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Ohmyrichard Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
To the wrong person or to a wrong person?
Hi,everyone.
This afternoon when I came back home from work, I checked my email box at 163.com and found that someone had sent me by mistake an email which was actually intened for someone named Michael. I sent an email to this funny guy, saying to him, "I'm sorry to tell you that you've sent your letter to the wrong person." But I was and still am not sure whether I should have used "...to a wrong person". I googled it but found no clue to help me. Now the letter has already been sent out and I am sure it has reached him. I cannot do anything to revise it, but I still want to know for sure which expression is correct, "to a wrong person" or "to the wrong person". I always want to be accurate and correct in expression. Please help me to learn English well.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Yours,
Richard
This afternoon when I came back home from work, I checked my email box at 163.com and found that someone had sent me by mistake an email which was actually intened for someone named Michael. I sent an email to this funny guy, saying to him, "I'm sorry to tell you that you've sent your letter to the wrong person." But I was and still am not sure whether I should have used "...to a wrong person". I googled it but found no clue to help me. Now the letter has already been sent out and I am sure it has reached him. I cannot do anything to revise it, but I still want to know for sure which expression is correct, "to a wrong person" or "to the wrong person". I always want to be accurate and correct in expression. Please help me to learn English well.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Yours,
Richard
Top answer
"To the wrong person" is the common expression. At least you met a funny guy!
- "To the wrong person" is the common expression.
- At least you met a funny guy!
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6 Answers
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"To the wrong person" is the common expression.
At least you met a funny guy!
At least you met a funny guy!
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Hi Richard. Rest easy. You were idiomatic.
Logically, it seems like it should be "a" instead of "the," but we do say "the."
I'm sorry, you've dialed the wrong number. (Since there is only one right number and millions of wrong ones, you'd think we'd say "a wrong number" but we don't. We say "the wrong number.)
It's the same with your e-mail. It reached the
Logically, it seems like it should be "a" instead of "the," but we do say "the."
I'm sorry, you've dialed the wrong number. (Since there is only one right number and millions of wrong ones, you'd think we'd say "a wrong number" but we don't. We say "the wrong number.)
It's the same with your e-mail. It reached the
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Reminding us that "idiom" comes from idio, meaning 'of its own.' No-strings-attached sort of thing.
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Hi, Grammar Geek.
Thanks for your great explanation. It seems as if you can read my mind. Your explanation revealed my reasoning process. It is only that I made it right by chance.
Thanks again.
Richard
Thanks for your great explanation. It seems as if you can read my mind. Your explanation revealed my reasoning process. It is only that I made it right by chance.
Thanks again.
Richard
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Please tell me what you meant by "No-strings-attached sort of thing"?
Thanks.
Thanks.
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