For example, when you write or say a line such as "our new tonic drink will be marketed to old men and women", does 'old' apply only to the men? Or are you referring to both men and women?

Usually you can avoid ambiguous phrases by restructuring the sentence. Thus, if the ‘old’ applies only to men, you should say "our new tonic drink will be marketed to old men, and also to women”.

Or it is meant for both men and women, you can say "our new tonic drink will be marketed to older people, or to the elderly”.

Source: Edited from the english@work e-newsletter by 938LIVE. Subscribe to the english@work newsletter.