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Definite article confusion... | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Questions About Your Target Languages |  | |
| Lingua Decaglot Senior Member United States Joined 5582 days ago 186 posts - 319 votes  Speaks: English*, German, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Danish, French, Norwegian, Portuguese, Dutch | Message 9 of 14 06 September 2009 at 9:09am | IP Logged | |||||
Because of the meaning of the word "specific". Specific: relating to one thing and not others; particular. Yes, it is a specific egg. The egg dropped on the floor. Edited by Lingua on 06 September 2009 at 9:11am 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| TerryW Senior Member United States Joined 6363 days ago 370 posts - 783 votes Speaks: English* | Message 10 of 14 07 September 2009 at 12:16am | IP Logged | |||||
Oh, yeah? Tell that to Humpty Dumpty. ;-)  Edited by TerryW on 07 September 2009 at 12:47am 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
 Hencke Tetraglot Moderator Spain Joined 6900 days ago 2340 posts - 2444 votes Speaks: Swedish*, Finnish, EnglishC2, Spanish Studies: Mandarin Personal Language Map | Message 11 of 14 07 September 2009 at 4:25pm | IP Logged | |||||
I'm afraid it's a little more complicated than that. The rule you mention is basically correct but I don't think it applies here, as this is clearly not about a specific egg. Please compare (in Spanish this time because I feel more comfortable with it): El huevo no es pasta. La pasta no es carne. La carne no es verdura. La verdura no es dulce. El dulce no te conviene. etc... None of these are about any specific egg, or piece of meat etc. It's about X as food. I'm sure there will be a rule somewhere in the grammar book that applies to the use of the definite article here, but it's not the one about it being a specific object. 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| meus azuis Bilingual Diglot Newbie United StatesRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 6153 days ago 21 posts - 21 votes Speaks: English*, Gujarati* Studies: Portuguese, Mandarin | Message 12 of 14 07 September 2009 at 8:17pm | IP Logged | |||||
If i may continue the argument... Yes, "the egg" is specific, but "an egg", as previously posted, is not specific. They are different things entirely. For example, If there are 12 eggs on the table, and I say an egg fell on the floor, then It's not clear which particular egg fell. It's an individual egg, but not a specific egg. One of the 12 eggs fell, but which specific egg fell? We don't necessarily know. If there are 12 eggs on the table, and I say the egg fell on the floor, then it would have to be a specific egg that was a previous subject of the conversation. Everyone in the conversation should know specifically which egg fell. Edited by meus azuis on 07 September 2009 at 8:22pm 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Lingua Decaglot Senior Member United States Joined 5582 days ago 186 posts - 319 votes Speaks: English*, German, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Danish, French, Norwegian, Portuguese, Dutch | Message 13 of 14 08 September 2009 at 1:06am | IP Logged | |||||
The terminology is inaccurate, but you do get the idea. In "an egg fell on the floor", "an egg" is a specific egg, but it is not an identified egg. After the egg has been introduced into the "universe of discourse" by being referred to as "an egg", it then can be referred to as "the egg". It was always a specific egg, but now it is also an identified egg. Edited by Lingua on 08 September 2009 at 1:48am 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| meus azuis Bilingual Diglot Newbie United StatesRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 6153 days ago 21 posts - 21 votes Speaks: English*, Gujarati* Studies: Portuguese, Mandarin | Message 14 of 14 08 September 2009 at 3:42am | IP Logged | |||||
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I do get the idea, and I agree with you.
Thanks. 1 person has voted this message useful |
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