[Editors] a word use question

[Andrew Whitacre]

Typical rule is "between" is for 2 items, while "among" is for 3 or more. But in this case, it's a little ambiguous given the context…would the clause be synonymous with "Rotating from asphalt to grass to photovoltaic cells…"?

Andrew Whitacre
Communications Director
cmsw.mit.edu<http://cmsw.mit.edu> | civic.mit.edu<http://civic.mit.edu> | gamelab.mit.edu<http://gamelab.mit.edu>
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(617) 324-0490
awhit at mit.edu<mailto:awhit at mit.edu>

On Mar 4, 2014, at 3:23 PM, Scott R Campbell wrote:

This question has been posed to me and I don’t know the answer.  Should the word in this sentence be ‘between’ or ‘among’?

Rotating between asphalt, grass and photovoltaic cells, spaces can dynamically shift from city street to park to energy source – on demand.

‘Between’ sounds right to me but my questioner suggests that when there are more than three, ‘among’ is the right choice.  What’s the rule here?

It’s a caption for this image:

<page1image1392.png>


􏰀􏰡􏰖􏰔􏰟􏰌􏰝􏰈􏰨􏰙􏰖􏰪􏰙􏰙􏰌􏰈􏰔􏰜􏰠􏰑􏰔􏰣􏰖􏰐􏰈􏰝􏰘􏰔􏰜􏰜􏰐􏰈􏰔􏰌􏰛􏰈􏰠􏰑􏰡􏰖􏰡􏰥􏰡􏰣􏰖􏰔􏰕􏰚􏰈􏰚􏰙􏰣􏰣􏰜􏰐􏰈􏰜􏰠􏰔􏰚􏰙􏰜􏰈􏰚􏰔􏰌􏰈􏰛􏰗􏰌􏰔􏰓􏰕􏰚􏰔􏰣􏰣􏰗􏰈􏰜􏰑􏰕􏱍􏰈􏰤􏰘􏰡􏰓􏰈􏰚􏰕􏰖􏰗􏰈􏰜􏰖􏰘􏰙􏰙􏰖􏰈􏰖􏰡􏰈􏰠􏰔􏰘􏰶􏰈􏰖􏰡􏰈􏰙􏰌􏰙􏰘􏰝􏰗􏰈􏰜􏰡􏰒􏰘􏰚􏰙􏱎􏰡􏰌􏰈􏰛􏰙􏰓􏰔􏰌􏰛􏰦􏰈􏰀􏰡􏰔􏰛􏰜􏰈􏰚􏰡􏰥􏰙􏰘􏰈􏱏􏰦􏰏􏰈􏰜􏰺􏰒􏰔􏰘􏰙􏰈􏰓􏰕􏰣􏰙􏰜􏰈􏰡􏰤􏰈􏰰􏰔􏰌􏰑􏰔􏱐􏰔􏰌


_______________________________________________
Editors mailing list
Editors at mit.edu<mailto:Editors at mit.edu>
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/editors

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.mit.edu/pipermail/editors/attachments/20140304/5be94832/attachment.htm