Ms. Sue, thanks for your answer. Is there a rule in grammar that I can use to convince someone that #2 is correct?
Which one is correct:
1. The box contains two slides labeled "A" or "B".
2. The box contains two slides labeled "A" and "B".
To help you explain why sentence #2 is correct, you can refer to a rule in grammar called "parallelism" or "parallel structure". Parallelism is the principle of using similar grammatical constructions to express related ideas.
In this case, sentence #2, "The box contains two slides labeled 'A' and 'B'," shows parallelism by using the conjunction "and" to connect the two labels, 'A' and 'B'. This parallel structure indicates that both 'A' and 'B' are labeled on the slides.
Sentence #1, on the other hand, does not use parallel structure. Instead, it uses the conjunction "or" to suggest that either 'A' or 'B' is labeled on the slides. This implies that only one of the labels is present on each slide, which may not be the intended meaning.
By emphasizing the rule of parallelism, you can explain that sentence #2 provides a more accurate and clear representation of the labels on the slides.