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MariaRC Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
The/a road
Greetings, Can someone tell me:
"It's unsafe to talk on the phone when driving on the road".
"It's unsafe to talk on the phone when driving on a road".
I am not thinking of any specific road, but to me this is more like saying "when you're driving". There is no reason to single out any road. So I would go with "the", although I think either is okay.
The same logic I apply to:
"Swimsuits are something we wear on the beach".
"Swimsuits are something we wear on a beach".
I would use "the" for the same reason as above.
What do native speakers think?
Thank you!
"It's unsafe to talk on the phone when driving on the road".
"It's unsafe to talk on the phone when driving on a road".
I am not thinking of any specific road, but to me this is more like saying "when you're driving". There is no reason to single out any road. So I would go with "the", although I think either is okay.
The same logic I apply to:
"Swimsuits are something we wear on the beach".
"Swimsuits are something we wear on a beach".
I would use "the" for the same reason as above.
What do native speakers think?
Thank you!
Top answer
I agree with you.
- I agree with you.
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4 Answers
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Blue Jay I agree with you.Thank you, that makes me happy! Have a nice day, Blue Jay.
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It's the other words in the sentence that make "road" or "beach" specific, so that's why "the" sounds right.
when driving is all that is necessary. We don't drive on sidewalks, in our homes, or in trees. We drive on roads. So if you add "road", it's (specifically) the road that you are driving on.
It's not so obvious with "beach", but I think you've got the idea.
when driving is all that is necessary. We don't drive on sidewalks, in our homes, or in trees. We drive on roads. So if you add "road", it's (specifically) the road that you are driving on.
It's not so obvious with "beach", but I think you've got the idea.
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CalifJimIt's not so obvious with "beach", but I think you've got the idea.Yep, I do! Thank you.
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