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Dragon-feeders Posted 11 years ago
Vocabulary
SThe tiger is a wild animal. (general sentence)ubject
I'd appreciate it if someone would answer my question. Thanks in advance.
I'd like opinions about why "the" is used in the following 2 sentences.
A: The tiger is a wild animal. (general sentence)
B: The computer is one of the greatest inventions in our history.
My explanation for A is that "the tiger" means the tiger species, which is one of the categories making up the whole animal life. And the tiger species is a specific category among all the categories, and so "the" is used. Am I right?
My explanation for B is that "the computer" is one of the categories making up all the greatest inventions in our history. And "the computer" is a specific category among all the categories, and so "the" is used. Am I right?
I'd like opinions about why "the" is used in the following 2 sentences.
A: The tiger is a wild animal. (general sentence)
B: The computer is one of the greatest inventions in our history.
My explanation for A is that "the tiger" means the tiger species, which is one of the categories making up the whole animal life. And the tiger species is a specific category among all the categories, and so "the" is used. Am I right?
My explanation for B is that "the computer" is one of the categories making up all the greatest inventions in our history. And "the computer" is a specific category among all the categories, and so "the" is used. Am I right?
Top answer
Welcome to English Forums, dragon-feeders. Your explanations are interesting, but I don't think that they are quite on the mark: both are generic nouns representing the whole set of individual tigers or computers.
- Welcome to English Forums, dragon-feeders.
- Your explanations are interesting, but I don't think that they are quite on the mark: both are generic nouns representing the whole set of individual tigers or computers.
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11 Answers
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Welcome to English Forums, dragon-feeders.
Your explanations are interesting, but I don't think that they are quite on the mark: both are generic nouns representing the whole set of individual tigers or computers.
Your explanations are interesting, but I don't think that they are quite on the mark: both are generic nouns representing the whole set of individual tigers or computers.
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Thank you Mr. Micawber. I see your idea. You said; both are generic nouns representing the whole set of individual tigers or computers. I think there are other type of generic nouns representing the whole set of individual tigers; a tiger, and tigers.
Maybe the following 3 are the same in meaning.
A: The tiger is a wild animal. (general sentence)
B: A tiger is a wild animal.
C:
Maybe the following 3 are the same in meaning.
A: The tiger is a wild animal. (general sentence)
B: A tiger is a wild animal.
C:
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dragon-feedersiger, and tigers.Maybe the following 3 are the same in meaning.A: The tiger is a wild animal. (general sentence)B: A tiger is a wild animal.C: Tigers are wild animal.Yes.
dragon-feedershy, then, does only A have "the"?It is one option to express the idea.
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It's a metaphorical usage called "synecdoche," which uses a part for the whole. Here, a tiger to represent the species.
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tamguatlayShouldn't (c) be "Tigers are wild animals"?Yes, right—add the 's'.
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Sorry I miswrote. I should have written "Tigers are wild animals."
By the way, can't my question - why "the" is used only in C -- be answered after all?
By the way, can't my question - why "the" is used only in C -- be answered after all?
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dragon-feederswhy "the" is used only in CIt is not used in C. Here are your sentences:
A: The tiger is a wild animal.
B: A tiger is a wild animal.
C: Tigers are wild animals.
These are all common way of saying the same thing. Only A refers to a single specific entity (the species), so only A takes the definite
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Thank you Mr. Micawber. I miswrote again. I should have written A, not C.
I see A refers to a single specific entity. Does "the computer" in the sentence; The computer is one of the greatest inventions in our history, refer to a single specific entity?
I see A refers to a single specific entity. Does "the computer" in the sentence; The computer is one of the greatest inventions in our history, refer to a single specific entity?
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dragon-feedersDoes "the computer" in the sentence; The computer is one of the greatest inventions in our history, refer to a single specific entity?Yes, just as does the tiger: it is the concept of the type of animal or machine.
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