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Anonymous Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
I entered a room and switched the computer on
Hello. Is it correct to say
1) "I entered a room and switched the computer on"
if the listener doesn't know I have any? It confuses me, because here the context makes it clear that I talk about the room and the specific computers that are in the room?
Can "the computer" be used?
2) "I entered a room and switched the TV on"
Is it another thing here, as all people know that most people have TVs in their rooms? So, maybe here it is correct, but with computers no?
3) "I entered the police station and the policeman looked at me" - there was only one policeman there?
"I entered the police station and a policeman looked at me" - there were one or many?
Thanks.
1) "I entered a room and switched the computer on"
if the listener doesn't know I have any? It confuses me, because here the context makes it clear that I talk about the room and the specific computers that are in the room?
Can "the computer" be used?
2) "I entered a room and switched the TV on"
Is it another thing here, as all people know that most people have TVs in their rooms? So, maybe here it is correct, but with computers no?
3) "I entered the police station and the policeman looked at me" - there was only one policeman there?
"I entered the police station and a policeman looked at me" - there were one or many?
Thanks.
Top answer
Nikolay Komolov 1) "I entered a room and switched the computer on" It rather sounds as if it is known, within the context, that there will be a computer in each room that you could enter. Same with the "TV" sentence. The more likely the object is to be found in a room, the less special the context has to be to support the sentence.
- Nikolay Komolov 1) "I entered a room and switched the computer on" It rather sounds as if it is known, within the context, that there will be a computer in each room that you could enter.
- Same with the "TV" sentence.
- The more likely the object is to be found in a room, the less special the context has to be to support the sentence.
- Nikolay Komolov 3) "I entered the police station and the policeman looked at me" - there was only one policeman there?
- There was only one in a relevant situation.
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71 Answers
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Nikolay Komolov1) "I entered a room and switched the computer on"It rather sounds as if it is known, within the context, that there will be a computer in each room that you could enter. Same with the "TV" sentence. The more likely the object is to be found in a room, the less special the context has to be to support the sentence.
Nikolay
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GPY, thanks. Articles are crazy thing..
Could you tell me the difference:
Esch time during installation I get a message: ...
Each time during installation I get the message: ...
Does the first imply that this can be one of the messages I get (but can be only, as I don't specify)?
Does the second imply that this is the only message at all? Or it
Could you tell me the difference:
Esch time during installation I get a message: ...
Each time during installation I get the message: ...
Does the first imply that this can be one of the messages I get (but can be only, as I don't specify)?
Does the second imply that this is the only message at all? Or it
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Nikolay KomolovEsch time during installation I get a message: ...Each time during installation I get the message: ...I am assuming that the actual text of the message follows the colon. If so, there is little difference between the two. Neither says anything definite about whether you do or do not get other messages.
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Thanks. I still don't understand if it is correct to say:
1)
"I entered the hospital and saw the doctor"
"I entered the fire station and saw the fire-fighter sitting at the table." (Assuming that I have never mentioned any firefighter and table) ?
Or "a firefighter", "a table" should be used?
2)
In a sentence:
"I entered the classroom and
1)
"I entered the hospital and saw the doctor"
"I entered the fire station and saw the fire-fighter sitting at the table." (Assuming that I have never mentioned any firefighter and table) ?
Or "a firefighter", "a table" should be used?
2)
In a sentence:
"I entered the classroom and
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Nikolay Komolov"I entered the hospital and saw the doctor"If there is no one specific doctor that we already know about, then normally it would be "a doctor". In a situation where we assume from general knowledge that one doctor will be present, "the doctor" can be used even when he or she has not already been mentioned. This doesn't usually apply to a h
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Thanks, got it. Could you tell me about this phrase?
"I entered a classroom. The teacher was explaining a topic"
Can we say "the teacher", even if the listener has no knowledge of any teacher?
Because I see it like when the classroom is full of students it is clear that there might be a teacher there, usually one - and this is him. So "the teacher" is appropriate
"I entered a classroom. The teacher was explaining a topic"
Can we say "the teacher", even if the listener has no knowledge of any teacher?
Because I see it like when the classroom is full of students it is clear that there might be a teacher there, usually one - and this is him. So "the teacher" is appropriate
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Nikolay Komolov"I entered a classroom. The teacher was explaining a topic"Can we say "the teacher", even if the listener has no knowledge of any teacher?Yes. This is a good example of a situation in which "the" can be used for first mention. This is because, as you say, everyone understands from general knowledge that a classroom will have a teacher.
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Thanks again. I am again confused. If to say:
"I use the tool you were talking about"
- it says nothing whether it is the only tool I use for some purpose or not. There can be others.
"It is the same as the phrase: "..." "
- it doesn't mean that it is only like that phrase, can be like others.
"If you use ams-mail-service
"I use the tool you were talking about"
- it says nothing whether it is the only tool I use for some purpose or not. There can be others.
"It is the same as the phrase: "..." "
- it doesn't mean that it is only like that phrase, can be like others.
"If you use ams-mail-service
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Nikolay KomolovIs it correct to say 1) "I entered a room and switched the computer on"It's possible, but it sounds strange to me. I'd say
I entered the room and switched the computer on.
because I would probably have in mind a definite, real-world room that I entered and a real-world computer that I switched on.
Niko
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Do you mean I can say: "I entered the room and switched the computer on", even if the listener for sure unfamiliar with what I talk about, and can't build clear logical conclusion what it can be?
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