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time-sensitive documents, goods, articles or cargo

In the phrase reproduced above, does it mean that only documents are time-sensitive or does time-sensitive apply to goods, articles and cargo as well?

tchrist
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Joshua
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1 Answers1

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The ambiguity there is perfect. To clear it up, one should revise it to either

such documents, goods, articles[,] and cargoes as are time-sensitive

(if the time-sensitivity is shared by all), or

goods, articles, cargoes[,] and time-sensitive documents

(if only the documents are time-sensitive).

(The bracketed commas are so-called Oxford or serial commas.)

Brian Donovan
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  • Agreed. The most likely solution is that 'time-sensitive' applies to all the items. Hwever, without further context it is impossible to be certain. – chasly - supports Monica Aug 31 '15 at 18:18
  • Here is the whole paragraph (context):-

    Courier services mean the transmission, transportation or conveyance, whether door-to-door or not of time-sensitive documents, goods, articles or cargo whether or not utilizing the services of a person either directly or indirectly to accompany such documents, goods, articles or cargo.

     – Joshua Aug 31 '15 at 18:26
  • I would take that to mean that "time-sensitive" applies to all, especially since the same items are mentioned as a group without the modifier later in the sentence. But it is a little ambiguous from a grammatical standpoint. – TomMcW Aug 31 '15 at 21:29