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Liveinjapan Posted 19 years ago
Grammar
A Representative Singular
The polar bear is the largest of all land predators in the world.
The polar bear is the largest land predator.
I understand 'The polar bear' is known as 'A representative singular' which specifys the particular type of animal. If you say 'A polar bear', then this sounds odd and means 'one polar bear.'
Can I say 'A dog loves a person' instead of using 'A representative singular'? The meaning of the sentence could not be 'One dog loves some one person', couldn't it?
I want to say this as a generall idea like the two sentence on top, not to say 'One particular dog loves one particular person.'
Thanks
LiJ
The polar bear is the largest land predator.
I understand 'The polar bear' is known as 'A representative singular' which specifys the particular type of animal. If you say 'A polar bear', then this sounds odd and means 'one polar bear.'
Can I say 'A dog loves a person' instead of using 'A representative singular'? The meaning of the sentence could not be 'One dog loves some one person', couldn't it?
I want to say this as a generall idea like the two sentence on top, not to say 'One particular dog loves one particular person.'
Thanks
LiJ
Top answer
When you use a definite article, it means you're talking about objects as about a whole class. The pine grows in northern countries. <-- This kind of tree grows in northern countries.
- When you use a definite article, it means you're talking about objects as about a whole class.
- The pine grows in northern countries.
- <-- This kind of tree grows in northern countries.
- A pine crowns in a northern country.
- <-- An undefined pine tree growns in an undefined northern country.
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5 Answers
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When you use a definite article, it means you're talking about objects as about a whole class.
The pine grows in northern countries.<-- This kind of tree grows in northern countries.
A pine crowns in a northern country.<-- An undefined pine tree growns in an undefined northern country.
Hope this helps.
The pine grows in northern countries.<-- This kind of tree grows in northern countries.
A pine crowns in a northern country.<-- An undefined pine tree growns in an undefined northern country.
Hope this helps.
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Yes it helps Ruslana. I have a question in particular sentences like below.
The dog loves the human.
The dog loves the person.
The dog loves a person.
A dog loves a person.
Do they all mean the same?
The dog loves the human.
The dog loves the person.
The dog loves a person.
A dog loves a person.
Do they all mean the same?
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I want to say this as a general idea
The generic statement you are looking for is this.
Dogs love people.
CJ
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The difference is as follows:
The dog loves the human. --> A concrete dog (a dog you have in mind) loves a concrete human (a human you have in mind).
The dog loves the person. --> A concrete dog (a dog you have in mind) loves a concrete person (a person you have in mind).
The dog loves a person. --> A concrete dog (my dog, for example) loves someone (an undefin
The dog loves the human. --> A concrete dog (a dog you have in mind) loves a concrete human (a human you have in mind).
The dog loves the person. --> A concrete dog (a dog you have in mind) loves a concrete person (a person you have in mind).
The dog loves a person. --> A concrete dog (my dog, for example) loves someone (an undefin
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RuslanaThe difference is as follows:
The dog loves the human. --> A concrete dog (a dog you have in mind) loves a concrete human (a human you have in mind).
The dog loves the person. --> A concrete dog (a dog you have in mind) loves a concrete person (a person you have in mind).
The dog loves a person. --> A concrete dog (my dog, for e
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