Difficulty with trying to describe the quantity of something
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I am trying to write a word problem, and am having trouble with the wording of one part. Let's say for the sake of example that there are 10 apples and 20 oranges. Call them both items. I am trying to say something like, "there is a whole number of apples, and a whole number of oranges," but without the redundancy. I am currently considering "there is a whole number of each item." Is this grammatically correct and unambiguous?
ambiguity mathematics quantifiers
asked Aug 2 at 22:17
Flynn Rixona
1
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I am trying to write a word problem, and am having trouble with the wording of one part. Let's say for the sake of example that there are 10 apples and 20 oranges. Call them both items. I am trying to say something like, "there is a whole number of apples, and a whole number of oranges," but without the redundancy. I am currently considering "there is a whole number of each item." Is this grammatically correct and unambiguous?
ambiguity mathematics quantifiers
asked Aug 2 at 22:17
Flynn Rixona
1
Is your question about is versus are, whole versus fractional, whole versus a lot, or about merging the two independent clauses into a single one? Depending on how you answer that, your sentence may or may not be grammatical. As it stands, I don't know the idea that you're trying to express—so, no, it's certainly not unambiguous.
– Jason Bassford
Aug 2 at 23:34
Just amend the problem with “Fractional Items are not allowed.”
– Jim
Aug 3 at 1:36
3
Repetition isn't redundant if the alternative is ambiguous. The number of apples is a whole number. The number of oranges is a whole number. Don't turn a math problem into a reading and comprehension guessing game.
– Phil Sweet
Aug 3 at 2:19
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
favorite
up vote
0
down vote
favorite
I am trying to write a word problem, and am having trouble with the wording of one part. Let's say for the sake of example that there are 10 apples and 20 oranges. Call them both items. I am trying to say something like, "there is a whole number of apples, and a whole number of oranges," but without the redundancy. I am currently considering "there is a whole number of each item." Is this grammatically correct and unambiguous?
ambiguity mathematics quantifiers
asked Aug 2 at 22:17
Flynn Rixona
1
I am trying to write a word problem, and am having trouble with the wording of one part. Let's say for the sake of example that there are 10 apples and 20 oranges. Call them both items. I am trying to say something like, "there is a whole number of apples, and a whole number of oranges," but without the redundancy. I am currently considering "there is a whole number of each item." Is this grammatically correct and unambiguous?
ambiguity mathematics quantifiers
ambiguity mathematics quantifiers
asked Aug 2 at 22:17
Flynn Rixona
1
asked Aug 2 at 22:17
Flynn Rixona
1
asked Aug 2 at 22:17
Flynn Rixona
1
asked Aug 2 at 22:17
Flynn Rixona
1
asked Aug 2 at 22:17
Flynn Rixona
1
1
Is your question about is versus are, whole versus fractional, whole versus a lot, or about merging the two independent clauses into a single one? Depending on how you answer that, your sentence may or may not be grammatical. As it stands, I don't know the idea that you're trying to express—so, no, it's certainly not unambiguous.
– Jason Bassford
Aug 2 at 23:34
Just amend the problem with “Fractional Items are not allowed.”
– Jim
Aug 3 at 1:36
3
Repetition isn't redundant if the alternative is ambiguous. The number of apples is a whole number. The number of oranges is a whole number. Don't turn a math problem into a reading and comprehension guessing game.
– Phil Sweet
Aug 3 at 2:19
add a comment |
Is your question about is versus are, whole versus fractional, whole versus a lot, or about merging the two independent clauses into a single one? Depending on how you answer that, your sentence may or may not be grammatical. As it stands, I don't know the idea that you're trying to express—so, no, it's certainly not unambiguous.
– Jason Bassford
Aug 2 at 23:34
Just amend the problem with “Fractional Items are not allowed.”
– Jim
Aug 3 at 1:36
3
Repetition isn't redundant if the alternative is ambiguous. The number of apples is a whole number. The number of oranges is a whole number. Don't turn a math problem into a reading and comprehension guessing game.
– Phil Sweet
Aug 3 at 2:19
Is your question about is versus are, whole versus fractional, whole versus a lot, or about merging the two independent clauses into a single one? Depending on how you answer that, your sentence may or may not be grammatical. As it stands, I don't know the idea that you're trying to express—so, no, it's certainly not unambiguous.
– Jason Bassford
Aug 2 at 23:34
Is your question about is versus are, whole versus fractional, whole versus a lot, or about merging the two independent clauses into a single one? Depending on how you answer that, your sentence may or may not be grammatical. As it stands, I don't know the idea that you're trying to express—so, no, it's certainly not unambiguous.
– Jason Bassford
Aug 2 at 23:34
Just amend the problem with “Fractional Items are not allowed.”
– Jim
Aug 3 at 1:36
Just amend the problem with “Fractional Items are not allowed.”
– Jim
Aug 3 at 1:36
3
3
Repetition isn't redundant if the alternative is ambiguous. The number of apples is a whole number. The number of oranges is a whole number. Don't turn a math problem into a reading and comprehension guessing game.
– Phil Sweet
Aug 3 at 2:19
Repetition isn't redundant if the alternative is ambiguous. The number of apples is a whole number. The number of oranges is a whole number. Don't turn a math problem into a reading and comprehension guessing game.
– Phil Sweet
Aug 3 at 2:19
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
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oldest
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0
down vote
It is. "Each" distinguishes that you're referring to both (or more) items.
answered Aug 2 at 22:31
Patricia Rose
92
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
"Item" is not a suitable word for what you mean. (If anything, I'd assume that if "item" meant anything it meant an individual apple or orange.)
How about "there is a whole number of each kind of fruit"?
answered Nov 1 at 6:12
Rosie F
52825
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
0
down vote
It is. "Each" distinguishes that you're referring to both (or more) items.
answered Aug 2 at 22:31
Patricia Rose
92
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
It is. "Each" distinguishes that you're referring to both (or more) items.
answered Aug 2 at 22:31
Patricia Rose
92
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
It is. "Each" distinguishes that you're referring to both (or more) items.
answered Aug 2 at 22:31
Patricia Rose
92
It is. "Each" distinguishes that you're referring to both (or more) items.
answered Aug 2 at 22:31
Patricia Rose
92
answered Aug 2 at 22:31
Patricia Rose
92
answered Aug 2 at 22:31
Patricia Rose
92
answered Aug 2 at 22:31
Patricia Rose
92
92
add a comment |
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
"Item" is not a suitable word for what you mean. (If anything, I'd assume that if "item" meant anything it meant an individual apple or orange.)
How about "there is a whole number of each kind of fruit"?
answered Nov 1 at 6:12
Rosie F
52825
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
"Item" is not a suitable word for what you mean. (If anything, I'd assume that if "item" meant anything it meant an individual apple or orange.)
How about "there is a whole number of each kind of fruit"?
answered Nov 1 at 6:12
Rosie F
52825
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
"Item" is not a suitable word for what you mean. (If anything, I'd assume that if "item" meant anything it meant an individual apple or orange.)
How about "there is a whole number of each kind of fruit"?
answered Nov 1 at 6:12
Rosie F
52825
"Item" is not a suitable word for what you mean. (If anything, I'd assume that if "item" meant anything it meant an individual apple or orange.)
How about "there is a whole number of each kind of fruit"?
answered Nov 1 at 6:12
Rosie F
52825
answered Nov 1 at 6:12
Rosie F
52825
answered Nov 1 at 6:12
Rosie F
52825
answered Nov 1 at 6:12
Rosie F
52825
52825
add a comment |
add a comment |
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Is your question about is versus are, whole versus fractional, whole versus a lot, or about merging the two independent clauses into a single one? Depending on how you answer that, your sentence may or may not be grammatical. As it stands, I don't know the idea that you're trying to express—so, no, it's certainly not unambiguous.
– Jason Bassford
Aug 2 at 23:34
Just amend the problem with “Fractional Items are not allowed.”
– Jim
Aug 3 at 1:36
3
Repetition isn't redundant if the alternative is ambiguous. The number of apples is a whole number. The number of oranges is a whole number. Don't turn a math problem into a reading and comprehension guessing game.
– Phil Sweet
Aug 3 at 2:19