There is a space between each chair / the chairs.

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#208151 - 11/28/12 01:20 AM There is a space between each chair / the chairs.
Lionel Koh stranger Registered: 09/24/12 Posts: 7	There is a space between each chair. There is a space between the chairs. Which of the above sentences should I use? Thanks. Edited by Lionel Koh (11/28/12 01:21 AM) Edit Reason: typo
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#208152 - 11/28/12 07:04 AM Re: There is a space between each chair / the chairs. [Re: Lionel Koh]
Tromboniator addict Registered: 05/10/10 Posts: 693 Loc: Alaska	Welcome, Lionel. To me, the first one makes no sense, so I would advise using the second; however, I have heard it argued that the first way is used so commonly, the meaning is so clear, that at least in conversation it is acceptable. I always wonder, though; if you remove all but one chair, is there a space between it? Peter
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#208153 - 11/28/12 08:39 AM Re: There is a space between each chair / the chairs. [Re: Lionel Koh]
Faldage Carpal Tunnel Registered: 12/01/00 Posts: 13667	My first thought was the second, but thinking about it I think the first would cover a whole line of chairs that the second leaves kind of unmentioned. It could also be taken to mean that there were two groups of chairs with a space between the groups. However, I might amend the first to read: There is a space between each pair of chairs. But really, without some context any way you say it could be misconstrued. Context, like redundancy, is our friend.
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#208155 - 11/28/12 05:04 PM Re: There is a space between each chair / the chairs. [Re: Faldage]
jenny jenny addict Registered: 06/05/10 Posts: 678 Loc: Lower Aberdeen, Mississippi	Yes sirree, Faldage, context is our friend. But so is logic. A semantic diagram of (1) can only mean x_x_x_x etc. While a diagram of (2) can only mean xxxx__xxxx meaning aisle. As they stand they are mutually exclusive statements.
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#208158 - 11/28/12 05:50 PM Re: There is a space between each chair / the chairs. [Re: jenny jenny]
BranShea Carpal Tunnel Registered: 06/23/06 Posts: 5249 Loc: Netherlands, the Hague	The chairs could be pell-mell all over the floor. There would be no equal space between them. There would not be a space. Just space.
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#208159 - 11/28/12 05:59 PM Re: There is a space between each chair / the chairs. [Re: Tromboniator]
olly old hand Registered: 12/18/06 Posts: 933 Loc: Auckland, New Zealand	Not sure of the rules but I would remove the 'a' in both sentences.
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#208190 - 12/01/12 12:52 AM Re: There is a space between each chair / the chairs. [Re: Lionel Koh]
Jackie Carpal Tunnel Registered: 03/15/00 Posts: 11582 Loc: Louisville, Kentucky	Overall, I agree with my friend olly. "A" space to me implies one specific measurement--that is, the spaces between all the chairs are equivalent; but, implies only: I can't argue with somebody saying the spaces are of different measurements. between the chairs could mean not necessarily all of the chairs; saying each chair removes that possibility. Depends on what you want to convey, I reckon. If I heard, "The crew set up the auditorium so that there is space between the chairs", I would assume that it meant that none of the chairs touched another.
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#208192 - 12/01/12 08:24 AM Re: There is a space between each chair / the chairs. [Re: jenny jenny]
Faldage Carpal Tunnel Registered: 12/01/00 Posts: 13667	Originally Posted By: jenny jenny Yes sirree, Faldage, context is our friend. But so is logic. There are so many things that trump logic in language use. Logic comes in about three levels after last sometimes.
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#208193 - 12/01/12 11:09 AM Re: There is a space between each chair / the chairs. [Re: Faldage]
jenny jenny addict Registered: 06/05/10 Posts: 678 Loc: Lower Aberdeen, Mississippi	Originally Posted By: Faldage Originally Posted By: jenny jenny Yes sirree, Faldage, context is our friend. But so is logic. There are so many things that trump logic in language use. Logic comes in about three levels after last sometimes. Strange. You not being a woman and you understand this. But, again, language serves to delimit as it describes. And the two sentences in question order the spacial relationship between chairs and space differently. Why -you being a man- didn't you understand this?
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#208197 - 12/01/12 05:52 PM Re: There is a space between each chair / the chairs. [Re: jenny jenny]
Faldage Carpal Tunnel Registered: 12/01/00 Posts: 13667	Because I know language.
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