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Old 02-May-2006, 13:33
leekwanhoa
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Default Please help:Using the same word as an adjective and noun in a sentence

Is it correct to use the same word as an adjective and noun in the same sentence? Will it cause confusion? For example:

'Take one copy of the form and original invoice for the Business file and send the originals to Adam in London.'

Here 'original' is used twice (as an adjective and a noun). Personally i find this confusing. Is it better to omit the adjective?, e.g.:

'Take one copy of the form and invoice for the Business file and send the originals to Adam in London.'

Please can anyone clear this up as there is a debate in the office!

Thank you
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Old 03-May-2006, 00:13
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Default Re: Please help:Using the same word as an adjective and noun in a sentence

You could remove it, or you could say 'origanls of both'. Have there been a number of invoices? the use of the adjective suggests this. If not, then remove it freely. However, if there are two or more invoices, then it does add important information, so keep it or use 'first' and then add 'both',
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Old 04-Apr-2008, 07:39
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Default Re: Please help:Using the same word as an adjective and noun in a sentence

I am not a professional teacher but some how I am conversent with business correspondece. As rightly pointed out by Tdol, there must be more than one copy of the invoice ( Usually it is made in three copies i.e. Original/duplicate/Triplicte), because here one copy will be retained in business file and the original sent to Adam in London. If there are several invoices, in order to convey the real meaning, the sentence can be like this: 'Take one copy of the form and copies of all invoices for the Business file and send the originals to Adam in London.'
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