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[andrews_letterbox]

please evaluate the following sentences, i see the sentence the same but others do not.
1. the wire rope is liable to slip.
2. the wire rope is liable to slippage.

please provide me with theorethical discussions.

thank you very much.
_________________
Rod Andrew Vencer

[HughCoe]

In 1., liable = likely; "likely to slip."
In 2., liable = at risk; "at risk of slippage."
Note that "liable" in 1. takes dictionary sense sense (2),
while in 2. it takes dictionary sense (3).
The meanings are not equivalent because
the probability assessment in 1. is greater
than in 2. Why? 1. implies a particular rope in
a present application; 2. predicates a
tendency of wire rope in general.
Accordingly, "the" in 1. is used as the definite article,
i.e. "this" or "that" wire rope; in 2., "the" becomes indefinite,
as in "the cow is a ruminant quadruped."