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Koji from Japan Posted 5 years ago
Grammar

A spoon and (a) fork

I found the passage below and am wondering about the use of articles. Are the two parts (A) and (B) both OK?

Some tourists have written about their experiences and their feelings online. In one example, a woman complained about being given (A)a spoon and a fork when she bought a Japanese-style bento at a convenience store. She was capable of using chopsticks, but the young man behind the counter assumed she couldn’t, so he gave her (B)a spoon and fork. He was trying to be helpful, but the woman felt he should not make assumptions like that.

  

Top answer

Koji from Japan Are the two parts (A) and (B) both OK? Yes, in normal reading we would hardly notice. The difference between "a spoon and fork" and "a spoon and a fork" is quite minor.

— GPY

  • Koji from Japan Are the two parts (A) and (B) both OK?
  • Yes, in normal reading we would hardly notice.
  • The difference between "a spoon and fork" and "a spoon and a fork" is quite minor.
  • The former can sound slightly more as if these are a pair of things that always go together, but in your passage it hardly matters.
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2 Answers
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Koji from JapanAre the two parts (A) and (B) both OK?

Yes, in normal reading we would hardly notice. The difference between "a spoon and fork" and "a spoon and a fork" is quite minor. The former can sound slightly more as if these are a pair of things that always go together, but in your passage it hardly matters.

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Koji from JapanHe was trying to be helpful, but the woman felt he should not make assumptions like that.

Oh, yeah? Well, I feel that she should get over herself. No wonder they hate tourists. Just say "Can I have a pair of chopsticks, please?" (and keep the fork and spoon).

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