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Vgv8 Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

First (AN), then "THE". And in title?

http://esl.about.com/cs/beginner/f/f_athe.htm tells:
"The first time you speak of something use "a or an", the next time you repeat that object use "the".
  • I live in a house. The house is quite old and has four bedrooms.
  • I ate in a Chinese restaurant. The restaurant was very good."
What if that "something" is in the title, should first usage of it text body be with "AN" or "THE"?

Title: A house I live in.

I live in a (or "the"?) house. The house is quite old and has four bedrooms
  

Top answer

Hi, "The first time you speak of something use "a or an", the next time you repeat that object use "the" This is a useful guideline to begin with, but you will find that there are other factors. It's more a matter of whether the listener is aware of what you are talking about before you start to talk about it. eg I go on a business trip for a week.

— Clive

  • Hi, "The first time you speak of something use "a or an", the next time you repeat that object use "the" This is a useful guideline to begin with, but you will find that there are other factors.
  • It's more a matter of whether the listener is aware of what you are talking about before you start to talk about it.
  • eg I go on a business trip for a week.
  • When I come home, my wife says 'Hi, Clive, the fridge isn't working'.
  • I live in a house.
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1 Answers
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Hi,
"The first time you speak of something use "a or an", the next time you repeat that object use "the"
This is a useful guideline to begin with, but you will find that there are other factors. It's more a matter of whether the listener is aware of what you are talking about before you start to talk about it.
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