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Klavier Posted 21 years ago
Grammar
The
Hello.
One question about the usage of the. I came across these two sentences and I'd like to know if the first one needs the before cure, if the second can drop the before disease, or they are just fixed expressions?:
Prevention is better than cure.
Some remedies are worse than the disease.
One question about the usage of the. I came across these two sentences and I'd like to know if the first one needs the before cure, if the second can drop the before disease, or they are just fixed expressions?:
Prevention is better than cure.
Some remedies are worse than the disease.
Top answer
I'm actually not very familiar with using the noun 'cure' this way (without a preceding article). I would not drop the article before 'disease'. The concept fully worded would be, 'Some remedies are worse than the disease they are meant to cure'.
- I'm actually not very familiar with using the noun 'cure' this way (without a preceding article).
- I would not drop the article before 'disease'.
- The concept fully worded would be, 'Some remedies are worse than the disease they are meant to cure'.
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6 Answers
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I'm actually not very familiar with using the noun 'cure' this way (without a preceding article).
I would not drop the article before 'disease'. The concept fully worded would be, 'Some remedies are worse than the disease they are meant to cure'.
I would not drop the article before 'disease'. The concept fully worded would be, 'Some remedies are worse than the disease they are meant to cure'.
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Prevention is better than cure is an idiom (in BrEng anyway.)
There is no article before cure as this would subtely change the meaning . It is best thought of as 'To prevent is better than to cure' but it is said as Prevention is better than cure. It means 'sort things out before they become a problem!'
There is no article before cure as this would subtely change the meaning . It is best thought of as 'To prevent is better than to cure' but it is said as Prevention is better than cure. It means 'sort things out before they become a problem!'
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If we say it in AmE, I'm not aware of it. I think I would personally rather have seen the phrase coined as 'Prevention is better than intervention'.
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Dear friends,
Perhaps we may think of it as «preventing something is better than curing something», no?
Kind regards,
Perhaps we may think of it as «preventing something is better than curing something», no?
Kind regards,
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In the first example, we talk about (prevention) in general, so no article is needed.
In the second example, we talk about a cetrtain disease connected to the remdies we talk about
In the second example, we talk about a cetrtain disease connected to the remdies we talk about
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Prevention is better than cure.In this example, as I said before, the word "prevention is used in general. When nouns are used in general, no articles are needed. Study the following example and notice how the noun is used in general:
People need water.
Am I talking about people in general
People need water.
Am I talking about people in general
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