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Pokh Posted 15 years ago
Grammar
Possessive Vs THE
1. Stanford University scientists have found evidence that elephants use their sensitive trunks and feet to detect, and even interpret, low-frequency seismic signals from distant herds or potential mates.
2.Leatherback turtles, the ocean's deepest-diving reptiles, control their buoyancy simply by breathing in, scientists have found.
3.Although the turtle has been toothless for more than 150 million years, in some contemporary turtle species the moderately sharp and jagged edges of the horny jaws function as teeth.
4.Leatherback turtles swim for thousands of miles across the South Atlantic to get to their feeding grounds, a trip that takes some of them 150 days to complete, researchers said Wednesday.
Guys, Sentence 1,2,4 uses possessive pronoun, whereas 2 uses THE ...Why is it so ......Is there any rule that dictates what is to be used?
2.Leatherback turtles, the ocean's deepest-diving reptiles, control their buoyancy simply by breathing in, scientists have found.
3.Although the turtle has been toothless for more than 150 million years, in some contemporary turtle species the moderately sharp and jagged edges of the horny jaws function as teeth.
4.Leatherback turtles swim for thousands of miles across the South Atlantic to get to their feeding grounds, a trip that takes some of them 150 days to complete, researchers said Wednesday.
Guys, Sentence 1,2,4 uses possessive pronoun, whereas 2 uses THE ...Why is it so ......Is there any rule that dictates what is to be used?
Top answer
No rule, no. In an extended series of utterances, we tend to progress from indefinite article to definite article to possessive adjective, but it is only an observation: A bought a new hat today. The hat is quite attractive.
- No rule, no.
- In an extended series of utterances, we tend to progress from indefinite article to definite article to possessive adjective, but it is only an observation: A bought a new hat today.
- The hat is quite attractive.
- Everyone likes my new hat.
- Please notice, however, that #3 is singular, so that 'jaws' refers to a specific pair.
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3 Answers
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No rule, no. In an extended series of utterances, we tend to progress from indefinite article to definite article to possessive adjective, but it is only an observation:
A bought a new hat today.
The hat is quite attractive.
Everyone likes my new hat.
Please notice, however, that #3 is singular, so that 'jaws' refers to a specific pair. 'T
A bought a new hat today.
The hat is quite attractive.
Everyone likes my new hat.
Please notice, however, that #3 is singular, so that 'jaws' refers to a specific pair. 'T
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Mister MicawberPlease notice, however, that #3 is singular, so that 'jaws' refers to a specific pair. 'The' would not sit so well in the other sentences with plural referents.Mister Micawber ,
Main clause talks about turtle species ..I dont quite get.. what you mean by.."that #3 is singular"....
. Can you please elaborat
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Ah, I see what you mean. I think that the author (as I did) may have been thinking back to 'the turtle' at the beginning of the sentence (with the aid of 'species' which is singular or plural), and that might have influenced his choice.
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