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any disease
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navi
2024-12-09 00:25:18 UTC
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1) Can you make a drug to cure any disease?
2) Can you make a drug that cures any disease?

How many meanings can those have?



I think they could mean
a) Is there even one disease you can make a real drug for?
or
b) Can you make a drug that cures all diseases?
or
c) If I pick any disease could you make a drug for it
(I am very doubtful as to whether '2' could mean that)

--
Gratefully,
Navi

Lost in the Twilight Zone of the English language
Obsessed with ambiguity
Interested in strange structures
LionelEdwards
2024-12-09 09:11:18 UTC
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Post by navi
1) Can you make a drug to cure any disease?
2) Can you make a drug that cures any disease?
How many meanings can those have?
I think they could mean
a) Is there even one disease you can make a real drug for?
or
b) Can you make a drug that cures all diseases?
or
c) If I pick any disease could you make a drug for it
(I am very doubtful as to whether '2' could mean that)
1 and 2 are so close in meaning and wording that I'm
surprised you can measure any daylight between them.

Both could be addressing "you" personally, "you" as
representative of your organisation, or "you" meaning
everybody in general. That is perhaps the first context
that needs clarifying?
lar3ryca
2024-12-09 21:46:44 UTC
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Post by LionelEdwards
Post by navi
1) Can you make a drug to cure any disease?
2) Can you make a drug that cures any disease?
How many meanings can those have?
I think they could mean
a) Is there even one disease you can make a real drug for?
or
b) Can you make a drug that cures all diseases?
or
c) If I pick any disease could you make a drug for it
(I am very doubtful as to whether '2' could mean that)
1 and 2 are so close in meaning and wording that I'm
surprised you can measure any daylight between them.
Both could be addressing "you" personally, "you" as
representative of your organisation, or "you" meaning
everybody in general. That is perhaps the first context
that needs clarifying?
I parse 1 and 2 to mean:
Is it possible to make one drug that will cure all diseases?

It's the presence of 'a drug' and 'any disease' that cause the problem
for me.
--
I asked a German gentleman if he knew the square root of 81.
He said "No".
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