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English 1b3 Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
Definite Article
a. "The two largest species, Dinornis robustus and Dinornis novaezelandiae, reached about 3.6 m (12 ft) in height with (the) neck outstretched, and weighed about 230 kg (510 lb)."
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moa
Is the sentence grammatical with or without the definite article I have inserted in brackets?
b. If there's nothing else under the tail except the anus, and (the) said animal has no testes, then it's a steer.
- http://www.wikihow.com/Tell-the-Diff...rs-and-Heifers
The adjective 'said' indicates the animal has been mentioned earlier in the text. Doesn't this mean we need the definite article I have inserted in brackets?
Thanks
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moa
Is the sentence grammatical with or without the definite article I have inserted in brackets?
b. If there's nothing else under the tail except the anus, and (the) said animal has no testes, then it's a steer.
- http://www.wikihow.com/Tell-the-Diff...rs-and-Heifers
The adjective 'said' indicates the animal has been mentioned earlier in the text. Doesn't this mean we need the definite article I have inserted in brackets?
Thanks
Top answer
Hi, Such general definitions are written in a kind of abbreviated form, a bit like point-form notes. That's why 'the' is sometimes omitted. Clive
- Hi, Such general definitions are written in a kind of abbreviated form, a bit like point-form notes.
- That's why 'the' is sometimes omitted.
- Clive
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5 Answers
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Hi,
Such general definitions are written in a kind of abbreviated form, a bit like point-form notes. That's why 'the' is sometimes omitted.
Clive
Such general definitions are written in a kind of abbreviated form, a bit like point-form notes. That's why 'the' is sometimes omitted.
Clive
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CliveHi,Such general definitions are written in a kind of abbreviated form, a bit like point-form notes. That's why 'the' is sometimes omitted.CliveSo in both cases you would say the grammatical versions would include the 'the' and in neither case the article is optional?
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Hi,
So in both cases you would say the grammatical versions would include the 'the' and in neither case the article is optional?
a) . . . with (the) neck outstretched Here, it's optional.
b) . . . and (the) said animal has no testes Here,. for good grammar I'd say 'the'.
So in both cases you would say the grammatical versions would include the 'the' and in neither case the article is optional?
a) . . . with (the) neck outstretched Here, it's optional.
b) . . . and (the) said animal has no testes Here,. for good grammar I'd say 'the'.
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Clivea) . . . with (the) neck outstretched Here, it's optional.Thank you, Clive. Since we use the zero article and definite article for different nouns (that is, they have different uses), what is the difference in meaning of the noun when we use the definite and zero articles?
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Hi,
There's not much difference.
with neck outstretched sounds very general, a comment about all such creatures
with the neck outstretched - sounds like you are speaking of one such creature, as a representative of all suc
There's not much difference.
with neck outstretched sounds very general, a comment about all such creatures
with the neck outstretched - sounds like you are speaking of one such creature, as a representative of all suc
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