as well as, besides, apart from

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FW

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1-As well as Jane, I gave the instructions to Sally.
2-Besides Jane I gave the instructions to Sally.
3-Apart from Jane, I gave the instructions to Sally.

4-I gave the instructions to Sally as well as Jane.
5-I gave the instructions to Sally besides Jane.
6-I gave the instructions to Sally apart from Jane.

Are the above sentences all correct?
Aren't they all ambiguous?

First meaning: I gave the instructions to Jane and also to Sally.
Second meaning: Jane gave the instructions to Sally and so did I. (Sally was given the instructions twice).

I think one can take out the ambiguity by saying:
7-As well as to Jane, I gave the instructions to Sally.
But I don't think one can do the same with "besides" or "apart from" (besides to Jane, apart from to Jane)
 
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RonBee

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FW said:
1-As well as Jane, I gave the instructions to Sally.
2-Besides Jane I gave the instructions to Sally.
3-Apart from Jane, I gave the instructions to Sally.

4-I gave the instructions to Sally as well as Jane.
5-I gave the instructions to Sally besides Jane.
6-I gave the instructions to Sally apart from Jane.

Are the above sentences all correct?
Aren't they all ambiguous?

First meaning: I gave the instructions to Jane and also to Sally.
Second meaning: Jane gave the instructions to Sally and so did I. (Sally was given the instructions twice).

I think one can take out the ambiguity by saying:
7-As well as to Jane, I gave the instructions to Sally.
But I don't think one can do the same with "besides" or "apart from" (besides to Jane, apart from to Jane)
Click to expand...

Sentences one and four are clear and unambiguous. The others are fuzzy. If you want to say you and Sally both gave the instructions to Jane, you could say, "Both Sally and I gave the instructions to Jane."
 
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FW

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Thanks for your replies.
You say that 1 and 4 are unambiguous. But do they mean that Jane also received the instructions from me or that I gave them also to Jane.
Is sentence 7 correct at all?
 
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RonBee

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Sentences one and four mean that the instructions were given to both Sally and Jane. (Sentence four is more natural.) Sentence seven, I think, is not correct.

Another way to say that would be: "I gave the instructions to both Sally and Jane."
 
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