In fact, there are cases in which among will not take
the place of between; as, "I set out eighty trees with ample space
between them." "The stones on his farm were so plentiful that the
grass could not grow up between them."
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Between, Among
"The seven children divided the apples between them." Two children may
divide apples between, them, but in this case it is better to say,
"The seven children divided the apples among them."
George Eliot, in Middlemarch, says: "The fight lay entirely between
Pinkerton, the old Tory member; Bagster, the new Whig member; and
Brook, the Independent member." In this case, between or with is more
satisfactory than among, although three persons are referred to.
Choice
Many sentences betoken ignorance and others indicate extreme
carelessness on the part of the writers by the inapt choice of their
prepositions, which often express relations so delicate in their
distinctions that nothing short of an extended study of the best
writers will confer the desired skill. We present some examples.
By, In
"We do not accept the proposition referred to by your letter.
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