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Erasmus Student Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

(The) flowers

Greetings,

Could you please consider this sentence:
'The prince was sent to bring the princess flowers. Unfortunately, the princess did not get (the) flowers, only a battle.'

I am wondering about the implication of omitting the definite article before 'flowers' in the second sentence. Clearly, 'the flowers' implies the flowers that the prince was sent to bring. But I think that 'flowers' without the article implies 'any flowers'. 'Unfortunately, the princess did not get [any] flowers.

Is this a reasonable supposition? Would such an omission be correct anyway?
  

Top answer

Erasmus Student Clearly, 'the flowers' implies the flowers that the prince was sent to bring. Which ones? Erasmus Student But I think that 'flowers' without the article implies 'any flowers'.

— Teechr

  • Erasmus Student Clearly, 'the flowers' implies the flowers that the prince was sent to bring.
  • Which ones?
  • Erasmus Student But I think that 'flowers' without the article implies 'any flowers'.
  • Exactly.
  • Erasmus Student Unfortunately, the princess did not get [any] flowers.
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3 Answers
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Erasmus StudentClearly, 'the flowers' implies the flowers that the prince was sent to bring.
Which ones?
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Thank you. That is most helpful. Could you please clarify:
teechrWhich ones?
You mean that 'the' answers which ones (i.e. the ones he was supposed to bring/that were mentioned). So I have a choice here whether to narrow it to those flowers the prince was sent to get or to leave it on a general level (any flowers). Is that my understanding?
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Erasmus StudentSo I have a choice here
No, there is no choice!
Erasmus Studentthose flowers the prince was sent to get
He wasn't sent to get any particular flowers.
Erasmus Student leave it on a general level (any flowers).
That's exactly righ
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