How to Write Clearly - Using And, Any, Not, Only, Or, That
By webmaster on Nov 1, 2007 in Blogging, All
And - See Or
Any - “I do not have to reply to any email that you send.” Does this mean every or a single? Use “every” or “a single.”
Not - “I do not intend to help you, because you are my enemy.” ought to mean, “I intend not to help you, and my reason for not helping you is, because you are my enemy.” But it is often wrongly used to mean, “I intend to help you, not because you are my enemy (but because you are poor, blind, etc.).” In the latter case, not ought to be separated from intend. By distinctly marking the limits to which the influence of not extends, the ambiguity may be removed.
Only is often used ambiguously for alone. “The rest help me to avenge myself; you only advise me to wait.” This ought to mean, “you only advise, instead of helping;” but in similar sentences “only you” is often used for “you alone.”
Or - When or is preceded by a negative, as “I do not want butter or honey,” “or” ought not, strictly speaking, to be used like “and,” nor like “nor.” The strict use of “not… or” would be as follows:
“You say you don’t want both butter and honey - you want butter or honey; I, on the contrary, do not want butter or honey - I want them both.”
Practically, however, this meaning is so rare, that “I don’t want butter or honey” is regularly used for “I want neither butter nor honey.” But where there is the slightest danger of ambiguity, it is desirable to use nor.
The same ambiguity attends “not… and.” “I do not see Thomas and John” is commonly used for “I see neither Thomas nor John;” but it might mean, “I do not see them both - I see only one of them.”
That - The different uses of “that” produce much ambiguity, e.g. “I am so much surprised by this statement, that I am desirous of resigning, that I hardly know what reply to make.” Here it is impossible to tell, till one has read past “resigning,” whether the first “that” depends upon “so” or “statement.”
