Re: Simple question and/or

[Guy Haas <ghaas -at- INFORMIX -dot- COM>]

> Sarah Mahoney said

> I prefer "ASCII as well as binary files" but I see no
> problem with using "and."  I tend to be wordy anyway....!
> -Sarah Mahoney

> On Thu, 16 Sep 1993 sanders_j -at- TBOSCH -dot- DNET -dot- GE -dot- COM wrote:

> > Hi All,
> >
> > >Okay, it's early in the day and my brain is failing so I'm writing for
 help.
> > >I've got this sentence:  With FTP you can transmit ASCII and binary files.
> > >An editor changed the "and" to "or"?  So???
> >
> > No damn difference that I can see. It sounds like an introductory sentence
> > anyway, so any confusion could be easily dispelled later. Frankly, I don't
> > see any problem.
> >
> > -John Sanders-


It comes down to a question of the scope of the "and".  As written,
the sentence is ambiguous.  Try diagramming it (you DO remember
diagramming, don't ya?), or informally:

                             ASCII \
     ...you can transmit       and  >  files    [compound modifier]
                             binary/


or
                             ASCII (files)
     ...you can transmit     and                [compound object]
                             binary files

Frankly, "or" is not enough of a change, in my book [sic].  I like Sarah's way.

--ghaas -at- informix -dot- com
  Guy K. Haas                    RTFM?
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