for vs of

[Offroad]

Dear teachers,

Is there any difference between these two?

This is the number for/of the office.

Thank you

 

[probus]

Both are perfectly intelligible. In my opinion number of is more common in AmE and number for in BrE. But this is not a strong opinion. I would not be surprised to be corrected.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Both are perfectly intelligible. In my opinion number of is more common in AmE and number for in BrE. But this is not a strong opinion. I would not be surprised to be corrected.

I think you are right about AmE and "of".

 

[Raymott]

Dear teachers,

Is there any difference between these two?

This is the number for/of the office.

Thank you

Are you referring to the number on the office door, or the phone number of/for the office, or some other number pertaining to the office?

 

[MikeNewYork]

Are you referring to the number on the office door, or the phone number of/for the office, or some other number pertaining to the office?

Phone number would be the most logical.

 

[Raymott]

Phone number would be the most logical.

It might be the most likely, but I can't see why the phone number is any more logical than the office number. It depends entirely on the OP's meaning because the answer is different. If it's the phone number, then both are used. If it's the office number, then I'd hazard a guess that very few people would say "the number for the office".

 

[Offroad]

Both are perfectly intelligible. In my opinion number of is more common in AmE and number for in BrE. But this is not a strong opinion. I would not be surprised to be corrected.

I think you are right about AmE and "of".

They used 'for' in two American movies I watched yesterday, but it doesn't prove your statement is incorrect.:-D

Are you referring to the number on the office door, or the phone number of/for the office, or some other number pertaining to the office?

Phone number.

Thank you

 

[anhnha]

Assuming that it is the phone number, how to understand the word "for" here?
This is the number for the office.

Does it mean "This is the number allocated for the office."?

 

[Offroad]

Assuming that it is the phone number, how to understand the word "for" here?
This is the number for the office.

Does it mean "This is the number allocated for the office."?

[I am not a teacher]

I would interpret 'for' as 'that leads to'.

What is the number for/of your sister's offfice?
What is the number for/of the emergency room?

 

[Raymott]

Assuming that it is the phone number, [STRIKE]how to understand the word "for" here?[/STRIKE]
"... how can/should I understand the word 'for' here?"
"... how is the word 'for' understood here?"
There are other possibilities for writing this sentence grammatically.

This is the number for the office.

Does it mean "This is the number allocated for the office."?

You could understand it as "the number for (phoning) the office".