Watch the skating?

Question

There is a program about skating. You want to ask another if he wants to watch the same thing. Which format is profer and is 2 still be possible in a way that you are refering to something general skating, eventhough you will eventually get to that program?
1. Watch the skating?
2. Watch skating?

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

Neither 1 nor 2 has a subject. Here's how you ask:

[Do you want / Would you like] to watch [a program about skating / some skating]?

CJ

Onizo · Answer

Thank you CJ,
But this is about whether you can add "the", and without it would still be ok. Can you confirm in this regard?

CalifJim · Answer

onizowhether you can add "the"

The rules for 'the' are the same all over. This example is not different.

Using 'the' means you have already given enough information about something (skating in this case) so that everybody should know which thing in the real world you are talking about (which instance of skating in this case).

If the other person has never seen the skating you are going to watch, and you have not said anything about it, 'the' is wrong. That person doesn't know which skating you're talking about.

If you and the other person have been talking about what you are going to watch, or the other person has seen it before, then that person knows what you're talking about so you use 'the'.

But note that these principles apply for all uses of 'the'. Your example is not treated any differently than any other.

From the description you gave in your first post, I wrote the question you should ask. It doesn't have any 'the' because, in my opinion, you are talking to someone who hasn't seen what you want to show him. Use some version of what I wrote, and it will be fine.

CJ

Onizo · Answer

Thanks CJ.

a while ago I asked the following sentence:
A: finish brushing your teeth.
B: I am sleepy.
A: finish the brushing first.

And most of you said that "the" brushing doesn't fit to this conversation, but according to you, the use of the isn't incorrect, at the same time, since the litener knows what I am refering to, the use of the is necessary, isn't it so?

CalifJim · Answer

onizothe use of 'the' isn't incorrect, at the same time, since the listener knows what I am refering to, the use of 'the' is necessary, isn't it so?

No. The use of 'the' is not necessary, because 'brushing' is used as a verb after 'finish': finish brushing, finish writing, finish reading, etc. Verbs don't take articles like a and the. If you put the on it, you change it to a noun-like verb.

You might be able to use 'the brushing' when it is in a series of different activities in a process. Suppose you are talking about cleaning a suit. First you wash it, then you dry it, then you brush it. Or, Do the washing first, then do the drying, then do the brushing. But this second way of saying it is much less common. We hardly ever say it like that.

CJ

Onizo · Answer

Thank you CJ,

I have asked this question in another thread, but couldn't quite get it. I have a feeling that you might be able to answer it.
You can choose no eating.
you can choose no eat.
you can choose not eating.

1. Is eating in #1 verb or noun?
2. If it is a noun what does it mean? Wilpeter said, you might see in as a warning sign in a cafeteria.
3. Why can't you choose no eating, whatever that means?
4. If is still a noun, why can I use the simple form #2?

CalifJim · Answer

onizoYou can choose no eating. You can choose no eat. You can choose not eating.

You are asking a lot of questions about these sentences. Unfortunately they are all grammatically incorrect, so there is no point in discussing them. (Maybe the last one could be used, but it's too unusual to have a discussion about it.)

Since you can't use any of those sentences, it would be better to know the correct sentence. It's this:

You can choose not to eat.

The verb choose is always followed by a noun (I chose the blue shirt.) or an infinitive (I chose to sleep. I chose not to sleep.). [The negative of an infinitive (to sleep) is formed by adding 'not' in front of it (not to sleep).]

onizoa warning sign

Signs that say what is forbidden can have "No" followed by an -ing form. About the only ones I've ever seen are these two: No smoking. / No loitering.

I can't imagine "No eating" in a cafeteria because that's where people normally eat. Are you sure you got that right?
_______________

Note: "no" only goes before a noun. "not" only goes before a verb.
When an -ing form is used as a noun, it's called a gerund.

CJ

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