the coffee

Question

Someone whose job it is to make coffee enters the kitchen and sees someone has already put it on. He is angry and he says:
"Who put on the coffee?"
Now imagine someone else comes in and says:
"Hey, who is making coffee?"

Why "the coffee" in the first sentence and no "the" in the second? Or is just a choice and they can be flipped?

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

It's a matter of situational focus.

Who put on the coffee (that I was supposed to put on)?

Hey, who is making coffee? [Who has the coffee-making job?]

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

Thanks. In my example do you say "who is making coffee" or "who is making the coffee"?

AlpheccaStars · Answer

If it is the usual morning / afternoon coffee that going to be consumed by the people in the group, then "who is making the coffee today?"

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousIn my example do you say "who is making coffee" or "who is making the coffee"?

I don't understand the question. It's your example. I don't have any choice of what to put in your example. What you had in your example was fine.

As I said, such choices depend on the situation and where the speaker puts the focus.

If I happen to smell coffee around me, I say "Who's making coffee?"
If I'm planning a reception with others, I say "I'm making the sandwiches, but who's making the coffee?"

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

So sorry if I am unclear.

CalifJimIf I happen to smell coffee around me, I say "Who's making coffee?"

That's the sense I was asking about. I wanted to know if I can also say "Who's making the coffee?" It's specific, no? It's the coffee we can all smell!! Do you understand what I mean?

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousIf I happen to smell coffee around me, I say "Who's making coffee?"
That's the sense I was asking about.

Oh. OK.

AnonymousI wanted to know if I can also say "Who's making the coffee?"

Not if you just smell some coffee, any coffee, somewhere around you. No.

AnonymousIt's specific, no?

No. Nobody knows yet which coffee it is. It's like what is called "a first mention", so you don't use "the".

AnonymousIt's the coffee we can all smell!

You perceive a coffee-smell, but you don't know yet where it's coming from. It's not specific enough to sanction "the".

If you knew ahead of time that somebody was going to be making coffee, then when you smelled the coffee (that they were going to make), you could ask who was making the coffee. But if you just get a whiff of coffee totally unprepared for it, it's just coffee, not the coffee.

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

I see. That makes sense. Thank you very much, CalifJim.

Anonymous · Answer

CalifJimYou perceive a coffee-smell, but you don't know yet where it's coming from. It's not specific enough to sanction "the".If you knew ahead of time that somebody was going to be making coffee, then when you smelled the coffee (that they were going to make), you could ask who was making the coffee. But if you just get a whiff of coffee totally unprepared for it, it's just coffee, not the coffee.

That's a great, explanation. Thank you again. My misunderstanding came because in my original example (the second sentence), someone came into the kitchen, looked at the coffee that was being made, and asked:
"Who is making coffee"?
To me the article would make more sense. It's not a whiff. It's very specific. It's the coffee that's being made. Everybody in the kitchen is looking at it!!
So to me the definite article is sanctioned and more preferable than "no article'. But it's probably my fault that I didn't explain it very well.

the coffee

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