buying a house

[artart]

!) The owners of the apartments in this building can't get along with each other. I think they are talking to a lawyer.

Does that necessarily mean they are talking to the same lawyer?

Could:
2) They are talking to a lawyer.
ever mean that they are talking to different lawyers?

3) What are people doing these days. The people I know are buying a house.

Could that mean that they are buying different houses?

Gratefully,
Navi

[linguoboy]

!) The owners of the apartments in this building can't get along with each other. I think they are talking to a lawyer.

Does that necessarily mean they are talking to the same lawyer?

That's how I read it.

Could:
2) They are talking to a lawyer.
ever mean that they are talking to different lawyers?

I think to get that meaning I'd have to add a determiner like "all" or "each", e.g.:

They are all talking to a lawyer. (Could be the same lawyer or different ones.)
They are each talking to a lawyer. (Different lawyers.)

3) What are people doing these days. The people I know are buying a house.

Could that mean that they are buying different houses?

That for me is the default reading. It would be very odd if all the people somebody knew were buying the same house!

[Linguaphile]

Could that mean that they are buying different houses?

That for me is the default reading. It would be very odd if all the people somebody knew were buying the same house!

But houses are so expensive these days... maybe going together on it was the only way they could afford one.
Kidding aside, I agree that it means they're each buying a different house.