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Erasmus Student Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
The beer.
Hi!
I am a student at Erasmus, so this is a good opportunity for me to study English as a second language. I've made progress a lot, but there are many things tripping me up in English. So I will probably have a few questions. This is a good resource.
I listen to English native speakers all the time and analyze how they speak.
Yesterday we went to a pub. On our way an American student said:
"We'll have this with the beer."
I can't remember what "this" referred to. Either a conversation or something else. What interested me was "the beer". Why "the beer"? In my language, there're no articles, so all this is strange (we'd just say "beer").
I didn't want to ask him to avoid appearing unknowledgeable, but how to interpret "the beer"? And not just "beer" without the definitive article?
Is it, what, the beer that we will have with the pub? Does it sound natural or correct to your ears?
I am a student at Erasmus, so this is a good opportunity for me to study English as a second language. I've made progress a lot, but there are many things tripping me up in English. So I will probably have a few questions. This is a good resource.
I listen to English native speakers all the time and analyze how they speak.
Yesterday we went to a pub. On our way an American student said:
"We'll have this with the beer."
I can't remember what "this" referred to. Either a conversation or something else. What interested me was "the beer". Why "the beer"? In my language, there're no articles, so all this is strange (we'd just say "beer").
I didn't want to ask him to avoid appearing unknowledgeable, but how to interpret "the beer"? And not just "beer" without the definitive article?
Is it, what, the beer that we will have with the pub? Does it sound natural or correct to your ears?
Top answer
Erasmus Student Why "the beer"? In my language, there're no articles, so all this is strange (we'd just say "beer"). You are on your way to a pub; therefore, both of you must be aware that you are going to drink beer.
- Erasmus Student Why "the beer"?
- In my language, there're no articles, so all this is strange (we'd just say "beer").
- You are on your way to a pub; therefore, both of you must be aware that you are going to drink beer.
- Hence, 'the beer' by previous knowledge.
- ) Erasmus Student Does it sound natural or correct to your ears?
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4 Answers
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Erasmus Student Why "the beer"? In my language, there're no articles, so all this is strange (we'd just say "beer").You are on your way to a pub; therefore, both of you must be aware that you are going to drink beer. Hence, 'the beer' by previous knowledge. (The 'previous reference' in conversation needn't appear as an explicit comment in the immediate 'text
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Mister MicawberYou are on your way to a pub; therefore, both of you must be aware that you are going to drink beer. Hence, 'the beer' by previous knowledge. (The 'previous reference' in conversation needn't appear as an explicit comment in the immediate 'text', of course.)Understood and duly noted. Well, I had thought that I would have to change many of my as
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Erasmus StudentWhat if he had said "beer"That would be the same thing, but that is the least likely of several more-native choices:
"We'll have this with the beer."
"We'll have this with our beer."
"We'll have this with a beer."
"We'll have this with some beer."
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