Scientific English as a Foreign Language
Answers to Lesson of June 5, 1998
Among and Between

With respect to a relationship among two or more objects, use "among". With respect to a relationship between two objects, use "between". Unfortunately, life is not so simple, and there is a complication in that "between" is also used for any number of individual people or things. Some examples are: 1) Among my friends, Fred is the best cook; 2) Between you and me, I have more culinary experience; 3) The responsibility for this evening's meal is shared between Fred, Mike, and David.

Which poster titles are correct?

Microscopy--A Comparison between Two Techniques RIGHT
Microscopy--A Comparison among Two Techniques WRONG
Microscopy--A Comparison between Three Techniques WRONG
Microscopy--A Comparison among Three Techniques RIGHT
Microscopy--A Comparison among Electron, Optical, and Scanning Probe Approaches WRONG
Microscopy--A Comparison between Electron, Optical, and Scanning Probe Approaches RIGHT


Science is the Differential Calculus of the mind.
Art is the Integral Calculus;
they may be beautiful when they are apart,
but they are greatest only when combined.

-Sir Ronald Ross

Back to the index page.

Created 5 June 1998, by Nancy Burnham and Fred Hutson.