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

Re: Please correct my essay thanks my friends!!

26TMNTJG2PG — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:28:04 GMT

Dipsik
Could you please explain to me why you didnÂ´t correct the indefinite article before the word kids (second paragraph, first line)?

You are right the 'a' before 'kids' should not be there. I missed out. Thank you. The original poster, please note.

Dipsik
I would also write seriously, instead of the word "serious" you used (the latter is only used in informal English - at least as far as I know...)

The part in question is

"The streets practically were practically flooded but not serious enough to cause a total flooding or some any tragedy" and you have a point here as 'seriously' will be another adverb modifying the verb 'were flooded' but I used the adjective there to be illiptical for 'the floods were not serious enough' to be natural.

Re: Please correct my essay thanks my friends!!

Dipsik — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:40:11 GMT

Hi 26TMNTJG2PG,

Could you please explain to me why you didnÂ´t correct the indefinite article before the word kids (second paragraph, first line)?
I would also write seriously, instead of the word "serious" you used (the latter is only used in informal English - at least as far as I know...)

Re: Conditional dilemma

Cool Breeze — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 15:06:10 GMT

Believer wrote:
Side question: A lot of dictionaries seem to indicate that the word 'subjunctive' is usually precede with the article 'the', but lately I seem to see cases where it is made plural or it with 'a' in front of it (like 'a subjunctive'). Are they correct? are

Hi Believer

Grammatical terms are often used with the:

This sentence is in the passive (voice).
The past tense is different from the present tense.

However, even though they often take the definite article, nothing prevents you from putting them in the plural or using a with them when it seems appropriate:

There isn't a single subjunctive in the entire paragraph.

Cheers
CB

Re: tense

Clive — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 17:56:50 GMT

Hi Taka,

Men should have created religions, which can/could teach the values that are/were different from those of ordinary people. Now such religions sometimes become the reason of conflicts.

About the parts in red, which tense would you choose? Or are they both grammatically acceptable?

I find the whole paragraph unsatisfactory.

eg the values why is this definite article used?

eg should have created suggests these religions were not created. So how can such religions then become the reason of conflicts?

eg I also question the purpose of the comma after religions.

[ I would prefer 'reason for', although I don't think 'of' interferes with the meaning. ]

I think clarification is needed before your question can be properly answered.

Best wishes, Clive

Re: Why indefinite articles?

Ant_222 — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 22:42:27 GMT

«A» anyway:

«This certain cell contains a cat and a few mice.»

(© Nona)

What about this one:
«Every (or this) paragraph contains the first and the last sentences.»

Re: Why indefinite articles?

Believer — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 21:54:26 GMT

Thank you Nona and Jim.

The thrust?? of my inquiry lies with the article usage with such terms as "beginning" and "ending." Whenever I see a word preceded with such a term, instinctively I try to put the article "the" unless my close scrutiny shows it otherwise. I think my confusion is being further fueled by the fact that we normally associate a with the concept of one, in addition to the notion of it being an indefiite article, and when I see the sentence like the one below, it having a makes me concentrate too much on the "one" concept. Help me to set what seems to be a misguided perception straight.

The essay contains a/the beginnig paragraph, a/the middle paragraph, and an/the ending paragraph.

Let me tweak it a little and ask you this way. How is this sentence in this context different from the one above?

A teacher has a packet of papers to grade. Among the papers are the best paper, the second best paper and the worst paper.

Here, even an item in the list is being introduced for the first time, it is still being modified with the definite article the. What's your thought on this.

Re: Why indefinite articles?

CalifJim — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 16:28:44 GMT

When introducing the contents of something, the parts of something, or listing the components of something for the first time, we use the indefinite. That's because we are not referring back to each particular element of the list as a particular, unique object in the universe. We are only giving a generic idea of certain types of things.

Next to the plate were a knife, a fork, and a spoon. (No particular knife, fork, or spoon mentioned earlier.)
The refrigerator contained a bottle of milk and a stick of butter. (Etc.)
There was a paragraph at the beginning of the essay, a paragraph in the middle of the essay, and a paragraph at the end of the essay.
Inside the house was a small kitchen. (No particular kitchen mentioned earlier.)
The letter contains a reference to the prime suspect in the case.
This box contains a key and a paper clip.
The menu had a grouping for fish dishes, a grouping for chicken dishes, and a grouping for beef dishes.

CJ

Re: Why indefinite articles?

Maple — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 15:36:23 GMT

Could it help a little to read it this way?

This essay, just like many other short literary compositions, contains a beginning paragraph, a middle paragraph and an ending paragraph.

Re: Why indefinite articles?

Inchoateknowledge — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 14:57:48 GMT

This is all very well, but begining paragraphs there are many.
The begining paragraph of each law in the civil code.

Why indefinite articles?

Believer — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 14:51:29 GMT

Look at the sentence below please and tell me why the writer of this sentence made what looks to be a choice to modify the nouns with an indefinite article.

This essay contain a beginning paragraph, a middle paragraph and an ending paragraph.

Would it be wrong to modify them all with a definite article, like this? I feel very strongly and am pretty sure (Ha ha) that there is only one beginning paragraph, one middle paragraph and one ending paragraph for this particular essay.

This essay contain the beginning paragraph, the middle paragraph, and the ending paragraph.