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I would like to ask you a couple of questions about the below passage. It is an explanation for the word, complex from the Oxford Advanced English Learner's Dictionary.

complex - a group of buildings of a similar type together in one place

[Q1] Is a group of buildings of a similar type in one place together also correct? I think this feels more natural. (Only the order of together in one place is changed into in one place together.)

[Q2] To make this expression a complete sentence, is the Sentence A correct?

Sentence A. The word complex means a group of buildings of a similar type together in one place.

I feel like there is something omitted in between "a similar type" and "together in one place". So, I think that are placed/located is needed to be used there to be a complete sentence, as in the below. Is this idea alright?

Sentence B. The word complex means a group of buildings of a similar type that are placed/located together in one place.

Thank you very much.

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    1. together can move as you have suggested though it's not more natural where you've placed it. 2. what you feel to be missing is a so-called "reduced clause". Sentences with reduced clauses are fully formed; the reduction does not make them fragmentary.
    – TimR
    Commented Jul 21, 2016 at 20:45

2 Answers 2

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Q1. either or; they mean the same thing though to me the dictionary usage seems more natural.

Q2. Sentence A is fine, I don't perceive anything omitted. B says the same thing as A but "placed/located" is redundant when used with "one place".
I vote for Sentence A.

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Q1: "in one place together" is not as clear; 'together in one place' is a much more common phrase. Being in the same place (one place) implies being together, so it could be seen as redundant. The implied word is "taken" or "considered" for example: "in one place considered together" or "taken together in one place". Q2: Sentence A is well formed but there is quite a bit of redundancy. I would also put double or single quotes around the word "complex". I also point out that this is only one meaning of 'complex' (as a noun); there are several others. A more difficult but perhaps more precise sentence would be: A 'complex' is a group of buildings near one another sharing functionality, ownership, architectural style, goal, or other attribute. It is arguable whether they actually need to be "near" one another. Note that the buildings do NOT have to be physically similar, but often are.

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  • Thank you so much for answering my question. May I ask you why "in one place together" is not clear as "together in one place"? As for "in one place together", I think of "one place" because it comes first in order and then I add the idea of "together" which has the image of "many buildings that stand together". So I thought the physical place should have came first, because there needs to be a space to draw objects on it. Would you give your thoughts about this?
    – Smart Humanism
    Commented Jul 22, 2016 at 0:03
  • @SmartHumanism One is no less clear than the other. That is a matter of opinion. I am a native speaker and I see no difference nor confusion between the two.
    – Giambattista
    Commented Jul 22, 2016 at 0:14
  • @Giambattista Thank you very much for the answer! Have a lovely day!
    – Smart Humanism
    Commented Aug 14, 2016 at 18:50

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