Regarding article.

Question

Sentence: Sorry for a/the lenthy query.Question: I am ending my e-mail with the above sentence. I want to know I should use article "a" or "the" in that.Thanks

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

Sorry for the lengthy query.

Anonymous · Answer

Thanks. Can you tell why "the" has come?

Avangi · Answer

AnonymousSorry for a/the lenGthy query.

The definite article is by far the natural choice, but I don't think that "a" is incorrect.

I know this is a lengthy query. I'm sorry for it.

I'm sorry for a less-than-concise query.

This is the query I'm referring to.

By using "the," you call attention to the specific item previously mentioned or implied.

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousSorry for a/the lenthy query.

It's a curious choice you have here.

Sorry for the lengthy query. < Sorry for what the query actually is. Sorry for the lengthy query that I have made.

But:

Sorry for having made (such) a lengthy query. < Sorry for this query, which can be described as a lengthy query. This query belongs to the set of all queries which are lengthy. It is one of them. It is a lengthy query.

Underlying this choice is the idea that you can select words that refer to a specific entity (the query) or words that implicitly specify a whole class of entities, describing something as a member of this class (a query). The two kinds of expressions consistently occur in the following kind of sentence:

The pencil that I am holding is a short pencil.

The shirt that Joseph bought is a blue shirt.

The house that the Browns live in is a large house.

The subject in each case is an expression that refers to an entity in the real world. The complement in each case is a descriptor that derives its meaning from the concept of class membership. It's almost like saying these:

This pencil belongs to the set of all short pencils; this shirt belongs to the set of all blue shirts; this house belongs to the set of all large houses.

In short, you can refer directly to the query you made, characterizing its length as part of its essence: Sorry for the lengthy query.

Or you can set aside the existence of the query as obvious, and comment separately on its length: Sorry for having made such a lengthy query.

CJ

Avangi · Answer

[Y]

Anonymous · Answer

Hey everybody let me tell you my in more detail. BTW I wish Califjim and Avangi answered my query earlier.

I read Alphastar answer and send my mail using "the" article in it.

Actually I asked 10 queries "point wise" to someone. So just in the ending I want to write lightly "sorry forthe/a lenthy query". I was confused between "a" and "the". My iniatilly intuition was for the article "a". Now after knowing the actual situation tell me which article would have been appropriate? Did I use the right article?

Thanks

Avangi · Answer

You can't go wrong using the definite article, "the." A

's recommendation is correct.

But there are other ways to look at it. It all depends on the meaning you wish to convey.

CJ's article is brilliant.

Anonymous · Answer

Avangi I'm feeling relived. Thanks.

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousI read Alphastar answer and send my mail using "the" article in it.

There is no reason to be angry about Alphecca's answer. It is the correct answer for that sentence.

Sorry for the lengthy query.

CJ

CalifJim · Answer

AvangiCJ's article is brilliant.

You are too kind. Well, OK. Just kind enough!

CJ

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