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John liao Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
confused with the or without the in same sentence
The government yesterday proposed tough new measures to deal with illegal file sharing. It wants the companies which bring the internet to people's homes - Internet service providers, or ISPs - to cut off people who download films and music illegally.
Why "the companies which bring the internet ...." is a definite article with "the" and "people who download films and music illegally" is a indefinite article? I mean, in the same sentence, both of them seem to be definite article, if I elide either "which bring the internet" or " who download films and music illegally", companies and people are not specific.
Why "the companies which bring the internet ...." is a definite article with "the" and "people who download films and music illegally" is a indefinite article? I mean, in the same sentence, both of them seem to be definite article, if I elide either "which bring the internet" or " who download films and music illegally", companies and people are not specific.
Top answer
john liao It wants the companies which bring the internet to people's homes - Internet service providers, or ISPs - to cut off people who download films and music illegally. I see no indefinite article. 'The' is often optional with plural nouns, so the omission of 'the' before 'people who download' is the writer's choice—perhaps a small gesture toward variety?
- john liao It wants the companies which bring the internet to people's homes - Internet service providers, or ISPs - to cut off people who download films and music illegally.
- I see no indefinite article.
- 'The' is often optional with plural nouns, so the omission of 'the' before 'people who download' is the writer's choice—perhaps a small gesture toward variety?
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1 Answers
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john liao It wants the companies which bring the internet to people's homes - Internet service providers, or ISPs - to cut off people who download films and music illegally.I see no indefinite article. 'The' is often optional with plural nouns, so the omission of 'the' before 'people who download' is the writer's choice—perhaps a small gesture
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