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Anonymous Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

A man

"Yesterday, as you remember, we talked about a man who never ate chips."
Everyone in that context already knows about that man (because they talked about it). Why "a"?
Is "the" correct also?
  

Top answer

Anonymous Is "the" correct also? It might be in some rare cases. The relative clause adds information about the man, and is thus adjectival in character.

— Cool Breeze

  • Anonymous Is "the" correct also?
  • It might be in some rare cases.
  • The relative clause adds information about the man, and is thus adjectival in character.
  • An adjectival attribute often brings on the indefinite article, and a relative clause may behave in the same fashion.
  • This man is my father.
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7 Answers
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AnonymousIs "the" correct also?
It might be in some rare cases. The relative clause adds information about the man, and is thus adjectival in character. An adjectival attribute often brings on the indefinite article, and a relative clause may behave in the same fashion.

This man is my father. He is a man w
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thanks. So only "a" is correct in my example?
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AnonymousSo only "a" is correct in my example?
Please read my reply.

CB
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AnonymousEveryone in that context already knows about that man (because they talked about it). Why "a"?
Here "a" is specific, but still indefinite. It is specifically the man we talked about yesterday, but it is not the one man who never ate chips; maybe there are others who never ate chips. The talk of this man yesterday must have been of the form "T
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That's a great explanation, CalifJim, thank you. But I would say:
"Yesterday I told you about the man who robbed me last week".
I suppose it's only because there was only one man who robbed me last week?
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AnonymousThat's a great explanation, CalifJim, thank you. But I would say:"Yesterday I told you about the man who robbed me last week". I suppose it's only because there was only one man who robbed me last week?
Yes. This case is quite personal and specific. You want your listener to recall a unique incident you told him about.

CJ
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