over 2000 miles

[azz]

a. We travelled over 2000 miles of water.
b. We travelled over 2000 miles.

In which case did we travel more than 2000 miles and in which case did we travel exactly 2000 miles?
In other words, in which case does "over" mean "more than"?

Many thanks.
Azz.

 

[Amigos4]

a. We travelled over 2000 miles of water.
b. We travelled over 2000 miles.

In which case did we travel more than 2000 miles and in which case did we travel exactly 2000 miles?
In other words, in which case does "over" mean "more than"?

Many thanks.
Azz.

OK, azz..... we're splitting hairs here. IF our aircraft began it's journey on the eastern shore of a body of water and landed exactly 2000 miles later on the western shore of the same body of water (without flying over any land) we would have traveled exactly 'over 2000 miles of water'.
If we flew over 500 miles of land and then flew 'over 2000 miles of water' our trip would have taken us 2500 miles, of which only 2000 miles were flown over water.

To answer your questions, it's possible that answer 'a' could be exactly 2000 miles (although, it is not a certainty if we also flew over a portion of land).
Question 'b' is likely to mean 'more than' instead of 'exactly'.


In either case, it is highly unlikely that either flight would be EXACTLY 2000 miles!!!!

 

[azz]

Thank you Amigos4.

Can't the sentences be used if we are talking about a ship?

Many thanks.
Azz.

 

[Amigos4]

Thank you Amigos4.

Can't the sentences be used if we are talking about a ship?

Many thanks.
Azz.

Ahhhhhhhhh, context is everything, my dear azz!!!! ;-)

Statement 'b' is likely to mean 'more than'. Our ship traveled over (more than) 2000 miles.

I'm still struggling with the ambiguity of statement 'a'! Since a surface ship can only travel over/on water, it would be possible to take a 2000 mile trip over water from point A to point B. However, it would be less ambiguous if the statement was: Our trip to Australia was 7500 miles. We traveled 2000 miles by ship.