Harry's cousins are getting married

[navi tasan]

1) Tom's relatives went to the bar yesterday to ask questions about the fight he was involved in.

Does that mean all his relatives went to the bar, or could it have been only a few?

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2) Harry's cousins are getting married.

Does that mean all his cousins are getting married?


I think technically the sentence have the 'all' meaning, but in practice they don't necessarily mean that at all.

When we say
3) Harry's cousin is getting married.

that doesn't mean that he has only one cousin and we are not necessarily talking about a cousin who is know to the listener.

Gratefully,
Navi

 

[Tarheel]

1) Tom's relatives went to the bar yesterday to ask questions about the fight he was involved in.

Does that mean all his relatives went to the bar, or could it have been only a few?

----------------------------

2) Harry's cousins are getting married.

Does that mean all his cousins are getting married?


I think technically the sentences have the 'all' meaning, but in practice they don't necessarily mean that at all.

When we say
3) Harry's cousin is getting married.

That doesn't definitely mean that he has only one cousin, and we are not necessarily talking about a cousin who is known to the listener.

Gratefully,
Navi

1. It could mean all of his relatives, but it probably doesn't.
2. It could mean all of his of his cousins are getting married, but it probably doesn't.
3. It might mean he has only one cousin, but with the meager context we have (none) we can't be certain.

 

[tedmc]

There is no need to give the writer "the benefit of the doubt" by guessing the other possibility when it is not stated. What do you mean by "technically"? I don't see anything technical about it.

 

[Pears In Juice]

Context is king. We'd know the answers to 1 and 2 if we knew what came before.

 

[Rover_KE]

Pears in Juice, your responses so far have been excellent, but please state that you are not a teacher in accordance with the forum rules.