Where should I put "available"?

Question

I am writing this sentence:
There are many fruits available, including apples, bananas, oranges, to choose from.
I am confused where I should put "available". Which of the following is correct?
(1) There are many fruits available, including apples, bananas, oranges, to choose from.
(2) There are many fruits, including apples, bananas, oranges, available to choose from.

Thanks in advance! :)

Whiz-deletion has been covered so many times, eg at "There are several reasons proposed for the collapse of the bridge." — Edwin Ashworth, Dec 28 '14 at 20:29

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Dec 28 '14 at 19:10

Let's start with a definition of available (from Google dictionary):

(adj) able to be used or obtained; at someone's disposal.

I believe this meaning covers the idea of "being able to choose from" the things that are available.

In fact, both sentences that you have proposed sound rather awkward (though 1 trumps 2 in that department), and I would suggest dropping "to choose from" altogether, since doing so does not, as I read it, damage the sentence's meaning. Rather, it renders it tighter:

There are many fruits available, including apples, bananas, and oranges.

Reading that, would you ever wonder "yes, but may I choose from them?" Probably not, because they're "available."

Where should I put "available"?

1 Answers1