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Anonymous Posted 20 years ago
Grammar

watch or watch the television

0I would be happy if anybody can tell me which sentence is correct.02br
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001. I watch television.02br
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002. I watch the television.02br
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00Thanks,02br
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00Wendy0-
  

Top answer

02font 02br 02br 01font 001. 02font 00 This is correct, in the sense that it is what we normally say and mean. It refers to TV in a general way.

— Clive

  • 02font 02br 02br 01font 001.
  • 02font 00 This is correct, in the sense that it is what we normally say and mean.
  • It refers to TV in a general way.
  • 02br 02br 01font 002.
  • 02font 00 This is correct English, but it sounds like you sit in your living room and watch the television but not the table or the chair.
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11 Answers
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0Hi,02br
02br
01font00I would be happy if anybody can tell me which sentence is correct.02font02br
02br
01font001. I watch television.02font00 This is correct, in the sense that it is what we normally say and mean. It refers to TV in a general way. eg I'm going to watch televisio
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0 01i00I watch television02i00 means you watch the content of programs which are broadcast on television.02br
01i00I watch the television02i00means that you watch an object capable of being operated to bring you television programs; presumably you watch the television to make sure that it doesn't fall on the floor or to make sure that no o
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0you mean "keeping an eye on it!"?05002br
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00- Do you listen to the radio? 02br
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00- Do you listen to radio?02br
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00What is the difference?010id1
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0Hi,02br
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01font00you mean "keeping an eye on it!"?02font00 I knew a girl who kept her wig in the bathroom, her artificial leg on top of the refrigerator and 01i00her02i00 (glass) 01i00eye on the TV02i00. (ha-ha)02br
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01font00- Do you li
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0 Diamondrg,02br
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00 Good observation! The usage for "radio" is not normally the same as the usage for "TV".02br
00I suppose that that's because a TV is visible even when not in operation, but a radio is not audible when not in operation. 05002br
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00 Nevertheless, I don't feel that my intuitions about English are too severely s
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0 I once heard that the collocation of "THE radio" was established as idiomatic because everyone in an area was obliged to listen to THE same program when the radio broadcasting started. On the other hand, as for TV, people had two or three choices of channels even at the early time of TV broadcasting.02br
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00paco 0-
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0 01blockquote
01cite10CalifJim12cite10Diamondrg,12br
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10Nevertheless, I don't feel that my intuitions about English are too severely stressed by "I listen to radio". I would accept it if someone said it.12br
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10CJ12br
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12blockquote
10About that, unfortunately my i
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Hi, are you Clive Bellis?
I'm Pedro from Albacete
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That’s what happened when you got home
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