kitchen

Question

Hello Mr. CJ,When introducing the contents of something, the parts of something,  or listing the components of something for the first time, we use the  indefinite.  That's because we are not referring back to each  particular element of the list as a particular, unique object in the  universe.  We are only giving a generic idea of certain types of  things.Next to the plate were a knife, a fork, and a spoon.  (No particular knife, fork, or spoon mentioned earlier.)The refrigerator contained a bottle of milk and a stick of butter.  (Etc.)There  was a paragraph at the beginning of the essay, a paragraph in the  middle of the essay, and a paragraph at the end of the essay.Inside the house was a small kitchen.  (No particular kitchen mentioned earlier.)The letter contains a reference to the prime suspect in the case.This box contains a key and a paper clip.The menu had a grouping for fish dishes, a grouping for chicken dishes, and a grouping for beef dishes.CJOnce I read a post from you in which you mentioned that some noun like "kitchen" etc takes article "the"because it is very clear that we are taking about the kitchen of that house. e.g1. She went to the kitchen and made  some rice and curry.I am a bit confused.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

This is not a matter of "kitchen (or any other noun) must always take the article the", or a matter of "kitchen (or any other noun) must always take the article a".

The articles are used in specific situations. Some situations require the indefinite article (a or an); some situations require the definite article (the). There are also situations in which either of these or no article at all might be preferable.

You cannot learn the usage of articles by memorizing hundreds of rules about articles. You must learn how to feel the meaning of the articles. Maybe the following explanation will help.

In the case of

Inside the house was a small kitchen.

we imagine ourselves outside the house. We may be thousands of miles away. We are simply describing something we saw. The house had a kitchen, a dining room, a bedroom, etc. We are speaking of the existence of those things which made up the parts of that house. We are saying that the house had something we call kitchen, something we call dining room, something we call bedroom, etc. We are saying that the house contained an example of the thing we call kitchen, an example of the thing we call dining room, etc.

In the case of

She went into the kitchen.

we imagine ourselves inside the house. When we hear someone speak of the kitchen, we know that some particular kitchen is being referred to. If this is the first time kitchen has been used in the conversation, we expect people to say a kitchen, so we know there must be a good reason they said the kitchen. When they say the kitchen, they are saying, "You don't have to ask me which kitchen. You have enough information to determine that by yourself". So now we have to look around and see what they mean, and we deduce from logic that the kitchen must mean the only kitchen that there is in this house that we are in. It is not at all a question that she went into an example of something we call kitchen!

You may need to think about this for a while. The exact meanings of the articles and their uses are not easy. You won't learn everything about them in one day!

CJ

kitchen

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