3 ms·
It’s bad English. The unambiguous terminology would be simply “excess” or “excess part of the purchase”. The term “excess purchase” sounds like the entire purch
by zarzavat 5y ago
It’s bad English. The unambiguous terminology would be simply “excess” or “excess part of the purchase”. The term “excess purchase” sounds like the entire purchase is excess i.e. the adjective “excess” is modifying the noun “purchase” [the purchase was excess]. But they intended it as a noun adjunct where the noun “purchase” is modifying the noun “excess” [the excess was a purchase]. But this parse is not at all preferably taken syntactically, only the semantics clue you into it.
Very sloppy for a consumer financial communication, but I guess that governments can get away with it.
- msrenee 5y agoThey could purchase up to $10k in bonds. They exceeded that by $25 dollars. Each dollar or penny or half-penny is a separate portion of a bond in my mind, although I don't know how that works legally. So the excess purchase would be the $25 he was in excess of the maximum purchase. Just the way I interpreted it, but by no means the legal or actual way it's handled.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- scoot 5y agoParent is correct however. "Excess" or "excess amount" would be clear. "Excess purchase" is confusing.
- oneeyedpigeon 5y agoImagine if the email had just said "excess part of the purchase: $25". No way thy would've made that mistake.