A same / the same

Question

Hi,I am wondering if it is grammatically correct to say something like "They wrote a same address." as to "They wrote the same address." Can we use either of them? Or when do we use one or the other?Thanks!!

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

It's basically always "the same".

CJ

Avangi · Answer

It's possible to use "same" as an adjective, but it doesn't seem to work here.

You'd be better off to use "a similar address," or "an identical address."

(Are we talking about a speech, or a location?)

They were sent to the same address. You can't substitute "a" here.

Perhaps I don't understand your question.

Think about the terms definite article (a), and indefinite article (the).

- A.

Edit.My "adjective" remark was misleading if not incorrect.

Something like, "It has a same quality," and "It had the same quality" would both treat "same" as an adjective.

We'd typically use the noun "sameness" in these cases: "It has a certain sameness about it."

I believe "They are the same" treats it as a pronoun.

Funny thing, my dictionary says "usually preceded by the" for both the pronoun and the adjective, but it gives no counter examples.

I'm now thinking It has a same quality should have "same" in quotes.

A same / the same

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