Forum: ell.stackexchange.com
Tags: <paraphrasing>
Title: Have I rewritten this correctly?
Question: I have 4 bags. In each bag, there is a same book.   I tried to rewrite this as one sentence, but I don't know if it is grammatically correct and  if it conveys the same meaning.   I have 4 same books each in 4 bags.  I have 4 same books each in bag A, bag B, bag C , bag D respectively.   How would you normally say it?

Answers:
sents: text: I would write this as: I have four identical books, each in its own bag.
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/368/John Koerner
score: 11
sents: text: Normally you would say: I have 4 bags, each containing the same book.
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/10292/Lewis Heslop
score: 10
sents: text: Maybe you could write, "I have four copies of the same book, each in a bag."
text: Of course, this only implies that you have four bags.
text: If you need to directly mention the fact that you have four bags, you might write something like, "I have four bags, and each has a copy of the same book."
text: In any case, using the word "copy" might help, since, as @ssdecontrol noted, the construction is pretty cumbersome.
text: Sorry you can't just leave them as two sentences! :-)
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/None/
score: 4
sents: text: I have the same book in each of these four bags.
text: (subject)
text: I (verb) have (DO adjective) the same (Direct Object)
text: book (prepositional phrase) in each (prepositional phrase) of these four bags
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/10575/JakeANISC
score: 4
sents: text: Three notes: First, your original sentence has the wrong article.
text: Second, your additional sentences aren't using same properly (it's a weird word).
text: Third, there are a couple ways to make this one sentence.
text: See below.
text: First, note that the constructions you're using use the definite determiner/article ( the ) on books .
text: So, instead of: I have 4 bags.
text: In each bag, there is a same book.
text: One would say I have 4 bags.
text: In each bag, there is the same book.
text: This is because the books have been mentioned before (in the first sentence of the example).
text: See the Wikipedia page on definiteness .
text: Secondly, with your second sentence, the syntax of counters in English can be weird.
text: For instance, the following is good :
text: I have 4 books.
text: But this is not good :
text: I have 4 same books.
text: This is because words preceding same require of the :
text: I have 4 books.
text: I have 4 of the same book.
text: I have ten dolls.
text: I have ten of the same doll.
text: Note also that nouns modified by of the are singular (book vs books)
text: Third, as you note, your original sentence sounds weird because it is strange to say something simple like it in two sentences.
text: As others have pointed out, you could say something like:
text: I have four bags, each with the same book
text: However, this is also somewhat weird because you're emphasizing bags without discussing the book much.
text: The bag sounds more important because it is first, but there isn't much about it.
text: So, if the book is more important, I would say something like:
text: I have four copies of the same book in each of these bags.
text: I have four of the same book with each in a bag.
text: I have a copy in each of these four bags.
text: I would expect to hear
text: I have four bags, each with the same book at a convention or something similar where people are getting free books in bags, and each bag might have a different book.
text: So, if you're emphasizing you have four bags, but complaining
text: you have the same books, then this sentence would be used.
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/9911/dantiston
score: 2
sents: text: As a native (UK) English speaker I would say that you have a number of choices:
text: I have four copies of the same book, each in a separate bag.
text: Places the emphasis on the 4 books and clarifies that they are stored in separate bags.
text: As does: Here are four copies of the book, bagged separately.
text: While:
text: I have four bags each containing a copy of the book.
text: Emphasises the bags and assumes that the specific book is already defined in context.
text: This might be used at a book launch to describe the door prizes and does not preclude there being other bags that contain other things nor there being other things in each bag.
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/10577/Steve Barnes
score: 2
sents: text: I would prefer
text: I have 4 same books each in
text: bag A, bag B, bag C,
text: bag D respectively.
text: or this can be written as
text: I have four same books each in four different bags.
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/8255/A. Prasad
score: 0
sents: text: I have 4 identical books in 4 bags.
text: I have 4 similar books in 4 bags.
text: I have 4 bags, each contains the same book.
text: I have 4 bags, each containing the same book.
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/8254/Mohamed Hamza
score: 0

Summary of the answers:
I have four bags each containing a copy of the book. I have 4 bags, each containing the same book. I have four copies of the same book, each in a bag. I have four identical books, each in its own bag.  I have four copies of the same book, each in a separate bag.   
Multiple expressions are possible, including 'I have four bags, each contains the same book'.