This is a problem that has been bugging me for a while, and I'm just trying to get an authoritative view on this question.
Say we're trying to convey the following: 'each of the students will be provided one pencil for the exam'.
Is this sentence acceptable: 'the students will be provided pencils for the exam'? If yes, doesn't this sentence create a potential linguistic (without using common sense) ambiguity, since it is possible that some students MAY each have more than one pencils?
To resolve this ambiguity, can we say: 'the students will be provided a pencil for the exam'? If yes, doesn't this risk creating the misunderstanding that ALL of the students will be sharing ONE pencil for the exam?
This may seem pedantic, but I suspect it can be an issue in, for example, legal documents.
I've been trying to search for an answer, but I don't really know how to technically describe my question. I defer to your wisdom, you who are so wise in the ways of the English language. Any authoritative reference will be much appreciated!