Which is the correct response?

Question

Hi. Please help. Which is the correct response? For the no. 2 question, let's say either a "yes" or a "no" answer can be given (is acceptable).

1) What did you do yesterday?
a) I went to the park.
b) I went to a park.
c) I watched the movie.
d) I watched a movie.

2) Do you have a pencil?
a) Yes, I have a pencil.
b) No, I don't have a pencil.
c) No, I don't have any pencils.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

1. All are grammatically correct; nevertheless, a & c may sound confusing unless both, the speaker and listener, know the park and movie being mentioned.
2. All are grammatically correct, all are acceptable.

Anonymous · Answer

Hi. Thank you. I think we say  "I went to the hospital" (in American English) regardless the person we are talking to knows which hospital that is being talked about (please note the article before the word "hospital." Why do you think that is? Thank you for your help in advance.

Fivejedjon · Answer

I don't know about American English, but in British English the answer to why we sometimes use the article and sometimes not with certain words would be "Because we do". There is no real reason why we say in British English:

Fred has gone to church/hospital/prison/school/university/work/etc
Mary has gone to the cinema/the office/the pub/the thatre/etc.
I heard it on the radio/I saw it on television.

Anonymous · Answer

AnonymousHi. Thank you. I think we say "I went to the hospital" (in American English) regardless the person we are talking to knows which hospital that is being talked about (please note the article before the word "hospital." Why do you think that is? Thank you for your help in advance.

Certain nouns may refer to either an activity or a place/object. When the noun denotes a place (or object), use the definite article:

I go to school everyday. Here, the noun school refers to an activity
The school was too small, only few student were accepted each year. Here, the noun school refers to the physical object, i.e., the building.

Likewise:
Adam was sick, he had to stay at hospital. ..Activity
I passed by the hospital last night.., checked on Adam. ..Object/place

Anonymous · Answer

Hi. Are you saying that the following example sentences you gave would be what a British person would say if asked the questions "Why isn't Mary here?" and "Isn't she supposed to be here now?" as a collective question?

Mary has gone to the cinema/the office/the pub/the thatre/etc.

If your answer is "Yes," what words would take on the article "the" and what would not? Would the word "park" take on the article "the" if a British person was asked the same collective questions? Any help from you would be appreciated.

Mary has gone to the park.

Fivejedjon · Answer

AnonymousAre you saying that the following example sentences you gave would be what a British person would say if asked the questions "Why isn't Mary here?" and "Isn't she supposed to be here now?" as a collective question?Mary has gone to the cinema/the office/the pub/the thatre/etc.

Yes.

AnonymousIf your answer is "Yes," what words would take on the article "the" and what would not?

I gave you some of the more common ones in my last post. I haven't got a full list.

AnonymousWould the word "park" take on the article "the" if a British person was asked the same collective questions?

We'd probably use 'the', but 'park' is not a clear-cut case.

Which is the correct response?

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions