Definite or indefinite?

Question

Hi. Please tell me which article to use for the following. Let's assume are general sayings. For no. 1, please put some word appropriate in the blank? I assume the part "an inspiration of the heart" in no. 2 might not make sense, but I am more focusing on the structure (as I ask the question) than the meaning. I am sorry for not giving you a complete sentence for no. 2. Sometimes it is hard to come up with a complete sentence. Thank you for your help in advance.

1. More important than ____ is the/a life of obedience.
2. A/The desire to spend beyond one's limit is an inspiration of the heart that...

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

Anonymous I am sorry for not giving you a complete sentence for no. 2. Sometimes it is hard to come up with a complete sentence.

Nevertheless, you must try—our opinion usually depends upon assessing your complete sentence.
Which articles do you choose above?

Anonymous · Answer

Hi. Please allow me to take a comple example sentence to ask you some questions, without having to answer the question you last asked. It would also be hard for me to anwer which articles to use unless what I see are the complete sentences.
I searched the Google Book Search for the phrase "the Christian life is" and came up with this, among 1,560,000 results..

What the Bible is All About Visual Edition - Page 306

books.google.com/books?isbn=0830743294http://www.EnglishForward.com/search?sa=N&hl=En&biw=1280&bih=644&tbm=bks&tbm=bks&q=inauthor:"Henrietta C."&ei=iUyUUZ-SGMfwlAWcl4HgBg&ved=0CFoQ9AgwCDge, http://www.EnglishForward.com/search?sa=N&hl=En&biw=1280&bih=644&tbm=bks&tbm=bks&q=inauthor:"Billy Graham"&ei=iUyUUZ-SGMfwlAWcl4HgBg&ved=0CFsQ9AgwCDge - 2007 - http://books.google.com/books?id=m2Lz7iwklhAC&pg=PA306&dq=%22the+christian+life+is%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=iUyUUZ-SGMfwlAWcl4HgBg&ved=0CFwQuwUwCDge - http://www.EnglishForward.com/search?start=30&sa=N&hl=En&biw=1280&bih=644&tbm=bks&q=editions:Y18LRsUjRjMC&ei=iUyUUZ-SGMfwlAWcl4HgBg&ved=0CF0QmBYwCDge
He died in our place. Now we live not by law but by faith. Christ was our sacrifice for sin and now is our sufficiency for the new life. The Christian life is a dying life— dying daily to self and sin. The crucified Savior lives in those who have shared ...

Using some words I used in the previous no. 2 (partial example sentence), I came up with this example sentence. As for this example sentene, I tried to use words I thought are unusual words for the context and may not make sense. Also, as to this sentence, I would use the definite article before the word "desire." It looks to be quite specific in saying (indicating) what desire it is. Thank you again for your help in advance.

The desire to spend beyond one's means usually stems from a previous frustrated need.

Mister Micawber · Answer

Anonymous I tried to use words I thought are unusual words for the context and may not make sense.

Why would you do that? It seems counterproductive.

Anonymousas to this sentence, I would use the definite article before the word "desire." It looks to be quite specific in saying (indicating) what desire it is. .The desire to spend beyond one's means usually stems from a previous frustrated need.

I agree.

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you so much. Please help me with this, too. I am sorry but could you tell me why the indefinite article "A" before the word "Christian" in the searched entry would be incorrect as I think it is since, as I said for the other example sentence (which is the one I wrote), it looks to be quite specific as to what or what type it is referring to - the Christian life, not other kinds of life? The part I am referring to is "The Christian life is a dying life." Thank you so much for your help in advance again.

Mister Micawber · Answer

A Christian life is a dying life.

I see no particular or definitive argument against that, either.

Grammarfreak · Answer

Anonymousin- no. 2 might not make sense, but I am more focusing on the structure (as I ask the question) than the meaning.I am sorry for not giving you a complete sentence for no. 2. Sometimes it is hard to come up with a complete sentence.

Anon,
It is imperative that learners understand when we evaluate a grammatical structure, all aspects ( syntactic, semantic, logical, grammatical and rhetorical ) are under scrutiny. Therefore, for # 2 ( or any given context) to make sense, not only must the contex be presented in whole, it also should meet the "all aspect " criteria. It is difficult to examine a fragmented sentence as its meaning can not be established.

Definite or indefinite?

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