There was an interesting discussion in the comments below Wednesday's lesson about the phrase "I can buy any product imaginable".
Here's a summary of the questions in that discussion:
1) Why did I write any product imaginable instead of any imaginable product?
2) Would any imaginable product also be correct?
3) Is there a difference in meaning between the two phrases?
I'll try to answer without going deep into grammar, but if you really like the grammar side of things, have a look at this page (especially the part about 'the only decision possible' and 'the worst choice imaginable').
- The simple answer is that "any product imaginable" sounds better to
me as a native speaker. This phrase isn't my own original creation; I've
probably heard or read it many times in similar contexts, so it's the
instinctive phrase to use.
Note: There are 14,300 Google search results for this collocation. - While "any imaginable product" is also grammatically correct, it
seems just a little less natural to me. The emphasis is slightly
different, and the meaning could also be understood in a slightly
different way.
Note: There are only 905 Google search results for this collocation. - This is debatable. If I had to give you my view, I would say that an "imaginable product" could include products that don't currently exist (e.g. a flying car), whereas my phrase "any product imaginable" tends to refer to products that currently exist.
In the end, the Google results and my instinct as a native speaker are probably your best guide. In normal English usage, "any product imaginable" is the typical collocation.
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