Is "from" redundant here?
We receive from fifty to one hundred visitors per week.
We receive from fifty to one hundred visitors per week.
redundant "from"
I think it's not redundant, but it can certainly be omitted.
With happy Summer wishes,
Achab
With happy Summer wishes,
Achab
I think that that "between fifty and a hundred visitors each day" would be better.
<<I think that that "between fifty and a hundred visitors each day" would be better. >>
It wouldn't be better. It is just another option. Both are acceptable.
It wouldn't be better. It is just another option. Both are acceptable.
I think that "between fifty and a hundred" could be interpreted as something slightly different than "from fifty to one hundred".
The first expression seems to refer to a number that is going to be 51, 99, or anything in between.
The second expression, on the other hand, seems actually to point to 50, 100, or a number between the former and the latter.
Just my two cents.
With every July wish,
Achab
The first expression seems to refer to a number that is going to be 51, 99, or anything in between.
The second expression, on the other hand, seems actually to point to 50, 100, or a number between the former and the latter.
Just my two cents.
With every July wish,
Achab
<The first expression seems to refer to a number that is going to be 51, 99, or anything in between. >
Ask someone to pick a number between 1 and 10 and they'll include both the number 1 and number 10.
Ask someone to pick a number between 1 and 10 and they'll include both the number 1 and number 10.
MikeyC,
You're right, but you have to agree that "pick a number between 1 and 10" has in a certain sense gone on to become a sort of fixed expression. It's so much used, you know, a staple of 'mind-reading' mentalist routines and such.
In other contexts, like the one of the sentence you put forth in your thread-starting posting, um, I think some confusion may arise.
That's just my take.
Wonderful Summer,
Achab
You're right, but you have to agree that "pick a number between 1 and 10" has in a certain sense gone on to become a sort of fixed expression. It's so much used, you know, a staple of 'mind-reading' mentalist routines and such.
In other contexts, like the one of the sentence you put forth in your thread-starting posting, um, I think some confusion may arise.
That's just my take.
Wonderful Summer,
Achab
I doubt that that much precision would be intended. But if you want to make it clear that the end points are to be included, you can say "between a and b, inclusive".
The problem that I have with "from" is that it's not until you get to the end of the sentence that you know that "from" is being used in the "from...to" sense. Another option is "The number of visitors each week ranges from fifty to one hundred". It's a little bit more wordy, but it aids comprehension by being more explicit (strictly speaking, the original is grammatically problematic, since the preposition "from" is left dangling). I also prefer "each" to "per" because "per" implies that it's been averaged over several weeks. If you actually are talking about an average, then it would be more clear to say so: "The average number of visitors per week is somewhere between fifty and one hundred".
The problem that I have with "from" is that it's not until you get to the end of the sentence that you know that "from" is being used in the "from...to" sense. Another option is "The number of visitors each week ranges from fifty to one hundred". It's a little bit more wordy, but it aids comprehension by being more explicit (strictly speaking, the original is grammatically problematic, since the preposition "from" is left dangling). I also prefer "each" to "per" because "per" implies that it's been averaged over several weeks. If you actually are talking about an average, then it would be more clear to say so: "The average number of visitors per week is somewhere between fifty and one hundred".
<If you actually are talking about an average, then it would be more clear to say so: "The average number of visitors per week is somewhere between fifty and one hundred".>
Would you advise using that alternative in all registers?
Would you advise using that alternative in all registers?
<Ask someone to pick a number between 1 and 10 and they'll include both the number 1 and number 10>
Seven. Most people chose seven.
Seven. Most people chose seven.