Results 1 to 4 of 4
Like Tree1Likes
  • 1 Post By Rover_KE

Thread: selected from A, B and/or C

  1. #1
    Ju1ian is offline Junior Member
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • Student or Learner
      • Native Language:
      • Javanese
      • Home Country:
      • Japan
      • Current Location:
      • Japan
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Posts
    37

    Default selected from A, B and/or C

    Dear Teacher,

    1. Please select a main course from beef, chicken, fish and vegetarian.
    2. Please select a main course from beef, chicken, fish or vegetarian.

    Which one is grammatically collect? Or are they both correct but meaning different things?

    Thank you for your help.

  2. #2
    Rover_KE is offline VIP Member
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • Retired English Teacher
      • Native Language:
      • English
      • Home Country:
      • England
      • Current Location:
      • England
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Posts
    6,028
    Teacher

    Default Re: selected from A, B and/or C

    They mean the same to me.

    Rover
    5jj likes this.

  3. #3
    Ju1ian is offline Junior Member
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • Student or Learner
      • Native Language:
      • Javanese
      • Home Country:
      • Japan
      • Current Location:
      • Japan
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Posts
    37
    Threadstarter / Original Poster

    Default Re: selected from A, B and/or C

    Thank you for your reply. I think I have actually heard native English speakers say it in either way.

    How about these?
    3. Please select two main courses from beef, chicken, fish and vegetarian.
    4. Please select two main courses from beef, chicken, fish or vegetarian.

    Now, in this case, I kind of feel they mean different things.
    3 seems to mean that you can select any combination of two kinds (beef and chicken, beef and fish, chicken and fish, etc.)
    4 seems to mean that you can select any two courses from one kind (beef steak and beef stew, fried chicken and chicken soup, etc.)

  4. #4
    Barb_D's Avatar
    Barb_D is offline Moderator
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • Other
      • Native Language:
      • American English
      • Home Country:
      • United States
      • Current Location:
      • United States
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    11,630

    Default Re: selected from A, B and/or C

    I read it only as 3.

    You are, for example, planning a party, and the caterer will allow you to have two dinner choices. You can choose any two: beef, chicken, fish, or vegetarian.

    The actual choices from amont those cateogories (e.g., roast beef, chicken Kiev, broiled salmon, and pasta prima vera) are already identified.
    I'm not a teacher, but I write for a living. Please don't ask me about 2nd conditionals, but I'm a safe bet for what reads well in (American) English.

Similar Threads

  1. Not Selected or Non Selected?
    By blueomega in forum Ask a Teacher
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 04-Feb-2011, 07:26
  2. [General] 'select' vs 'selected'
    By Olympian in forum Ask a Teacher
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 13-Nov-2010, 12:15
  3. 37.selected for
    By notletrest in forum Ask a Teacher
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 16-Jul-2010, 08:39
  4. was eyed/selected
    By joham in forum Ask a Teacher
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 24-Mar-2009, 21:22

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0