The vs a vs plural

Question

Hi everyone!Is there a difference between saying: "The dog is a very obedient animal" and "Dogs are very obedient animals"? I think there isn't. However, I'm not 100% sure.I also came across the saying: "A dog is a man's best friend." Here we use the indefinite article to talk about things in general. Are those just three different uses that mean the same thing or is there a (subtle) difference?Dogs are men's best friends.A dog is a man's best friend.The dog is the man's best friend.Thanks!

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

Stoyanov-
Dogs are man's best friends.
A dog is a man's best friend.
The dog is ~~the~~ man's best friend.
Use "man's" without an article in each case. It refers to mankind in general, not to an individual person who is male.

These are called generic statements, and there are three ways to formulate them, and there is no difference in meaning.

The plural is the most common.

Tigers have striped coats.

The indefinite article is also used, but less often, I'd say.

A tiger has a striped coat.

The definite article is probably least used and has a rather stuffy, formal sound. In addition, it can sometimes be misinterpreted as non-generic, i.e., about one particular individual.

The tiger has a striped coat.

I recommend using the plural.

CJ

Stoyanov · Answer

A very concise and helpful explanation! Much appreciated <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/>

The vs a vs plural

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