The or a door; the or a duty

Question

Hi. Please tell me which is correct. I am sorry for not giving you complete example sentences. Let's say they are supposed to be some sort of wise sayings.

1. Good smiles often open the/a door to ...
2. Human beings carry the/a duty to take care of ...

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

You have already asked this kind of question and similarly supplied no context. With no context, they are all correct...as I told you before.

Anonymous · Answer

Hi. Thank you. Let me try to write out some sentences. Please tell me which is correct. Please see the underlined parts. To me, I think the phrase "the door" instead of "a door" is correct for all three example sentences below since the word "door" is somewhat definitely restricted by what comes after in each of them. As for the second underlined part of
no. 3, I think the phrase "the possibility" sounds correct, but I can't say why that is. Please help.

Context: A sees B, his friend, whom he didn't see in class today (in fact for a couple of days) in the mall playing a pinball machine. A walks up to B and says this:

1. Playing hooky may open the door (a door?) to your being a truant.
2. Playing hooky may open the door (a door?) to truancy.
3. Playing hooky may open the door (a door?) to the possibility (a possibility?) of truancy.

I realize the above example sentences may sound awkward, but I hope you will realize the thrust of my inquiries and will be able to help me.

How about this? I think the phrase "the duty" is correct since what comes after is quite definite to me.

I think everyone has the duty (a duty?) to take care of the natural environment.

Mister Micawber · Answer

AnonymousI think the phrase "the door" instead of "a door" is correct for all three example sentences below since the word "door" is somewhat definitely restricted by what comes after in each of them.

Yes, I agree, and even more so with 'Playing hooky may be the door to truancy', if the speaker wishes to make a strong statement (i.e., that playing hookey is the main way that truancy begins).

Anonymousno. 3, I think the phrase "the possibility" sounds correct, but I can't say why that is.

Correct but wishy-washy. A good editor would delete it from that sentence.

AnonymousI think everyone has the duty (a duty?) to take care of the natural environment.

Here, either, (1) since we have other duties and (2) there is always the argument for linear thinking (i.e, the speaker says 'a' since he has not yet come to the defining phrase, 'to take care...'.

Anonymous · Answer

Hi. Please tell me if the example sentence is a case of what you call "linear thinking."

He reached into his pocket and got ahold of a/the small knife that he always carries to cut the leaf

You wrote:

AnonymousI think everyone has the duty (a duty?) to take care of the natural environment.

Here, either, (1) since we have other duties and (2) there is always the argument for linear thinking (i.e, the speaker says 'a' since he has not yet come to the defining phrase, 'to take care...'.

Also, as sort of a wise saying, would you say the use of phrase "the marble" or "it" to refer to the previous "a coin" is correct? Let's say the letters "***" represent something appropriate. Thank you again in advance for your help.

*** is like a marble accidentally dropped in a deep well. You cannot get the marble/it out unless you have something to reach down and get it.

Mister Micawber · Answer

AnonymousPlease tell me if the example sentence is a case of what you call "linear thinking."He reached into his pocket and got ahold of a/the small knife that he always carries to cut the leaf

Yes, that's the idea—very common.

AnonymousAnonymousI think everyone has the duty (a duty?) to take care of the natural environment.Here, either, (1) since we have other duties and (2) there is always the argument for linear thinking (i.e, the speaker says 'a' since he has not yet come to the defining phrase, 'to take care...'.

Yes. And yes to the following also:

AnonymousAlso, as sort of a wise saying, would you say the use of phrase "the marble" or "it" to refer to the previous "a coin" is correct? Let's say the letters "***" represent something appropriate. Thank you again in advance for your help.*** is like a marble accidentally dropped in a deep well. You cannot get the marble/it out unless you have something to reach down and get it.

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you so much for your help. Would you say the concept of "linear thinking" in writing sentences would not be good for careful or academic writing like a newspaper article or a dissertation since it is presumed that the writer has time to go over or check what he or she wrote more than once? (I believe the writers of careful writing check their writing at least more than once and often more than twice.)

You wrote:

AnonymousI think everyone has the duty (a duty?) to take care of the natural environment.

Here, either, (1) since we have other duties and (2) there is always the argument for linear thinking (i.e, the speaker says 'a' since he has not yet come to the defining phrase, 'to take care...'.

I check the Google Book Search for the phrase "people have a duty to take" and came up with approximately 421 hits and also check for the phrase "people have the duty to take" (at the same search site) and came up with 2 hits. I presume the result is due to people thinking the word "duty" to mean one of many duties in their sentences.

Also, which do you favor, assuming both are correct? We are talking about what happened on Pentecost. I hope you know what and when (Pentecost) this is. Thank you for your help in advance again

The/an outpouring of the Holy Spirit came to the disciples.

Mister Micawber · Answer

AnonymousWould you say the concept of "linear thinking" in writing sentences would not be good for careful or academic writing like a newspaper article or a dissertation since it is presumed that the writer has time to go over or check what he or she wrote more than once?

No; that much logic does not enter into this usage. I have merely given you my observation on the reason for both acceptable usages.

AnonymousAlso, which do you favor, assuming both are correct? We are talking about what happened on Pentecost. I hope you know what and when (Pentecost) this is. Thank you for your help in advance againThe/an outpouring of the Holy Spirit came to the disciples.

I don't think I need to know what Pentecost is—something in Christian doctrine, I suppose. Honestly, I would be as likely to use 'an' as 'the'...unless there was only a single outpouring.

The or a door; the or a duty

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