Search results for 'tag:Difference between tag:Indefinite articles' matching tags 'Difference between' and 'Indefinite articles'

Re: Is this usage of 'the' acceptable?

Believer — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 13:55:33 GMT

Thank you, CalifJim.

(Note: The quoted content may contain some unintentional typing mistakes.)

In the post titled "Articles: 'in a world' vs. 'in the world'", How2die wrote this (also quoting the following that was part of his inquiry):

IN THOSE parts of the planet that might nonce have been described as "Christendom", this week marks the season of peace on Earth and goodwill towards men. A nice idea in a world more usually thought of as seasoned by the survival of the fittest. (from Economist.com)

I think, How2die then went on to ask the question:

I was just wondering if anyone could explain why 'world' is used here with the indefinite article rather than with the definite one. 'A world' has been already implicitly specified in the first sentence since we have references to the planet and Earth. Furthermore, in the second sentence we also imply that we know which world we are talking about: notice the reference to thoughts and seasoning.

For his post, I think YOU kindly provided this among other things in your response.

In the case at hand, we have, more awkwardly expressed to show the pattern.

"This week marks the season of peace on Earth. This is a nice idea (in this world). This world is a world thought of as seasoned by the survival of the fittest"

(To lead to my question)

Here, the correlation between "Earth" and "This world" isn't clear to me although the case could be made in support of the existence of it. What I am trying to ask you through all this is "What is the difference between my original post and the post of How2die?" Did you buy his very good argument that 'A world' has been already implicitly specified in the first sentence of his since they have references to the planet and Earth? Partially basing his argument on that, I think, he has argued for the use of the definite article 'the'. Do you feel that a definite article, not an indefinite article, should be there for the phrase "in a world"? Or for that matter, did you comment on that?

Hope for the answer.

genitive VS compound noun

Hela — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 13:31:13 GMT

Dear teachers,

First, happy New Year to you all, and thank you for your kindness and dedication. I want to tell you that you've helped a lot throughout these years and I feel deeply endebted to you.

My question for today is: Can I use the indefinite article with the genitive? Is it correct to say: "It's A five kilometres' walk" ?

What's the difference between : "It's a five kilometres' walk" (genitive); and

"It's a five-kilometre walk" (compound noun) ?

What should I say:

a) "There is two weeks delay" ; (with or without an apostrophe after "weeks" ?)

b) "There is a two weeks delay" ; (with or without an apostrophe after "weeks" ?)

c) "There is a two-week delay" ?

Many thanks,

Hela

Re: Difference between (a, the)

Sting — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 16:20:57 GMT

wel a is indefinite article and used in singular things

the is definite article

Re: the cases of abstract nouns taking "thes"

Believer — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 09:27:03 GMT

Thank you, Mr. M.

It helped me a lot.

Would you say the underlined part is a restrictive phrase or a modifying phrase. If it is either one, then would you kindly tell me what is the difference between a modifying phrase and a restrictive phrase?

A beauty of the Princess of Bigman's land

The beauty of a woman

Also, if I recall it correctly, the action of putting the indefinite article "a" in front of uncountables are OK?? but the problem is, as you seem to have said, that it turns the uncounble nouns into sort of countable nouns. OK. Are there anything we should be aware of when we decide to take that road of turning uncountable nouns into sort of countable nouns?

Thank you.

Re: in a hospital ? in hospital ? in the... ?

Forbes — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 21:17:23 GMT

The following relates to Standard British English.

It seems the rule is that when talking about institutions the article is omitted if you are talking about someone being in the institution for the purpose for which it was designed.

Thus:

She is in hospital means She is a patient in a hospital

She is at school means She is a student in a school

She is in a hospital and She is in the hospital refer to anyone who happens to be in the building, whether a patient or not, and the difference between them is the usual one between definite and indefinite articles.

She is in a hospital, but I am not sure which one.

She is in the hospital round the corner.

Re: a miso soup

paco2004 — Sat, 01 Oct 2005 10:24:04 GMT

Hello CJ

Thanks for the kind reply.ãI've repeatedly thought over it but I'm afraid I still havenât got to complete understanding of the difference between "a soup that â¦" and "soup that â¦".

-- Chef, what would you like us to put on the menu for tonight? We are trying to choose a soup
-- Let's make a soup that contains seaweed and a soup that contains chicken.
-- Yes, chef!
If the indefinite article "a/an" before a mass noun means "a kind of", I think we could or even should parse the phrase as "[a [soup that contains seaweed]]" rather than "[[a soup] [that contains seaweed]]". Am I right?

paco

Articles drive me crazy!

Alexanndra — Mon, 15 Sep 2003 02:40:17 GMT

The other day I explained the difference between definite and indefinite articles to a student, saying that "the" was specific (ex. the dog barked) and "a, an" non-specifc (eg. I want a dog). So, the next day he made a comment like "My car got stuck in the puddle", and I corrected him saying "your car got stuck in a puddle". He said no, "the" puddle, because it was a specific puddle that he got stuck in, not just any puddle. His reasoning sounded good to me, so why is it "a" instead of "the"? Help!!!