0
Cat desk Posted 6 years ago
Grammar
Usage of the
Hi there, should I use the in the following sentences or not?
1- Every colony of ants has worker ants. The worker ants/ worker ants protect their colony and the queen ant.
2- Colonies of ants have worker ants. The worker ants/ worker ants protect their colonies and queen ants.
I think in the first context, the is needed because it somehow implies 'The worker ants of every colony'. And in the second context the is not needed.
And here is another example:
3- Tigers are very ferocious. Tigers/the tigers are great killers too and the biggest species of cat family.
I know you'd suggest using the pronoun they instead in all the above sentences. I would use they there too. But when I was teaching my nephew he asked me If he could use those words instead. I was not sure which one to choose: the ones with the or the ones without the.
1- Every colony of ants has worker ants. The worker ants/ worker ants protect their colony and the queen ant.
2- Colonies of ants have worker ants. The worker ants/ worker ants protect their colonies and queen ants.
I think in the first context, the is needed because it somehow implies 'The worker ants of every colony'. And in the second context the is not needed.
And here is another example:
3- Tigers are very ferocious. Tigers/the tigers are great killers too and the biggest species of cat family.
I know you'd suggest using the pronoun they instead in all the above sentences. I would use they there too. But when I was teaching my nephew he asked me If he could use those words instead. I was not sure which one to choose: the ones with the or the ones without the.
Top answer
Here are my choices as a native speaker. 1- Every colony of ants has worker ants. The worker ants protect their colony and the queen ant.
- Here are my choices as a native speaker.
- 1- Every colony of ants has worker ants.
- The worker ants protect their colony and the queen ant.
- 2- Colonies of ants have worker ants.
- Worker ants protect their colonies and queen ants.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
1 Answers
0
Here are my choices as a native speaker.
1- Every colony of ants has worker ants. The worker ants protect their colony and the queen ant.
2- Colonies of ants have worker ants. Worker ants protect their colonies and queen ants.
3- Tigers are very ferocious. Tigers are great killers too and the biggest species of cat family.
I think your reasoning is soun
0
Related Questions