Thread: articles

Dear english native speakers. When I started to learn English tongue, I was surprised by presence of articles "a, the" in the english grammar. And even now I don`t understand the absolute necessity of its. Really, without using articles, we would haven`t understood definite or undefinite, countable or uncountable Nouns? IMHO unnecessary. Yes or No?

Dear WishMaster and all who speak English! Could you be so kind as to explain me the principle rules of using A and THE in English phrases (in two-three examples)? It remins mystery for me!

Thank you!

Издеваешься ? Или серьезно?

Серь-ё-зно!

Wishmaster (nice nick! ) and Leof -


A: is just what its name says it is: an indefinite article; i.e. the thing you are referring to is not specifically defined , whereas THE is definite: it is that one, specific thing you are referring to, you know more about it......- examples make it easier to understand, I think:

Could I have a chair, please? (any chair - I want to sit down)
Can I sit on the chair? (that chair - the speaker knows more about that chair - maybe it is broken, so it may be dangerous to sit on it; or it may be a very expensive design chair and the owner doesn't want anyone to sit on it..... etc)

Did you see a man in the street? (any man - I thought the street was empty, and you tell me you have seen a man; not important which man)
Did you see the man in the street? (actually, there were many men - but we had talked about a man with a long red beard before ; this is a man that has been specified: the man)

The answer to the last question could be:
I saw a man in the street, but I didn't see the man (and you would get an accent on "the"): this means: I saw some guy, yes, but not the man with the long red beard that we talked about before).

Understandable?
If you want more examples, just shout....

Wishmaster: are they useful?
Well, maybe only marginally.
But as in the case with the man with the beard, it is immediately clear to the person hearing the question that it is THAT man that he is being asked about.
Let's say that "the" is a weaker form of "this" or "that" (although I'm really generalizing now )

You can simply buy this book for a few bucks:






http://www.b52097.100book.ru/

Originally Posted by Leof

the principle rules of using A and THE in English phrases (in two-three examples)?

Если можешь по-русски перед существительным сказать "один" и это не поменяет смысл того что ты хочешь сказать, используй A. Если можно сказать этот/эта/это - используй THE.
1. В (этой) комнате есть (один) стул. There is a chair in the room. (этот)Стул - красный. The chair is red.
2. Это был один мой друг... It was a friend of mine...
3. В (этом) небе... - in the sky... (по-русски нельзя сказать "в одном небе")

З.Ы. ИМХО, артикль довольно бесполезная вещь.

Thank you friends. I know, how to use articles (maybe not so good - this is a matter of time), but i tell you about expediency, generally. May be articles will die in time? How for example "shall" - exchanged by "will".... IMHO

Guys you are amazing! Thank you alot - you have explained everything perfectly! I guess I understood the rule.

Thanks for help!

Вспомнился старый анекдот на эту тему:
Новому русскому, изучающему ангийский объясняют что такое артикли: "артикль "a" означает "типа" а артикль the - "конкретно"". Шутки шутками, но это правило неплохо работает.

Originally Posted by WishMaster

Thank you friends. I know, how to use articles (maybe not so good - this is a matter of time), but i tell you about expediency, generally. May be articles will die in time? How for example "shall" - exchanged by "will".... IMHO

You still need to learn them

I doubt articles will die out. Shall has become quite obsolete because will means the same thing.

Russian has definiteness also as in кто-то, кто-нибудь. I could say what;s the point in having two, why not just have one word.

I'm so deep in love with articles that cannot imagine the life without them. It won't be English. And, let me remind, the English are so conservative...

If you don't use the proper articles you will sound like a foreigner, something to be avoided at all costs. Is it really that hard?

Originally Posted by BY

Did you see a man in the street? (any man - I thought the street was empty, and you tell me you have seen a man; not important which man)
Did you see the man in the street? (actually, there were many men - but we had talked about a man with a long red beard before ; this is a man that has been specified: the man)

Actually, you could say: "Did you see the man in the street?" with the same meaning as "a man" (the street was empty, but then there was a man, so in your mind he is specific)

The sun had set many hours ago and all was quiet on 6th Avenue. Ali-baba was looking out of the kitchen window while doing the dishes... the street was empty, the only thing moving was the leaves blowing in the wind. Suddenly something caught Ali-baba's eye, was that a man running over the street? It looks like he ran into the neighbor's house, auntie Tutu's! The doorbell sounded in his house and he hurried to the door and opened it. His gay lover Hogan had come with a bouqet of flowers and wrapped candy. - "Did you see the man in the street?" Ali-baba blurted out, flustered.

You thought hard to have such names in your story!

Mentioning oriental names such as Ali-Baba in the context of gay love can cause a new breakout of pogroms in the East.

So, my variant could sound like this

His very rich brother Hogan, an oil tycoon from Saudi Arabia, had come with a bunch of his wives, yashmaks over their heads, and a lot of candies wrapped up in $100 banknotes. Did you see the man in the street? It was Hassan Abdrakhman ibn Hottab, Старик Хоттабыч, the sovereign of genies.

Originally Posted by mishau_

Mentioning oriental names such as Ali-Baba in the context of gay love can cause a new breakout of pogroms in the East.

So, my variant could sound like this

His very rich brother Hogan, an oil tycoon from Saudi Arabia, had come with a bunch of his wives, yashmaks over their heads, and a lot of candies wrapped up in $100 banknotes. Did you see the man in the street? It was Hassan Abdrakhman ibn Hottab, Старик Хоттабыч, the sovereign of genies.

You are right! I am so insensitive

Your version is better, you get the prize!

Your version is better, you get the prize!

Уже пропил.