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Latest post Wed, Jul 16 2008 1:12 PM by Grammar Geek. 7 replies.
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Anonymous  +  541401 Mon, 14 Jul 08 06:15 PM
Hello to all, I am currently trying to gather as much information regarding the sentence below.
Your individual intepretation of its meaning/suggestion would greatly help

“Students are allowed to bring into the examination ONEA4 piece of paper with up to 39 formulae (no text) written on one side of it, with the equations sequentially numbered. “

For those who would like to reply simply without writing too much, I have basically gathered some common intepretation (its actually from friends and classmates), there are no right or wrong answers, even multiple answers can be acceptable, just let me know how you would intepret it as is.

1. Students are allowed one A4 sheet, with 39 formulas, and/with text, only on one side of the A4 sheet.
2. Students are allowed one A4 sheet, with 39 formulas and/with no text, only on one side of the A4 sheet.
3. Students are allowed one A4 sheet, one side with 39 formulas only, other side text only.
4. Students are allowed one A4 sheet, with 39 formulas on one side only and/with text on the either side of the A4 sheet.
5. Any other intepretation you may have, please elaborate here.

If you can suggest how this sentence could be paraphrased or improved for clarity, please do comment (really apreciate this).
Anonymous
Cool Breeze  +  541524 Mon, 14 Jul 08 09:39 PM
 Is this a joke?Smile The only interpretation is No. 2.

CB

Cool Breeze
Joined on Fri, Apr 7 2006
Senior Member 3,979
"I hope you'll all live to be 150 years old - and the last voice you hear is mine!" Frank Sinatra on stage in Oslo, Norway, 28 September 1991
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Grammar Geek  +  541529 Mon, 14 Jul 08 09:46 PM

I agree with Cool Breeze. How do you see ANY other possibility?
Grammar Geek
Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006
Veteran Member 19,683
Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random!
Mr Wordy  +  541555 Mon, 14 Jul 08 10:47 PM

The sensible interpretation is #2. However, a lawyer may disagree. A student brings a sheet of A4 paper with formulas on one side and notes on the other. When challenged, he says, correctly, that he's done exactly what the regulations allow: he's brought one sheet with formulas on one side. The regulations do not say anything about what may or may not be on the other side. To be unambiguous, the text should explicitly say something like "with the other side left blank".
Mr Wordy
Joined on Tue, May 27 2008
Senior Member 2,359
Native British English speaker
Mr Wordy  +  541771 Tue, 15 Jul 08 11:29 AM

There is another problem with this actually. There is no stipulation that these "formulae" must be standard formulae with any recognised use or meaning. Our friendly lawyer might claim that any syntactically valid collection of mathematical symbols is a "formula". This means that any text whatsoever can be encoded, circumventing the "no text" rule. For example:

g+e+o+r+g+e - w+a+s+h+i+n+g+t+o+n - b+o+r+n = 1732

 

 
Mr Wordy
Anonymous, 1 yr 133 days ago
Hello, many thanks to all who took the time to respond to this query.

My personal intepretation which I think satisfy the sentence would be
1. “Students are allowed to bring into the examination ONEA4 piece of paper with up to 39 formulae (no text) written on one side of it, with the equations sequentially numbered. “
At least, I think I would satisfy the first part of the sentence. I have the formulas to one side of the paper.
2. “Students are allowed to bring into the examination ONEA4 piece of paper with up to 39 formulae (no text) written on one side of it, with the equations sequentially numbered. “
After satisfying the first part, I kept the text to one side (actually the same side with the formula) of the A4 paper.

The above intepretation can cause many to disagree, heres how I see the above sentence, is that there were no punctuation marks (commas) to separate the conditions within, leaving me to group the conditions as I see fit (disagree? please tell me) and hence the final paper looks like this, one side is blank, the other side contains both formulas and text.

Now, how wrong can I be with this final piece of paper?

Mr Wordy  +  542319 Wed, 16 Jul 08 12:43 PM

 

Anonymous
“My personal intepretation which I think satisfy the sentence would be
1. “Students are allowed to bring into the examination ONEA4 piece of paper with up to 39 formulae (no text) written on one side of it, with the equations sequentially numbered. “
At least, I think I would satisfy the first part of the sentence. I have the formulas to one side of the paper.
2. “Students are allowed to bring into the examination ONEA4 piece of paper with up to 39 formulae (no text) written on one side of it, with the equations sequentially numbered. “
After satisfying the first part, I kept the text to one side (actually the same side with the formula) of the A4 paper.

The above intepretation can cause many to disagree, heres how I see the above sentence, is that there were no punctuation marks (commas) to separate the conditions within, leaving me to group the conditions as I see fit (disagree? please tell me) and hence the final paper looks like this, one side is blank, the other side contains both formulas and text.

Now, how wrong can I be with this final piece of paper?
”

I have no idea what you are trying to say or ask. What do you mean by "satisfy the sentence"? How can you "satisfy the sentence" by crossing out essential parts of it?

I personally do not think that the way the sentence is punctuated contributes to its ambiguity.
Mr Wordy
,
Grammar Geek  +  542327 Wed, 16 Jul 08 01:12 PM

If you brought a sheet of paper with the 39 formulas (and yes, I use "formulas," not "formulae) on one side and then added text on EITHER side, despite the "no text" warning on this instruction, you have violated the intention of this statement, regardless of whether it is stated ambiguously.

I would take the sheet from you as you entered the exam. The next year, I'd say to the class "Because people have tried to find loopholes in the past, there will be no study aids allowed in the exam. If you need  a forumla, memorize it. You have last year's class to thank for this change in rules."

 
Grammar Geek
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