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Anonymous Posted 16 years ago
Grammar
Thank you
Hi, Hello to everyone.
If both the speaker and the listener know which signs they are talking about, then "the" can be used before the signs below.
1. She was showing the signs of tiredness.
If only the speaker know which signs he/she is talking about, then "the" cannot be used before the signs below.
2. She was showing signs of tiredness.
Do you agree?
Thank you for your advice.
No matter countable or uncountable nouns, if both the speaker and the listener know which nouns they are talking about, "the" should be used.
No matter what countable or uncountable nouns, If only the speaker, not the listener, knows which nouns he/she is talking about, then "the" should not be used.
Is it the true understanding of the "the" article?
If both the speaker and the listener know which signs they are talking about, then "the" can be used before the signs below.
1. She was showing the signs of tiredness.
If only the speaker know which signs he/she is talking about, then "the" cannot be used before the signs below.
2. She was showing signs of tiredness.
Do you agree?
Thank you for your advice.
No matter countable or uncountable nouns, if both the speaker and the listener know which nouns they are talking about, "the" should be used.
No matter what countable or uncountable nouns, If only the speaker, not the listener, knows which nouns he/she is talking about, then "the" should not be used.
Is it the true understanding of the "the" article?
Top answer
That is a good general understanding of one use of the definite article, but I warrant it does not hold universally true. For instance, the speaker may expect that the listener is familiar with the noun, or it may be the only one in existence, or it may be idiomatic, as in your first example, where 'signs of tiredness' (no article) would probably be used in either case.
- That is a good general understanding of one use of the definite article, but I warrant it does not hold universally true.
- For instance, the speaker may expect that the listener is familiar with the noun, or it may be the only one in existence, or it may be idiomatic, as in your first example, where 'signs of tiredness' (no article) would probably be used in either case.
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3 Answers
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That is a good general understanding of one use of the definite article, but I warrant it does not hold universally true. For instance, the speaker may expect that the listener is familiar with the noun, or it may be the only one in existence, or it may be idiomatic, as in your first example, where 'signs of tiredness' (no article) would probably be used in either case.
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Mister Micawberit may be idiomatic, as in your first example, where 'signs of tiredness' (no article) would probably be used in either case.Did you mean that even though both the speaker and the listener know the signs of tiredness (maybe because they both saw the signs together), but since "sign of tiredness" is a natural expression without "the" to a
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