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DorisPao Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
Poured out tea
Hi all!
Could you please explain this for me? I am reading a book. The narrative goes like this:
Lin made some tea for both of them. She brought the kettle with the tea into the living room. She found two cups and poured tea into them.
Why no definite article before "tea" in the last sentence? I think .. it's because she poured some of the tea and not all of it. If it were "poured the tea into them", then it would it mean she poured all of tea in the kettle into the cup.
Am I right with this explication? I don't think the author made a mistake.
Thank you!!
Doris
Could you please explain this for me? I am reading a book. The narrative goes like this:
Lin made some tea for both of them. She brought the kettle with the tea into the living room. She found two cups and poured tea into them.
Why no definite article before "tea" in the last sentence? I think .. it's because she poured some of the tea and not all of it. If it were "poured the tea into them", then it would it mean she poured all of tea in the kettle into the cup.
Am I right with this explication? I don't think the author made a mistake.
Thank you!!
Doris
Top answer
There are some general rules for the use of the articles in English, that you find in grammar books, but these rules cover only the most general usage. There are many other instances where the use of the articles does not seem to follow the standard rules - and these situations have to be learned by experience. The quoted sentence is correct.
- There are some general rules for the use of the articles in English, that you find in grammar books, but these rules cover only the most general usage.
- There are many other instances where the use of the articles does not seem to follow the standard rules - and these situations have to be learned by experience.
- The quoted sentence is correct.
- Why the article is not used in the last sentence is difficult to explain.
- This might be more of a question of sentence rhythm than anything else.
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3 Answers
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There are some general rules for the use of the articles in English, that you find in grammar books, but these rules cover only the most general usage. There are many other instances where the use of the articles does not seem to follow the standard rules - and these situations have to be learned by experience.
The quoted sentence is correct. Why the article is not used in the last se
The quoted sentence is correct. Why the article is not used in the last se
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While I would agree with Anon's claim that no textbook can cover all the rules governing the use of articles in the English language, I do not agree with his/her conclusion.
The original poster's interpretation is correct: the absence of the definite article implies that "some" tea" was poured out. By the same token, you might say "poured out some of the tea" or "poured out some tea".
The original poster's interpretation is correct: the absence of the definite article implies that "some" tea" was poured out. By the same token, you might say "poured out some of the tea" or "poured out some tea".
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Hmm. Thanks! I wonder who is right now! 
I will stick with Xerxes explication, since it matches my own!
I will stick with Xerxes explication, since it matches my own!
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