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which articles would you supply here:

* doctor says that * boy must eat * apple * day.

Father takes his son to the doctor and says " * doctor is a very good and kind man".

* questions Ann asked always seemed to be * questions to which Paul knew * answer.

please, explain why you put these articles. thanks for your answer beforehand.

Philip · Accepted Answer

General (not specific): a doctor, a boy, an apple, a day. If the doc and patient are identified, 'the' would be appropriate.

The doctor (the one we are seeing) is a very...

The questions, the questions, the: all are specific questions and answers.

CalifJim · Answer

The¹ doctor says that the² boy must eat an³ apple a⁴ day.

A⁵ father takes his son to the doctor and says " The⁶ doctor is a very good and kind man".

The⁷ questions Ann asked always seemed to be [none]⁸ questions to which Paul knew the⁹ answers.

1. I'm assuming a specific doctor known to the speaker and listener.

2. I'm assuming a specific boy known to the speaker and listener.

3. You can't eat the same apple every day, so eating 'the apple every day' is impossible.

4. a means per or every. a is used to show a unit of frequency or repetition.

5. I'm assuming a certain father known to the speaker, but not to the listener. The speaker is introducing the character of the father into the story for the first time here.

6. The doctor who is good and kind is the doctor who has already been mentioned. It's the same doctor.

7. The questions are specifically those that Ann asked, so the speaker is specifying which questions. Therefore, 'the'.

8. We are not told specifically which questions Paul had answers for.

9. Each answer goes with one of the questions. Each is specific to the corresponding question.

In some cases a different article is possible if you interpret the text differently.

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

Ha. Haaaaa . . . But the most important question her Is - who u are rather how it was spelled ! <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/>

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