest. Thirty passed, myself among the rest..."
    I am sorry to trouble you.

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