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Anonymous Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
Indefinite artilce alongside with definite.
Hello everybody. The definite article is used when there's one of something. But I know, that we can say:
1) "Laziness is a reason for it. Bad mood is the reason."
And here we use "The" in the last sentence, but it doesn't mean that this is the only reason, it means it is the most important.
But what if we say something like this:
2) "This is a game I play. That another one is the game I play. The third game is also a game I play?" -
Isn't it also contradictive? Like in the second sentence I indicate "the game" I play, so automatically there can't be any such games (within list/context), even with a/an.
I know that in this sentence there can't be several "the", but if to write "a/an" instead, woldn't it be condratictive also?
In another thread I asked a question about articles too, and was told that saying: "This is the reader I use" - means this is the only one I use, but here is a confusion - maybe it can have a meaning like in the example with "reasons" - something like just the game I play most of the time?
If not, why the definite article with "reason" doesn't as a rule means only, but means most important? Because it is too abstract or what?
Is the sentence 2 grammatically acceptable?
What would a native speaker think when he hears that sentence?
Thanks.
1) "Laziness is a reason for it. Bad mood is the reason."
And here we use "The" in the last sentence, but it doesn't mean that this is the only reason, it means it is the most important.
But what if we say something like this:
2) "This is a game I play. That another one is the game I play. The third game is also a game I play?" -
Isn't it also contradictive? Like in the second sentence I indicate "the game" I play, so automatically there can't be any such games (within list/context), even with a/an.
I know that in this sentence there can't be several "the", but if to write "a/an" instead, woldn't it be condratictive also?
In another thread I asked a question about articles too, and was told that saying: "This is the reader I use" - means this is the only one I use, but here is a confusion - maybe it can have a meaning like in the example with "reasons" - something like just the game I play most of the time?
If not, why the definite article with "reason" doesn't as a rule means only, but means most important? Because it is too abstract or what?
Is the sentence 2 grammatically acceptable?
What would a native speaker think when he hears that sentence?
Thanks.
Top answer
??????? 1) "Laziness is a reason for it. " The second sentence is not right (needs an article or something), but in any case the two sentences do not make a consistent pair.
- ???????
- 1) "Laziness is a reason for it.
- " The second sentence is not right (needs an article or something), but in any case the two sentences do not make a consistent pair.
- The first implies that there are (or may be) several reasons, one of which is laziness; the second implies that being in a mad mood is the sole reason.
- ???????
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9 Answers
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??????? ???????1) "Laziness is a reason for it. Bad mood is the reason."The second sentence is not right (needs an article or something), but in any case the two sentences do not make a consistent pair. The first implies that there are (or may be) several reasons, one of which is laziness; the second implies that being in a mad mood is the sole reason.
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I also thought, that because we know that there are usually many reasons for something, that's why "the reason" can mean "the most important of all the reasons"? But in the example with games it is not always clear if we play a lot of games, so "the game" will mean only one of that type. Is it the case? Thanks.
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GPYIf you change it to "That other one is the game I play" then the three sentences are not consistent. "That other one is a game I play" and "That is another game I play" would be consistent.So, I should use only one "the" or several "a/an" with no "the" then, right?
GPYin any case the two sentences do not make a consistent pair. The
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??????? ???????So, I should use only one "the" or several "a/an" with no "the" then, right?In situations comparable to the one you were asking about, usually yes. In these cases you might often use the word "another" (which of course includes the indefinite article): "X is a reason; Y is another reason".
??????? ???????On another
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GPYNo article where? Can you give an example of what you mean?For instance:
"Reasons for it are accidents and different events. The reasons are bad reputation and behaviour."
Here what will convey mentioning first reasons with zero/indefinite article?
Here is an example of a teacher chastising a pupil:
"One reason is t
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??????? ???????"Reasons for it are accidents and different events. The reasons are bad reputation and behaviour."
??????? ???????Here is an example of a teacher chastising a pupil:"One reason is that he was helping his neighbour. There is a second reason for this: his grandma was Ill and he was visiting her. The reason is that he
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GPYIn situations comparable to the one you were asking about, usually yes.GPY, thanks.
Can you, please, answer the question when it is 'no' and give some examples?
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??????? ???????Can you, please, answer the question when it is 'no' and give some examples?It's not obvious to me exactly what range of examples you want to include as relevant. You can say "He is a man I like and trust. He is the man for the job.", for example. Or "This is a disaster. It is the worst disaster I have ever seen."
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