a white piece of paper or a piece of white paper

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xupeng66

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Hi All,

Here is a question that has bothered me for quite a long time. Should I say 'a white piece of paper' or 'a piece of white paper'? Are both expressions correct but having different meanings or only one of them is right?

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MikeNewYork

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Normally, I would say "a piece of white paper". "White" is more closely associated with "paper" than "piece" is.
 

Skrej

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I'd be more likely to use the first version to stress that I needed white paper, and not some other color.
 
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