Search results for 'tag:Articles tag:Plurals' matching tags 'Articles' and 'Plurals'

Re: Two infinitives

richard_s — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:21:34 GMT

In that case, the quote is probably:

To quit in space is the same as to quit in the corridor. Â

As Clive points out, you need the asÂ in the sentence (always write the same as)Â

The infinitives can be used instead of the gerunds to give it more of a sense of 'if you do it', other than that, as Clive says, in ordinary speech we would usually use the gerund (~ing) form.

As for articles, you are right; they are very difficult to learn. Â The good news is that they are not terribly important for making yourself understood. Â If you miss a few articles, or put them incorrectly, most native speakers can understand what you mean. Â On the other hand, if you omit a subject in a clause or omit the verb, or use the wrong form of the verb, it can be really hard for a native speaker to understand.

A lot of students find the following process useful for understanding articles:

1. Identify the noun

2. decide if the noun is countable or non-count.

3.1 If it is countable, decide if it is singular or plural.

3.1.1 If it is singular, you need to decide if it is general or specific

3.1.1.1 If is is general, use a or an

3.1.1.2 if it is specific, use the

3.1.2 If it is plural, you need to decide if it is general or specific

3.1.2.1 If is isÂ general, don't use an article

3.1.2.2 if it isÂ specific, useÂ the

3.2 If it is non-count, decide if it is general or specific

3.2.1 if it is general, don't use an article

3.2.2 if it is specific, use the

If you follow that process, it will make it easier to decide if an article is needed or not; then you only need to worry about exceptions, idioms, and all of the extra tiny rules.

In your case above, spaceÂ is general and non-count.

Re: "any"-defining

Fandorin — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:18:36 GMT

Kooyeen

You can do that too, but it is not common, it's only used sometimes for emphasis. It's easy to build odd sentences that way, so I personally prefer to avoid using it that way, as a learner. When talking about one thing, using the article "a" (or "an") is the common way to say it...
Do you have a sister? Is there a hospital near here? I don't have a sister, you must be mistaking me for someone else...

I didn't consider uncountable nouns because they are not usually used in the plural, so they weren't part of our problem. I didn't consider idioms or exceptions either... I can think of a couple of them right now:
Is there any reason why you are not allowed to do that?
There isn't any way to find out the truth, I'm afraid.

The singular seems to be the idiomatic choice in those cases.

Yes, it's odd way not to use "a". Indeed, "any=some" implies itself plural noun to be used. So the difference in translation some of constructions in English seems to be slightly smoothed between two meanings you mentioned above. At least it's so in my language.

Re: "any"-defining

Kooyeen — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:23:38 GMT

Fandorin
There is no way to use "any" with singular in that meaning. Don't you think?

You can do that too, but it is not common, it's only used sometimes for emphasis. It's easy to build odd sentences that way, so I personally prefer to avoid using it that way, as a learner. When talking about one thing, using the article "a" (or "an") is the common way to say it...
Do you have a sister? Is there a hospital near here? I don't have a sister, you must be mistaking me for someone else...

I didn't consider uncountable nouns because they are not usually used in the plural, so they weren't part of our problem. I didn't consider idioms or exceptions either... I can think of a couple of them right now:
Is there any reason why you are not allowed to do that?
There isn't any way to find out the truth, I'm afraid.

The singular seems to be the idiomatic choice in those cases.

Re: Some questions on "et cetera"

Clive — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 03:30:34 GMT

Hi,
Please look at these and please tell me if they are OK in terms of how they are incorporated into the sentences.Would you think the words "and others" is synonomous with the symbol letter (?)Yes, that's the meaning. But in some contexts, one or the other may sound better. In a formal essay, for example, avoid using 'etc'. Would you rearrange any of the examples here?

When we have to deal with all the variations of the language (e.g. Busincess English, Medical English, Engineering English, etc.), it makes us wonder ... When you say 'eg.', don't also say 'etc'. 'e.g.' by itself tells the reader "These are just some examples, but there are others".

We should come up with a relationship (e.g. Brother and sister who dislike each other). -- If there were the article "a" in front of "Brother" and "sister", would it be wrong?) No, it would be better. But I thought you were asking about 'etc.'?

If you have some writing instruments (e.g. pen, pencil, etc.), please bring them along. -- If there were the article"a" in front of "pen" and "pencil", would it be wrong? No, it wouldn't be wrong. But because of the plural 'instruments', I feel it would sound better simply to continue with the use of plurals, ie say 'e.g. pens, pencils'. Again, don't say both 'e.g.' and 'etc.'

Best wishes, Clive

Re: Â«...clean grimy hands...Â»

MissMandy — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 19:03:00 GMT

Ant_222
Hmmm. I thought that a + singular countable noun was the same as zero article + plural countable noun.

You're absolutely right.

The original sentence may have led the hobbits to go looking for others' dirty hands to wash because the author chose to omit the word "your" before "grimy hands". As I said earlier, its seems like it was poetic license in that case, otherwise I would have expected him to add the "your" back in, just as he did with the faces. My point was more that a plural noun does not always need an a determiner.

I would guess that if any up-and-coming author had written that sentence, his or her editor would not have left it as it was left in this text.

~Miss Mandy

Re: Â«...clean grimy hands...Â»

Ant_222 — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:52:23 GMT

MissMandy
...a tells the listener that we are being generic. If you wanted him to wash his own weary face, you'd need a possessive determiner (your)

Hmmm. I thought that a + singular countable noun was the same as zero article + plural countable noun.

Why wouldn't the hobbits look around for other(s)' grimy hands and not their ones? In the original sentence, "hands" doesn't have a determiner either... Having re-reading GG's explanation and trying to unite it with yours, I am starting to think that that might be the case...

Anton

Re: Â«...clean grimy hands...Â»

MissMandy — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:30:41 GMT

Haha, you gave me a funny picture in my head. If you told Paul to wash a weary face, he would probably be looking around for someone else's weary face to wash because you can't tell him to wash his own face that way; a tells the listener that we are being generic. If you wanted him to wash his own weary face, you'd need a possessive determiner (your). So, yes, you seem correct.

When thinking about determiners (articles are a category of determiners), you always need to decide if the noun is count or non-count, and if it is count, if it is plural or singular as well as if it is generic of specific. With non-count nouns you need to decide if the noun is specific or generic. Once all of that has been decided, you still have lots of choices.(Go to Wikipedia's "Determiners" page to see the long list.)

If you want, send me an email and I'll send you a PDF graphic that I give to all my grammar students. Determiners are tiny, but powerful and confusing, little words. I'll send the file to anyone who wants it. Just send me your email.

~Miss Mandy

Re: Â«...clean grimy hands...Â»

MissMandy — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 22:40:19 GMT

Unless you are talking about specific hands, you do not need an article of any sort. Generic plurals just don't need articles. I would guess that the author was looking for poetic writing, or else he would have probably added the pronoun "your" just as he did for "weary faces". But it isn't necessary.

Hope that helps!

~Miss Mandy

Re: a human//a person//a people//a human beings

Tanit — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 12:42:00 GMT

Hi,

Angliholic
Is "a human" in the above interchangeable with "a person//a people//a human beings?" Thanks.

'People' and 'beings' are plural, so they cannot go together with the indefinite article 'a'. 'A person' or 'a human being' would be grammatically fine.

Re: is in progress/on the way

MissMandy — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 22:32:52 GMT

The biggest error is that 51 will be followed by "st" instead of "th". You can tell because you would say it aloud "fifty-first". Also, "50 pages" does not need an article (a/an, or the) because it is plural, so that is correct, however, "51st page" will need the definite article "the" because it is singular and specific.

"In the way" means that it is an obstacle, "on the way" means it is in progress.

1. I have completed typing 50 pages and the 51st is in progress. (moved the word typing)
2. I have completed feeding data for 50 records and the 51st record is in progress/ is on the way.
3. I have completed 50 files and the 51st file is in progress/on the way.

Let me know if you'd like more reasoning behind the corrections. Good job with the present perfect and the idiom "on the way"! Those are both tricky.