The government placed restrictions on both diesel fuel and diesel engines.
Here I dont want to repeat the diesel. I cannot write:
The government placed restrictions on both diesel fuel and engines.
Because it will mean restrictions on diesel fuel and restrictions on all engines, a nonsensical meaning. Please let me know what would be the write way to avoid the repetition of diesel.
Somebody told me we can put hyphen but i am not sure about it:
The government placed restrictions on both diesel-fuel and engines.
Best Answer
Only a lawyer could misunderstand "diesel fuel and engines", because they're paid to misunderstand. Likewise "diesel engines and fuel" – that must mean all fuel, they will say. But if you're trying to craft lawyer-proof text, I take your point. I don't think anything is proof against such perversity, and the hyphen suggestion is nonsense, so maybe you'd better bite the bullet and keep two adjectives. I haven't looked, but I bet British legislation would do just that.