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Nina_Nia Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

The dinner

Hello,

Could you correct this sentence, please? Should I remove the definite article? It's not a specific dinner why is the definite article still used?

When the mother came home, the dinner had already been done/finished.(Somebody had already prepared it by the time their mother came home or they have finished eating.)

Are the words lunch, dinner, supper, breakfast sometimes capitalized?

Thanks
  

Top answer

Nina_Nia Could you correct this sentence, please? Should I remove the definite article? It's not a specific dinner why is the definite article still used?

— AlpheccaStars

  • Nina_Nia Could you correct this sentence, please?
  • Should I remove the definite article?
  • It's not a specific dinner why is the definite article still used?
  • When the mother came home, the dinner had already been done.
  • Yes.
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6 Answers
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Nina_NiaCould you correct this sentence, please? Should I remove the definite article? It's not a specific dinner why is the definite article still used?
When the mother came home, the dinner had already been done.

Yes. You can remove it. "Eaten" is probably better than "done".
Nina_NiaAre the words lun
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Hello,

Do you agree with my comments in brackets? And does 'finished' sound natural? When the mother came home, dinner had already been finished

Oh, I love it too
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I think the definite article "the" is used here because we believe that the hearer or reader knows exactly what we're referring to.
But "the" in "the mother" isn't correct to me;" my,their,her...etc" are rather used.
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Nina_NiaWhen the mother came home, the dinner had already been done/finished.(Somebody had already prepared it by the time their mother came home or they had finished eating.)
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Nina_NiaAnd does 'finished' sound natural? When the mother came home, dinner had already been finished
Finished - It's OK.
I would prefer the simple past - dinner was already finished.
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But you didn't tell me if you agreed with what I wrote in brackets. Tell me , please. "When the mother came home, the dinner had already been done/finished/made.( =Somebody had already prepared it by the time their mother came home or they have finished eating.)

I added 'made'.

Thanks
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