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DorisPao Posted 11 years ago
Grammar
(The) construction
Hello everyone!
I was wondering if you could confirm the following me. Please consider the following several sentence:
"We are planning to start construction in 2016. The construction will take approximately seven months."
This sentence is my own. I used no article when "construction", an abstract noun, was first mentioned. The definite article has been used in the second sentence because I have already established the exact type/kind/instance of construction, and so I am now referring to that particular kind of construction.
What throws me off a bit is that there are certain abstract nouns when the definite article never seems to happen. "Inflation" is a good example:
"Inflation has been high over the past 5 years. Inflation continues to be at a record high at this time. Economists say the prospects of inflation heading lower or easing are poor. Expect inflation to remain in the high single digits…"
In the example above, "the" is not used before "inflation". I see it all the time. I believe that the reason for that is that "inflation" is general and is always inflation. In fact, it's different from year to year, etc. Construction projects, however, are finite and definite, and may vary from building to building, etc.
Is this analysis right?
Thank you,
Doris
I was wondering if you could confirm the following me. Please consider the following several sentence:
"We are planning to start construction in 2016. The construction will take approximately seven months."
This sentence is my own. I used no article when "construction", an abstract noun, was first mentioned. The definite article has been used in the second sentence because I have already established the exact type/kind/instance of construction, and so I am now referring to that particular kind of construction.
What throws me off a bit is that there are certain abstract nouns when the definite article never seems to happen. "Inflation" is a good example:
"Inflation has been high over the past 5 years. Inflation continues to be at a record high at this time. Economists say the prospects of inflation heading lower or easing are poor. Expect inflation to remain in the high single digits…"
In the example above, "the" is not used before "inflation". I see it all the time. I believe that the reason for that is that "inflation" is general and is always inflation. In fact, it's different from year to year, etc. Construction projects, however, are finite and definite, and may vary from building to building, etc.
Is this analysis right?
Thank you,
Doris
Top answer
DorisPao Is this analysis right? It's as good as many others you might find. Explaining the use of articles is a perilous task.
- DorisPao Is this analysis right?
- It's as good as many others you might find.
- Explaining the use of articles is a perilous task.
- ", especially in a journalistic setting.
- To be realistic, "it" would be more likely.
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5 Answers
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DorisPaoIs this analysis right?It's as good as many others you might find. Explaining the use of articles is a perilous task.
Truth be told, you might even omit 'the' in your sentence that starts with "The construction ...", especially in a journalistic setting.
To be realistic, "it" would be more likely. ... to start construction. It
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The great CJ to the rescue! Thank you. 
But the use of "the" before "construction" in my second sentence ("The construction
But the use of "the" before "construction" in my second sentence ("The construction
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DorisPaoBut the use of "the" before "construction" in my second sentence ("The construction will take…") is not incorrect, is it?No. It's not incorrect. It does sound a little more formal to me, however.
DorisPaoI am wondering if I am overanalyzing here.Not really. It does no harm to try to understand patterns of usage.
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I understand!
Thank you for your generous help that you provide to me and others on this forum, too! It really is greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your generous help that you provide to me and others on this forum, too! It really is greatly appreciated.
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