Thursday, May 10, 2012

ambiguity - Phrase and word-order meaning

I know that "only" and "just" and word-order are oft-mentioned topics on here, but word-order for phrases and meanings - don't both of these mean different things?



Here is an example of how word order in a sentence can change the meaning. These two sentences are from a geography site I'm developing:





Between 9am and 5pm, the local market is in full swing. Known for its variety of foreign foods, many people visit it...



The local market is in full swing between 9am and 5pm. Known for its variety of foreign foods, many people visit it...




If I'm correct, the first one implies it's only in full swing at the times specified, but the second one means it's always in full swing. I'm not sure how to phrase this best, due to the ambiguity and word-order.



What's the best way to rephrase this, and how can I avoid ambiguity when doing word-order when placing a word?

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