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Anonymous Posted 17 years ago
Grammar

Article usage - please help

Hi,

This is confusing.

Suppose i want to say: It's time I got myself a table or chair.

Is the article 'a' necessary before chair to make the sentence appear: It's time I got myself a table or a chair.

Since the article is used before table, is it necessary to use it again before chair?

Alfa
  

Top answer

Hi Alfa, No, you don't need to repeat the article. It will apply to "chair" as well. However, you probably want to say "a table and chair" rather than "a table or chair" because they go together and you can't use one for the same purpose as the other.

— BarbaraPA

  • Hi Alfa, No, you don't need to repeat the article.
  • It will apply to "chair" as well.
  • However, you probably want to say "a table and chair" rather than "a table or chair" because they go together and you can't use one for the same purpose as the other.
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3 Answers
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Hi Alfa,

No, you don't need to repeat the article. It will apply to "chair" as well.

However, you probably want to say "a table and chair" rather than "a table or chair" because they go together and you can't use one for the same purpose as the other.
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Thanks, GG, but how about this sentence: I'd like to get myself a wife...or girlfriend.

Can we do away with the article 'a' in this case?

How about cases where there's vowel like this:

I'd like to get her a car...or an engagement ring.

I feel the article 'an' would be necessary because of the vowel.
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I'd say with either of those the article is optional (in speech), but in writing I'd probably include them both.
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