Does “a” suggest there is more than one Jack? Thanks.
Yes.
I talked to a Jack = I talked to a man named Jack.
CJ
Thanks, CJ, for your response. I often hear “a” with a country name. For example:
This sentence was said by president Biden.
A: We are going to build a better America.
If using “a” with Jack suggests there is more than one Jack, what about “a better America”? Does it suggest there is more than one better America? Thanks.
chhiring sherpa 5439If using “a” with Jack suggests there is more than one Jack, what about “a better America”? Does it suggest there is more than one better America?
No. That's a different usage of "a". It suggests that America in the future can be better than America as it is now. It's the addition of the modifier (better) that allows "a" with that meaning.
I suppose you could say that there is more than one America, but not more than one better America. One America is the one we have now; the other America is the better America that will exist if we build it. These are, of course, imaginative turns of phrase. They cannot be taken literally.
Similarly,
The government was changing all the rules, but the people did not want a new Scotland.
CJ
chhiring sherpa 5439
I talked to a Jack.
Does “a” suggest there is more than one Jack? Thanks.
Not exactly. It means that you talked to someone whose name was Jack, but you don't know him. Other ways to express that are "I talked to one Jack" and "I talked to a certain Jack".
chhiring sherpa 5439If using “a” with Jack suggests there is more than one Jack, what about “a better America”? Does it suggest there is more than one better America?
No. That's a different usage of "a". It suggests that America in the future can be better than America as it is now. It's the addition of the modifier (better) that allows "a" with that meaning.
I suppose you could say that there is more than one America, but not more than one better America. One America is the one we have now; the other America is the better America that will exist if we build it. These are, of course, imaginative turns of phrase. They cannot be taken literally.
Similarly,
The government was changing all the rules, but the people did not want a new Scotland.
CJ
Thank you for your reply again. When we say, “we are going to build a better America”, isn’t it almost the same as, “we are going to build a better version of America”?
CalifJim
chhiring sherpa 5439If using “a” with Jack suggests there is more than one Jack, what about “a better America”? Does it suggest there is more than one better America?
No. That's a different usage of "a". It suggests that America in the future can be better than America as it is now. It's the addition of the modifier (better) that allows "a" with that meaning.
I suppose you could say that there is more than one America, but not more than one better America. One America is the one we have now; the other America is the better America that will exist if we build it. These are, of course, imaginative turns of phrase. They cannot be taken literally.
Similarly,
The government was changing all the rules, but the people did not want a new Scotland.
CJ
I would like to share my understanding with you.
Biden, presumably, had a particular version in mind - his idea of a 'better America' would be different from Putin's, for example. Your version of better America might be different from mine. That’s why we use ‘a’ to mean by any one of many better Americas defined by different people.
A better America=one of several better Americas.
A better America=one of severalAmericas that are better.
Let’s compare them with a red apple.
A red apple= one of several red apples.
A red apple= one of apples that are red.
They are different ways to understand it. Am I correct?
chhiring sherpa 5439When we say, “we are going to build a better America”, isn’t it almost the same as, “we are going to build a better version of America”?
Thanks, CJ, for your response. I often hear “a” with a country name. For example:
This sentence was said by president Biden.
A: We are going to build a better America.
If using “a” with Jack suggests there is more than one Jack, what about “a better America”? Does it suggest there is more than one better America? Thanks.
No. That's a different usage of "a". It suggests that America in the future can be better than America as it is now. It's the addition of the modifier (better) that allows "a" with that meaning.
I suppose you could say that there is more than one America, but not more than one better America. One America is the one we have now; the other America is the better America that will exist if we build it. These are, of course, imaginative turns of phrase. They cannot be taken literally.
Similarly,
The government was changing all the rules, but the people did not want a new Scotland.
CJ
Not exactly. It means that you talked to someone whose name was Jack, but you don't know him. Other ways to express that are "I talked to one Jack" and "I talked to a certain Jack".
Thank you for your reply again. When we say, “we are going to build a better America”, isn’t it almost the same as, “we are going to build a better version of America”?
I would like to share my understanding with you.
Biden, presumably, had a particular version in mind - his idea of a 'better America' would be different from Putin's, for example. Your version of better America might be different from mine. That’s why we use ‘a’ to mean by any one of many better Americas defined by different people.
A better America=one of several better Americas.
A better America=one of severalAmericas that are better.
Let’s compare them with a red apple.
A red apple= one of several red apples.
A red apple= one of apples that are red.
They are different ways to understand it. Am I correct?
Yes.
CJ
Yes.
Note: It doesn't matter whether you express the idea with an adjective (red apple) or a relative clause (apple that is red). It's the same idea.
CJ