dated a man

[navi tasan]

1-I have dated a man in Boston and Los Angeles.
2-I dated a man in Boston and in Los Angeles.

In which case:
a-I dated the same man in both cities
b-I dated a different man in each city
c-I might have dated more than one man in either city


Gratefully,
Navi.

 

[Grumpy]

Any one of your three cases could be inferred from either of your two sentences, although case "c" is slightly less probable, as it would more likely be phrased "dated men..".

 

[Rover_KE]

1-I have dated a man in Boston and Los Angeles.
2-I dated a man in Boston and in Los Angeles.

I consider both these statements to be unnatural. I'd say:

'I have dated men in Boston and LA.'

'When I lived in the USA I dated men in Boston and LA.'

In both cases they have to be different men in different cities — maybe more than one man in each.

If you dated the same man in each city, you would have to say so.

'I (have) dated Brad Pitt in both Boston and LA.'

Rover

 

[5jj]

'I (have) dated Brad Pitt in both Boston and LA.'

The swine! He told me he was filming when he went there! Just wait till he gets home this evening.

 

[navi tasan]

Thank you very much Grumpy, Rover and 5jj.

Another related question:

A-I dated a man from 2005 to 2007 and from 2008 to 2010.

Would that imply that it was the same man?

B-I dated men from 2005 to 2007 and from 2008 to 2010.

Can this be used if I dated one man from 2005 to 2007 and another one from 2008 t0 2010?

Gratefully,
Navi.

 

[5jj]

A-I dated a man from 2005 to 2007 and from 2008 to 2010.

Would that imply that it was the same man?

Not necessarily.

B-I dated men from 2005 to 2007 and from 2008 to 2010.

Can this be used if I dated one man from 2005 to 2007 and another one from 2008 t0 2010?

That would not be the first thing I would infer.

If you want to get a particular message across, then you have to state explicitly what you want to say; for example,

"I dated one man from 2005 to 2007 and again from 2008 to 2010". Even that could be ambiguous - especially if you dated two men simultaneously from 2007 to 2008.

"I dated one man from 2005 to 2007, and the same man from 2008 to 2010". We don't know what you did from 2007 to 2008

"I dated one man from 2005 to 2007 and another from 2008 to 2010". We assume you knitted between 2007 and 2008; or perhaps dated a woman.