Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[TALA]

Hi,
1. while many of the foods on the market are similar, not all of the pet food manufacturing companies use poor quality or potentially dangerous ingredients.
2. while more of the foods on the market are similar, not all of the pet food manufacturing companies use poor quality or potentially dangerous ingredients.

Which sentence sounds more natural English? and why?

Thanks

[bud]

They are both natural, but not exactly the same. 2 is most likely comparing today with earlier times (the context might change that meaning, though): Today there are many similar foods; ten years ago there were only a few.

While the language is natural, you should change "foods" in the first clause to "pet foods." "Foods" by itself usually implies food for people.

Nice job, Tala!

[TALA]

Thanks..bud. But I still think that the first sentence (using many) is more of conventional usage. I mean when "many" is used with a "not all" structure. What do you or other native English speakers think?

Anyway, I'm not a native English speaker.

[bud]

Yes, I agree with you on both points.