| Author |
Message |
good_man
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 3:09 am
Post subject: using articles |
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Hi,
I don't know the basic differences of using articles a,an or the. I
somewhat understrand when to use which article. But I don't understand
when to use an article and when not to. For example, do we always need
to use an article if I am using the word "technology" in the singular
form. I am reading a book and I have come across a sentence that does
not use an article before the word "technology". Can anyone please help
me understand this better?
Thanks in advance.
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Mike Lyle
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 3:55 am
Post subject: Re: using articles |
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good_man wrote:
| Quote: | Hi,
I don't know the basic differences of using articles a,an or
the.
I somewhat understrand when to use which article. But I don't
understand when to use an article and when not to. For example, do
we
always need to use an article if I am using the word "technology"
in
the singular form. I am reading a book and I have come across a
sentence that does not use an article before the word "technology".
Can anyone please help me understand this better?
Thanks in advance.
|
Do you have the same difficulty with "science", "physics",
"chemistry", "botany", "zoology", "history", "poetry", and "grammar"?
If not, apply the same rule. If you do, then you're working too many
lessons ahead of your understanding, and should go back. It's fatal
to work too quickly: you really must fully understand each lesson
before you move on to the next.
--
Mike. |
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good_man
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 4:07 am
Post subject: Re: using articles |
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Hi, thanks for your reply.
I do have problem with the words you have mentioned. But I think the
word technology does not fall in the same group as "Physics" and
"Chemistry". Because you can count technologies. Whereas, Physics and
Chemistry are unique branches of science. So you can't use articles "a"
or "an" with them. I think you may use the article "the" with these two
words(not sure). My problem with these two words is how to decide
whether or not to use the article "the". I don't know what you mean by
"lessons".
Thanks again.
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Donna Richoux
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 4:40 am
Post subject: Re: using articles |
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good_man <good_man_101@yahoo.com> wrote:
| Quote: | Hi,
I don't know the basic differences of using articles a,an or the. I
somewhat understrand when to use which article. But I don't understand
when to use an article and when not to. For example, do we always need
to use an article if I am using the word "technology" in the singular
form. I am reading a book and I have come across a sentence that does
not use an article before the word "technology". Can anyone please help
me understand this better?
Here's how the Guide to Grammar and Writing puts it: |
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/determiners/determiners.htm
Abstract nouns: Abstract nouns - the names of things that are not
tangible - are sometimes used with articles, sometimes not:
* The storm upset my peace of mind. He was missing
just one thing: peace of mind.
* Injustice was widespread within the judicial
system itself. He implored the judge to correct the
injustice.
* Her body was racked with grief. It was a grief he
had never felt before.
END QUOTE
You leave off the article (a, an, the) when you are speaking about the
subject as a whole, in a general way. You use the article when you are
talking about a specific instance of that abstract quality.
I'll make up some more examples:
Love is wonderful. The love she had for him was deep.
Speaking up requires courage. I admire the courage you showed.
Technology has its uses. The technology required for this is simple.
--
Best wishes -- Donna Richoux |
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Mike Lyle
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 5:11 am
Post subject: Re: using articles |
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good_man wrote:
| Quote: | Hi, thanks for your reply.
I do have problem with the words you have mentioned.
|
In that case, I think you should go back in your learning: you missed
something. I see that you didn't say "a problem".
| Quote: | But I think
the word technology does not fall in the same group as "Physics"
and
"Chemistry". Because you can count technologies. Whereas, Physics
and
Chemistry are unique branches of science. So you can't use articles
"a" or "an" with them. I think you may use the article "the" with
these two words(not sure). My problem with these two words is how
to
decide whether or not to use the article "the". I don't know what
you
mean by "lessons".
Thanks again.
|
I don't mean anything special by "lessons". I think you missed some
of them, or perhaps your teachers taught you a very simple version.
It's very complex, but I'm afraid there's no other way to master our
use of definite and indefinite articles than hard study, and plenty
of reading and listening. Donna has pointed you in the right
direction.
I'm sorry if I sounded too critical: I didn't mean to, because I know
it's difficult if your own language doesn't work the same way. Good
luck!
--
Mike. |
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Don Phillipson
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 5:44 am
Post subject: Re: using articles |
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"good_man" <good_man_101@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1131570430.480795.316610@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
| Quote: | I do have problem with the words you have mentioned. But I think the
word technology does not fall in the same group as "Physics" and
"Chemistry". Because you can count technologies. Whereas, Physics and
Chemistry are unique branches of science. So you can't use articles "a"
or "an" with them. I think you may use the article "the" with these two
words(not sure).
|
This is indeed the contemporary or current view, but does
not govern all occurrences of these words which we agree
are good English. E.g. we talk about Newtonian or
absolute physics and relative physics (ignoring that, currently,
we include the former as a subset of the latter:) which is
justified because quantum physics appears in some respects
to lie outside this universalist plan.
The point remains that people do indeed talk about Technology
(sing.) and when they do we find them intelligible and do not
say this usage breaks any rules. One of the senses of Technology
is (what used to be called) Applied Science, and our use of
Technology (sing.) does not repudiate the notion that there are
many competing and practically discrete technologies.
Some posters in AUE seem strongly committed to a categorial
distinction between countable and uncountable nouns. I doubt
that we need to or are obliged to apply such categories as
strictly as is possible. This is particularly so for words with
very long histories, e.g. wisdom, knowledge, art, science, etc.
Bearing in mind that the digital library of the world is not the
same as the whole library of print, it is convenient that we can
nowadays count via computer how often people write Technology
with no article and with the definite or indefinite article (or a
number.)
--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada) |
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Django Cat
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 6:00 am
Post subject: Re: using articles |
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Mike Lyle wrote:
| Quote: | good_man wrote:
Hi, thanks for your reply.
I do have problem with the words you have mentioned.
In that case, I think you should go back in your learning: you missed
something. I see that you didn't say "a problem".
But I think
the word technology does not fall in the same group as "Physics"
and
"Chemistry". Because you can count technologies. Whereas, Physics
and
Chemistry are unique branches of science. So you can't use articles
"a" or "an" with them. I think you may use the article "the" with
these two words(not sure). My problem with these two words is how
to
decide whether or not to use the article "the". I don't know what
you
mean by "lessons".
Thanks again.
I don't mean anything special by "lessons". I think you missed some
of them, or perhaps your teachers taught you a very simple version.
It's very complex, but I'm afraid there's no other way to master our
use of definite and indefinite articles than hard study, and plenty
of reading and listening. Donna has pointed you in the right
direction.
I'm sorry if I sounded too critical: I didn't mean to, because I know
it's difficult if your own language doesn't work the same way. Good
luck!
|
Good_man has put his finger on the single most baffling thing for many
English learners - certainly for those that speak first languages where
articles either don't exist (Russian and other Slavic languages, all
Far Eastern languages) or work in a very different sort of way from
English (Arabic). I've done enough research into this (and even set up
an elementary level activity website on it at
http://www.bankgatetutors.co.uk/articulator - needs a revamp some time)
to have come to the conclusion that while general rules can be taught
(so it's 'the' for rivers and mountain ranges, [zero article] for
single mountains and lakes...) at the end of the day it's just a
question of students learning particular instances, in the same way a
learner of French or Italian has to learn the gender of every noun they
meet.
It would be nice to think that Good_man would have encountered the
rules in lessons at some point, but I'm not sure what would have been
in those lessons.
DC, parenthesis, we got 'em |
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Django Cat
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 6:03 am
Post subject: Re: using articles |
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|
Donna Richoux wrote:
| Quote: | good_man <good_man_101@yahoo.com> wrote:
Hi,
I don't know the basic differences of using articles a,an or
the. I somewhat understrand when to use which article. But I don't
understand when to use an article and when not to. For example, do
we always need to use an article if I am using the word
"technology" in the singular form. I am reading a book and I have
come across a sentence that does not use an article before the word
"technology". Can anyone please help me understand this better?
Here's how the Guide to Grammar and Writing puts it:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/determiners/determiners.htm
Abstract nouns: Abstract nouns - the names of things that are not
tangible - are *sometimes used with articles, sometimes not*:
|
Yup, that's the way of it with most discussion about article usage (see
my post to Mike).
Cheers
DC |
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Salvatore Volatile
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 6:39 am
Post subject: Re: using articles |
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Tony Cooper wrote:
| Quote: | I attended Indiana University, but never bother correcting people who
say or write "University of Indiana". There is a University of
Indiana, but it's in Indiana, Pennsylvania. There's also an Indiana
State University in Terre Haute, Indiana, but it's not the university
of Indiana.
|
Check the AUE Archives for a past discussion about "Oxford University" vs.
"University of Oxford". Even the Brits can't agree on what the *real*
name is, or whether it even has one. I think the same applies to
Cambridge University and tons of other UK universities. In common use
it's clear that "Oxford University", etc., is preferred.
That's one thing the Brits never get right about American universities.
No matter how bleedingly obvious it is that, say, it's "the University of
Michigan" or "Boston University", the Brits are bound to say "Michigan
University" and "the University of Boston".
Indiana University is somewhat peculiar in adhering to the [state]
[university] naming model rather than the [university of] [state] one.
Offhand I can't think of any others like that -- note that [state] [state
university] is different. This may have been addressed in a past AUE
thread. |
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John Lawler
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 7:31 am
Post subject: Re: using articles |
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good_man <good_man_101@yahoo.com> wrote:
| Quote: | I don't know the basic differences of using articles a,an or the. I
somewhat understrand when to use which article. But I don't understand
when to use an article and when not to. For example, do we always need
to use an article if I am using the word "technology" in the singular
form. I am reading a book and I have come across a sentence that does
not use an article before the word "technology". Can anyone please help
me understand this better?
|
I'm sorry to have to tell you that article use in English is about
the hardest part of the language to learn, especially if your native
language doesn't use articles.
There are some general rules:
Use the indefinite article (a/an) to introduce a new topic noun
to a discourse. After it's been introduced, use the definite
article.
I saw a policeman walk into the room.
Bill didn't see the policeman come in, however.
When referring to general (generic) terms, use
o the indefinite article when referring to a definition
A sonnet has fourteen lines.
o the definite article when referring to an abstract ideal
The sonnet is a surprisingly easy poetic form to master.
o indefinite plural when stating a general property over a set
Sonnets are often written for weddings.
But there are long lists of exceptions and dozens of special, idiomatic
uses for all the articles (and their absence, which is essentially a third
article). Rivers are definite, but lakes aren't; it's The University of
Michigan, but Michigan State University. However, it's The Ohio State
University.
Sorry.
-John Lawler www.umich.edu/~jlawler Univ of Michigan Linguistics
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"I conceive that words are like money, not the worse for being common,
but that it is the stamp of custom alone that gives them circulation
or value." -- William Hazlitt 'On Familiar Style' (1821) |
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Blue Hornet
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 8:05 am
Post subject: Re: using articles |
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John Lawler wrote:
| Quote: | good_man <good_man_101@yahoo.com> wrote:
The University of
Michigan, but Michigan State University. However, it's The Ohio State
University.
|
And The Ohio State University is an affectation, to my ear. |
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Tony Cooper
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 8:06 am
Post subject: Re: using articles |
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On 10 Nov 2005 17:21:14 -0800, "Blue Hornet" <hornet.blue@gmail.com>
wrote:
| Quote: |
John Lawler wrote:
good_man <good_man_101@yahoo.com> wrote:
The University of
Michigan, but Michigan State University. However, it's The Ohio State
University.
And The Ohio State University is an affectation, to my ear.
|
I attended Indiana University, but never bother correcting people who
say or write "University of Indiana". There is a University of
Indiana, but it's in Indiana, Pennsylvania. There's also an Indiana
State University in Terre Haute, Indiana, but it's not the university
of Indiana.
--
Tony Cooper
Orlando, FL |
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Robert Lieblich
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 8:06 am
Post subject: Re: using articles |
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Blue Hornet wrote:
| Quote: |
John Lawler wrote:
good_man <good_man_101@yahoo.com> wrote:
The University of
Michigan, but Michigan State University. However, it's The Ohio State
University.
And The Ohio State University is an affectation, to my ear.
|
If you watch the football telecasts in which the players introduce
themselves and their alma maters at the beginning of the game, you may
have noted that players from Ohio State invariably say "THE Ohio State
University" -- heavy emphasis on "the."
--
Bob Lieblich
Graduate of The University of California at Berkeley and The George
Washington University |
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The Grammer Genious
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 8:06 am
Post subject: Re: using articles |
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Robert Lieblich <robert.lieblich@verizon.net> wrote
| Quote: | I report with some trepidation that I went to the school's website,
http://www.osu.edu/>, and saw for myself that the Totally Official
name of the school is "The Ohio State University." See for
yourselves.
|
I bet some influential alumnus was scanning the shelves of single-malt
scotch at his local upscale liquor store when he saw a bottle of The
Glenlivet, and said to himself, "Heycool!...."
Don't forget that this is the state in which the city fathers of Hamilton in
1986 had the town's name offically changed to Hamilton!. The exclamation
point is supposed to be an integral part of the name. That's the kind of
minds we're dealing with here.
http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2001/09/21/loc_citys_gimmick_made.html |
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jerry_friedman@yahoo.com
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 8:06 am
Post subject: Re: using articles |
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Blue Hornet wrote:
| Quote: | John Lawler wrote:
good_man <good_man_101@yahoo.com> wrote:
The University of
Michigan, but Michigan State University. However, it's The Ohio State
University.
And The Ohio State University is an affectation, to my ear.
|
To mine too. It was Ohio State University when my father played
trombone in the "script Ohio" (or so I'm told), and as far as I'm
concerned, it still is. IHS.
--
Jerry Friedman |
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