Relationship
between
l Sometimes they are between two items,
groups, or people, as in these sentences:
Choose between Squiggly and Aardvark.
Let's keep this between you and me.
The negotiations between the cheerleaders, the dance
squad, and the flag team were going well despite the confetti incident.
The differences between English, Chinese, and Arabic are
significant.
Among
On the other hand,
you use “among” when you are talking about things that aren't distinct items or
individuals; for example, if you were talking about colleges collectively you
could say, "She chose among the Ivy League schools."
If you are talking
about a group of people, you also use “among”:
Fear spread among
the hostages.
The scandal caused a division among the
fans.
Part of a Group
“Among” can also indicate that someone is part
of a group or left out of a group, as in these examples:
He was glad to
find a friend among enemies.
She felt like a
stranger among friends.
Sylvia was later found living among the
natives.
It's not as simple as using between
for two things and among for more.
Location
“Between” and
“among” can also tell the reader different things about location or direction.
Think about the difference between these two sentences:
Squiggly walked
between the trees.
Squiggly walked among the trees.
“Squiggly walked
between the trees” gives you the idea that he stayed on the path; he either
walked between two trees or was on a route that was
surrounded by trees.
On the other hand, “Squiggly walked among
the trees” gives you the idea that he wandered around a park or forest. He may
have had an endpoint in mind, but it doesn't sound as if he went from point A
to point B on a defined path.
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