We will supply/provide them with 110 tanks in two years.

[Marika33]

Does this sentence "We will supply/provide them with 110 tanks in two years" mean that 1) two years from now, they will get 110 tanks at once (= the first one out of those, just like all the others, will be supplied/provided no sooner and no longer than two years from now), or that 2) they might start getting those tanks in the near future and the last one of those 110 tanks will be supplied no longer than two years from now? I guess that sentence means the former. I assume that in order to convey the latter, we would use "over" or "within" instead of "in". Is my understanding correct? The sentence is mine. My goal is to figure out which of the three "in", "within", or "over" to use.

 

[emsr2d2]

Which of the following does this the sentence "We will supply/provide them with 110 tanks in two years" mean? that

1) Two years from now, they will get 110 tanks all at once (the first one out of those, just like all the others, will be supplied/provided no sooner and no longer than two years from now). , or that
2) They might start getting those tanks in the near future and the last one of those 110 tanks will be supplied no longer than two years from now.

I wrote the original sentence. I guess that my sentence means the former number 1. I assume that in order to convey the latter meaning 2, we would use "over" or "within" instead of "in". Is my understanding correct? The sentence is mine. My goal is to figure out which of the three "in", "within", or "over" to use.

If you wrote the original sentence and you know the difference between the options, you must know what you meant by your sentence!

If you want to make meaning 1 crystal clear, say "In two years' time, we will give them 110 tanks".
Using "within" would mean we don't know when the supply will start but the final tank will be delivered no more than two years from today.
Using "over" means we don't know the start date but, once it starts, it will continue for two years. Consequently, we don't know the end date either.

 

[Jacaranda]

What would be the difference between "within" and "over" in that context, if any? It seems that the supply start date is unknown in both.

 

[emsr2d2]

What would be the difference between "within" and "over" in that context, if any? It seems that the supply start date is unknown in both.

Using "within" would mean we don't know when the supply will start but the final tank will be delivered no more than two years from today.
Using "over" means we don't know the start date but, once it starts, it will continue for two years. Consequently, we don't know the end date either.

 

[Marika33]

If you wrote the original sentence and you know the difference between the options, you must know what you meant by your sentence!

That's not helpful at all. Still, which of the following would "We will supply/provide them with 110 tanks in two years" mean?

1) Two years from now, they will get 110 tanks all at once (the first one out of those, just like all the others, will be supplied/provided no sooner and no longer than two years from now).
2) They might start getting those tanks in the near future and the last one of those 110 tanks will be supplied no longer than two years from now.

 

[Skrej]

Only the person who wrote the sentence can know for sure what's meant. Either of your two scenarios is possible.

As written, the delivery start and end dates, number of deliveries, and frequency of deliveries are unknown. All we know for sure is that by time time two years have passed, they will have 110 tanks. When and how they arrive is ambiguous.

 

[SoothingDave]

Just based on the fact that it's war and knowing how factories work, it is more likely that they will deliver tanks as they are made, and not that they will have 110 tanks all being completed on the same date.

 

[Marika33]

Which of the following would "We will supply/provide them with 110 tanks in two years" mean?

1) Two years from now, they will get 110 tanks all at once (the first one out of those, just like all the others, will be supplied/provided no sooner and no longer than two years from now).
2) They might start getting those tanks in the near future and the last one of those 110 tanks will be supplied no longer than two years from now.

Either of your two scenarios is possible.

As written, the delivery start and end dates, number of deliveries, and frequency of deliveries are unknown. All we know for sure is that by time time two years have passed, they will have 110 tanks. When and how they arrive is ambiguous.

Thank you! That helped!

In this case the meaning is very similar to "We will supply/provide them with 110 tanks within two years", is it?

 

[emsr2d2]

That's not helpful at all.

Wow! Well, don't worry, I won't spend any more of my precious time trying to help you.

 

[Marika33]

Wow! Well, don't worry, I won't spend any more of my precious time trying to help you.

I didn't want to be rude, I just replied to your comment, which obviously hadn't helped with my question.

If you wrote the original sentence and you know the difference between the options, you must know what you meant by your sentence!

 

[emsr2d2]

I didn't want to be rude, I just replied to your comment, which obviously hadn't helped with my question.

You might not have wanted to be rude in that comment but your private message to me was certainly rude. You have received the appropriate warning.