Representing when, where, how and why
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Students' problems | page 7 of 12 |
Between and among
Students sometimes use among where between is more appropriate:
I want to tell you about the relationships among Mr Li, his mother and his wife. (TeleNex Students)
In this case the three people involved are thought of as separate entities and so we talk about the relationships between them:
I want to tell you about the relationships between Mr Li, his mother and his wife.
The preposition among is used with groups (usually expressed as one plural noun or one collective noun):
The number of asthma cases among school children had soared from five per cent in 1989 to this year's 7.6 per cent. (SCMP 15/7/92)
She may even perform her favourite trick of walking among the audience. (Bank of English)
For further information about between and among, see 
Representing when, where, how and why: Representing where (p 8).
Introduction
Between and among
