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Picture of shufitz
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What, if anything, is the difference between the following:
  • He is getting a second professional opinion.
  • He is getting a second, professional opinion.
 
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Picture of BobHale
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I would read those differently. The first I would take as meaning that the first opinion he got was professional and the second as meaning that it wasn’t.
By the way shu did you see the poems I sent to you in a pm?


"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
 
Posts: 9421 | Location: EnglandReply With QuoteReport This Post
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That’s how I read them also. (Sometimes I fret over putting a comma after “professional” in the second one.)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: haberdasher,
 
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I agree with Bob and Haberdasher.
 
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Picture of BobHale
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quote:
Originally posted by haberdasher:
That’s how I read them also. (Sometimes I fret over putting a comma after “professional” in the second one.)

I agree. If I wrote it with the second meaning I'd put another comma after professional too. They also have notably different stress patterns when I say them.


"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
 
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Picture of Kalleh
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I agree with Bob, Geoff and Hab. It is interesting that commas can make such a difference.
 
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