0
Victork Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
Airport tickets
Hello friends!!!
We needed to buy tickets in order to travel to Ciampino Airport. We went down to the hotel lobby to buy tickets there.
I decided to omit the definite article before tickets in the 2nd sentence, even though they were mentioned in the 1st. Why? Because it's still any tickets that are available to Ciampino Airport in the hotel lobby.
Here's my logic: We needed to get a cab. We walked out of the hotel and started looking for a cab.
It wouldn't make sense to say "the cab" in the second sentence, because it's still non-specific enough. Same with my tickets in the hotel lobby. Until we actually buy them, they are not specific enough.
Do native speakers agree with this?? Thank you!!
Vic
We needed to buy tickets in order to travel to Ciampino Airport. We went down to the hotel lobby to buy tickets there.
I decided to omit the definite article before tickets in the 2nd sentence, even though they were mentioned in the 1st. Why? Because it's still any tickets that are available to Ciampino Airport in the hotel lobby.
Here's my logic: We needed to get a cab. We walked out of the hotel and started looking for a cab.
It wouldn't make sense to say "the cab" in the second sentence, because it's still non-specific enough. Same with my tickets in the hotel lobby. Until we actually buy them, they are not specific enough.
Do native speakers agree with this?? Thank you!!
Vic
Top answer
I agree for the most part. It is ‘seats’ that will be available, whereas tickets are required to use them. Seat selection is sometimes made separately.
- I agree for the most part.
- It is ‘seats’ that will be available, whereas tickets are required to use them.
- Seat selection is sometimes made separately.
- With the cab, I agree.
- It doesn’t become ‘the cab’ until talking about it later.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
4 Answers
0
I agree for the most part. It is ‘seats’ that will be available, whereas tickets are required to use them. Seat selection is sometimes made separately.
With the cab, I agree. It doesn’t become ‘the cab’ until talking about it later.
If you had ordered ‘tickets’ by telephone and went to the lobby, you would be picking up ‘the tickets’ and asking there for ‘my tickets’.
With the cab, I agree. It doesn’t become ‘the cab’ until talking about it later.
If you had ordered ‘tickets’ by telephone and went to the lobby, you would be picking up ‘the tickets’ and asking there for ‘my tickets’.
00
Consider this.
Natural English is to avoid the repetition.
We needed to buy tickets in order to travel to Ciampino Airport. We went down to the hotel lobby to buy them there.
We needed to get a cab. We walked out of
Natural English is to avoid the repetition.
We needed to buy tickets in order to travel to Ciampino Airport. We went down to the hotel lobby to buy them there.
We needed to get a cab. We walked out of
00
victorkDo native speakers agree with this?? Thank you!!Yes.
We needed to buy a (bus) ticket to Ciampino Airport. We went down to the hotel lobby to buy (the) tickets there.
The parentheses show optional elements. It would be more natural to use the determiner "our." Also, "there" is redundant, sine you have already named a place. Ano
00
Terrific!!
That explains it perfectly! Thank you wilpeter, Clive, and - as always - AlpheccaStars for your superb explanations!!
Vic
That explains it perfectly! Thank you wilpeter, Clive, and - as always - AlpheccaStars for your superb explanations!!
Vic
0
Related Questions