Search results for 'tag:Definite articles tag:Constructions' matching tags 'Definite articles' and 'Constructions'

Re: A preposition or an infinitive marker?

Scottsox — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 04:22:37 GMT

I agree with the previous post that the original author's translation isn't precisely parallel. "Study" may either be a noun or a verb, but if you want to use "exploring," then you should use "studying" too to keep both of them as gerunds/participles. The Hebrew text of the verse uses a pair of infinitive constructs, which, if my rusty Hebrew knowledge is reliable, implies the substantive use of the infinitive: the process of studying and the process of seeking out. (Interestingly enough, the Hebrew forms are prefixed with the Hebrew preposition "to." If Solomon wanted to emphasize the verbal aspect, he could have used an intensive construction in Hebrew, which, literally translated in English, would sound something like "he studied, studying, and sought, seeking.") The Septuagint text uses articular infinitives (that is, the infinitive with the definite article) for both, which would again imply the substantive nature of the infinitive rather than using the infinitive simply to complete the verb phrase.

Scott

Re: Worth...

Blink — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:41:52 GMT

Mister Micawber, I've got two more question to you.

Which one of these two construction (is worth attention/is worthy of attention) is more frequently used?

Do we use the indefinite article before the abbreviation like (an) MBA essay or (a) GCSE coursework?

Many thanks.

mass noun and count noun

Jackson6612 — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:04:57 GMT

mass noun
a noun (as sand or water) that characteristically denotes in many languages a homogeneous substance or a concept without subdivisions and that in English is preceded in indefinite singular constructions by some rather than a or an
[M-W's Dictionary]

count noun
a noun (as bean or sheet) that forms a plural and is used with a numeral, with words such as many or few, or with the indefinite article a or an
[M-W's Dictionary]

1: What is an indefinite singular construction?
2: What is an indefinite plural construction?
3: What is an definite singular construction?
4: What is an definite plural construction?
5: As name suggests a count noun is countable, then how can one use indefinite article a or an with it?

Re: genitive as a noun

Believer — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 12:24:40 GMT

Thank you, Eimai_Anglos.

Are you saying a genitive cannot be made a countable noun or used as a countable noun? I think a guru has delivered expert advice on that aspect of grammar and I think it has been said a construction like "a shaking of a ground" means "an instance of shaking of a ground." Please note that it is a shaking in what seems to be a countable noun form.

Can you give me your expertise in this matter?

1. Why can some genitives have the indefinite article "a" like the genitive noun word "shaking"?

2. At the same time, why don't I never seem to have encountered a plural form of the word "shaking" as "shakings"?

3. Here, "with shouting, yelling and swearing, the motorists ...," would you say the phrase "with shouting, yelling and swearing" is correctly written? If it is correctly written, then what kind of noun are they? My dictionary seems to note that "shouting" is a countable noun but for the two others, I am not sure.

Thank you.

Re: One of the ... that ...

Zj.frank — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 09:37:23 GMT

Tanit wrote:

Hi, good question!

I was wandering whether a slightly different point of view exists as for the subject of the sentence:
He is one [of the few] that knows the solution to the problem.
or
He is one of the few that know the solution to the problem.

After some research, I came across this:

"one of those who. Constructions such as one of those people who pose a different problem. Many people argue that who should be followed by a plural verb in these sentences, as in He is one of those people who just donât take ânoâ for an answer. Their thinking is that the relative pronoun who refers to the plural noun people, not to one. They would extend the rule to constructions with inanimate nouns, as in The sports car turned out to be one of the most successful products that were ever manufactured in this country.

But the use of the singular verb in these constructions is common, even among the best writers. In an earlier survey, 42 percent of the Usage Panel accepted the use of the singular verb in such constructions. Itâs really a matter of which word you feel is most appropriate as the antecedent of the relative pronounâ one or the plural noun in the of phrase that follows it. Note also that when the phrase containing one is introduced by the definite article, the verb in the relative clause must be singular: He is the only one of the students who has (not have) already taken Latin."

For what it's worth, heere are the Google search results for
"one of the few of that" and
"one of the few of who" in the BBC website only. If you consider only sentences in simple present , you will find both "have" and "has", "do" and "does" and so on.

Thanks, Tanit!

I was writing my previous reply while you posted this one.

The link you provided is really useful.

Re: One of the ... that ...

Tanit — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 09:18:48 GMT

Zj.frank wrote:
Dear all:

He is one of the few that knows the solution to the problem.
or
He is one of the few that know the solution to the problem.

Do the two "that"s denote different things? Shall we say that the first "that" denotes "he" while the second "that" denotes "the few"? If so, do the two sentences have slightly different meanings?

It seems that the first sentence is more often used. Here is an example from <http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/films/int/1mm/gluttony/-/films/oneminutemovies/watch/snowball.shtml?gluttony.shtml>

This is the best film on here... and one of the few that bothers with any sense of narrative and character.

Surely there are a few films that bother with some sense of narrative and character. Is it to say that in such case, we usually use "that bothers" rather than "that bother"? Thanks in advance for any enlightenment!

Hi, good question!

I was wandering whether a slightly different point of view exists as for the subject of the sentence:
He is one [of the few] that knows the solution to the problem.
or
He is one of the few that know the solution to the problem.

After some research, I came across this:

"one of those who. Constructions such as one of those people who pose a different problem. Many people argue that who should be followed by a plural verb in these sentences, as in He is one of those people who just donât take ânoâ for an answer. Their thinking is that the relative pronoun who refers to the plural noun people, not to one. They would extend the rule to constructions with inanimate nouns, as in The sports car turned out to be one of the most successful products that were ever manufactured in this country.

But the use of the singular verb in these constructions is common, even among the best writers. In an earlier survey, 42 percent of the Usage Panel accepted the use of the singular verb in such constructions. Itâs really a matter of which word you feel is most appropriate as the antecedent of the relative pronounâ one or the plural noun in the of phrase that follows it. Note also that when the phrase containing one is introduced by the definite article, the verb in the relative clause must be singular: He is the only one of the students who has (not have) already taken Latin."

For what it's worth, heere are the Google search results for
"one of the few of that" and
"one of the few of who" in the BBC website only. If you consider only sentences in simple present , you will find both "have" and "has", "do" and "does" and so on.

EDITED: "wandering" is a typo for "wondering". My apologies.

Is this how it works?

Believer — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 07:12:41 GMT

Hi,

When you are mentioning something that is a part of another large thing, the sentential construction should follow the following? Would you say they show a most pervalent usage of this type of phrasal construction?

the logo of an organization

the arm of a person

Those two can be written to refer to a specific organization and person by putting the definite article, llike this (I think):

the logo of the organization

the arm of the person

But, can you think of any sentential situation where this might be proven valid?

a logo of an organization

an arm of a person

the "x" is different from the "Y"

Believer — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 12:00:24 GMT

Hi,

I think CalifJim mentioned that the sentential construct (should I use the word "construction"?) of "the X is different from the Y" with proper nouns and he might have used some example similar to the one below to show what he meant. Do we need to have "the" if we are comparing one place or entity to another one?

The X stadium is different from the Y stadium. (I think the names of stadium usually don't have the definite article "the.")

My question is "Can I apply this to some other proper nouns and it I can, how much can I apply it?"

Thank you in advance.

Re: sentences (6)

Clive — Sat, 28 Oct 2006 17:45:34 GMT

Hi,

The city granted 269 new investment licenses with a capital value of $2 billion US, of which the construction capital is $1.495 billion and the equipment capital is $359 million. (2)

I see no reason to use the definite article here, unless you have already referred to construction and equipment in some preceding sentence. That's what the articles suggest to me.

If you want to rephrase as

The city granted 269 new investment licenses with a capital value of $2 billion US, of which $1.495 billion in construction capital and $359 million in equipment capital.

you need to say

The city granted 269 new investment licenses with a capital value of $2 billion US, of which $1.495 billion was in construction capital and $359 million was in equipment capital. (2)

Best wishes, Clive

Re: Hero

BruceInUK — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 15:32:50 GMT

"He is a hero." is correct.

"hero" is a noun, so it needs to be qualified by an article (in this case, the indefinite article).

The second sentence construction would be correct only with an adjective instead of a noun, e.g.

He is heroic.