0
JungKim Posted 9 years ago
Grammar
a/the Third World War
The situation in Iraq looked so serious that it seemed as if the Third World War might break out at any time.
In the above sentence, is "the" grammatical?
As far as I know, World War III is something that hasn't happened. So I was wondering if it should be "a" Third World War, not "the" Third World War.
In the above sentence, is "the" grammatical?
As far as I know, World War III is something that hasn't happened. So I was wondering if it should be "a" Third World War, not "the" Third World War.
Top answer
The concept of a 'Third World War' has beendiscussed so often that it's OK to refer to it specifically, ie the. But I wouldn't say a is wrong.
- The concept of a 'Third World War' has beendiscussed so often that it's OK to refer to it specifically, ie the.
- But I wouldn't say a is wrong.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
2 Answers
0
The concept of a 'Third World War' has beendiscussed so often that it's OK to refer to it specifically, ie the.
But I wouldn't say a is wrong.
But I wouldn't say a is wrong.
00
Interesting. So the frequency of the term being used ended up changing the term itself?
I remember learning a rule that says for "Third World War" only "a" works, but not "the".
I'm not beginning to doubt whether such a rule was even valid in the first place, regardless of whether the term was frequently used or not.
I remember learning a rule that says for "Third World War" only "a" works, but not "the".
I'm not beginning to doubt whether such a rule was even valid in the first place, regardless of whether the term was frequently used or not.
0
Related Questions