Tagged Questions
0
votes
1answer
61 views
Using stressed “the” to emphasize outstanding noun
I'm not a native English speaker and sometimes I encounter article "the" used in stressed form before some noun or name, mostly in movies, like "That's not the gun, that's THE gun" or "He is THE ...
2
votes
2answers
457 views
Is it “a user” or “an user” [duplicate]
Since user starts with a vowel shouldn't we use "an" ? I've seen many cases of using "a" .
3
votes
2answers
120 views
Using articles before titles beginning with articles
What are the rules for the use of articles before titles beginning with articles? Which of the following sentences is correct?
I went to the The New York Times office this morning.
I went to The New ...
0
votes
1answer
74 views
“Is there a best X?” — why “a” if it's the superlative degree?
Which of the following is grammatical?
Is there a best school?
Is there the best school?
I'm sure that the first one is right. But why?
1
vote
1answer
150 views
Is “make no mistake” a mistake?
Is "make no mistake" proper grammar?
Isn't "no" being used as a quantifier? Aren't quantified nouns supposed to be plural when the quantity is none? For example, I was taught to say, "one egg" and ...
1
vote
1answer
110 views
“Seems like an overkill” vs. “seems like overkill” [closed]
I’m wondering if an article is used with the word overkill:
Something seems like an overkill (to me).
Something seems like overkill (to me).
Which is grammatical?
0
votes
2answers
105 views
“This is a song by Lady Gaga” or “this is the song by Lady Gaga”? [closed]
Which article is appropriate in the blank below, a or the?
— What are you singing? I've heard the song many times.
— This is __ song by Lady Gaga.
-1
votes
3answers
95 views
“Is called” + article?
What is the best way to define a new object by using "Something is called [name]"? I have seen all three posibilities, that is:
Fruit of this tree is called apple.
Fruit of this tree is ...
-1
votes
3answers
204 views
What article should be used in such sentences?
What article should be used in the following sentence?
He was English by [a/the/] blood.
I feel there should be a zero article here, but I was taught that the zero article is impossible in ...
1
vote
2answers
96 views
Is “a” mandatory in “I'm a whole new (Name)”?
Let's say, your name is Kate and you say "I'm a whole new Kate!"
Now, can you drop "a" and say "I'm whole new Kate!"?
Or is it mandatory to keep it?
1
vote
4answers
305 views
“Planning for next year” vs. “planning for the next year”
I would like to start planning for next year.
In the above sentence, there is no definite article before the words next year. Should it be present, as in the following sentence which sounds far ...
0
votes
1answer
139 views
Can you use an article in front of the word “software”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Why don’t we use the indefinite article with ‘software’?
Can you say "a software" or "the software"? E.g.
That is how you use the software.
-1
votes
2answers
138 views
Do I need to add an article before the weekend?
When I’m going to have a weekend, do I have to say “It’s weekend.” Or do I need to add ‘a’ or ‘the’ in front of the weekend?
0
votes
5answers
351 views
“Is of the view that” vs. “is of a view that” [closed]
Is there any significant difference in the meanings of sentence 1 and sentence 2 below?
Mr. Jones is of a view that the project is unnecessary.
Mr. Jones is of the view that the project is ...
4
votes
4answers
162 views
“king of” or “the king of”
Which is correct?
I am king of the world.
I am the king of the world.
Additionally, which would be the better choice, if I wanted to use the expression "king" to signify dominance in a ...
1
vote
2answers
62 views
“Follow evolution” vs. “follow the evolution”
Is the article the needed in the following sentence and why?
Want to follow [the] evolution of the project?
3
votes
1answer
140 views
What articles can I use with “maximum/minimum [noun]”?
There's a short piece of text whose heading is as follows:
Maximum variability and openness
The variability and openness should refer to the features of an application.
Which article ...
-1
votes
1answer
46 views
“Moved to trash” vs. “moved to the trash”
Would you choose as a notification message displayed to a user on a website "your messages have been successfully moved to trash" or "... the trash"?
What is the difference and which one is more ...
0
votes
4answers
130 views
How can I say four different colors for five different items using “one”, “another”, “the other”? [closed]
Am I saying this correctly?
There are five items in four different colors. One is in red, another is in yellow, another is in green, and the others are in black.
Also, can I say:
Two items ...
2
votes
5answers
222 views
“You're missing the posts only available to members” — should there be a “the” in there?
Consider this sentence:
You're missing posts only available to members.
I think it should actually be
You're missing the posts available only to members
or at least
You're missing ...
8
votes
5answers
462 views
Use of “The better”?
Disclamer: English isn't my first language.
I learned during my English courses (a few years ago), that there is, as in French (which is my first language), a comparative and superlative version for ...
-4
votes
1answer
197 views
The correct way to say something is hired on an hourly basis
Which of the following is correct?
We hire our bicycle...
by the hour.
by hours.
by an hour.
for hours.
2
votes
2answers
110 views
“From an attic of a building” vs. “from the attic of a building”
Could you choose the most natural sentence, please?
As a kitten, she fell from an attic of a nine-storey bulding into a ventilation shaft.
As a kitten, she fell from the attic of a ...
1
vote
1answer
75 views
“The existing and proposed manuals” vs. “the existing and the proposed manuals”
Which one of the following is correct?
A comparison between the existing and proposed manuals is as follows.
A comparison between the existing and the proposed manuals is as follows.
Do ...
8
votes
2answers
470 views
“Any” with countable nouns in questions
I have seen "is “any” also used with plurals", which explains that any can be used with singular, plural, and uncountable nouns.
However, I want to ask specifically about questions. ...
2
votes
2answers
222 views
Using an appropriate article before the word “leadership”
I had a quick question. Recently a co-worker posted a how-to guide entitled "How to be a good leadership at work". To me the sentence seems incorrect. But I can't explain why. Technically leadership ...
6
votes
3answers
940 views
“What kind of a person” vs. “what kind of person”
I often hear people saying what kind of [singular noun] rather than what kind of a [singular noun].
Are we not supposed to use an article (a) before noun?
1
vote
1answer
423 views
“Against traffic” or “Against the traffic”
The following first sentence comes from Wikipedia, which 'the' is not used before 'traffic', while the second one comes from BBC, which has 'the' before 'traffic'. I wonder if both usages are correct ...
3
votes
2answers
211 views
Articles with general concepts
I have the following sentence in the beginning of a chapter:
This chapter lays down the fundamentals of distributed processing. It provides the basics for data processing...
I would like to ask ...
-2
votes
2answers
344 views
Is this considered grammar? [closed]
If I say "today was good day," and add an a in the right spot like, "today was a good day," from a broad view, is what I just did considered a grammatical change or something else?
8
votes
5answers
445 views
Do idioms pose an exception to normal definite and indefinite article usage?
I found this phrase in my biology textbook (emphasis added):
...in relation to Earth's history, 100,000 years or even a million years is the blink of an eye.
The part of the phrase in question ...
1
vote
1answer
177 views
Is “the” required in “Welcome to [the] premier issue of”?
In the premier issue of a new magazine I saw today, the first line reads "Welcome to premier issue of Vegas/Rated."
I was thrown by the lack of some other word preceding "premier". It could have an ...
1
vote
4answers
278 views
Does one apply “to university” or “to a university”?
Is one of these more correct?
I will apply to university next year.
I will apply to a university next year.
Also:
I go to university.
I go to a university.
0
votes
1answer
123 views
Correct English: “An L.V.” or “a L.V.”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
“a” or “an” for words that don't start with vowels but sound like they're starting with a vowel
Do you use “a” or “an” before acronyms?
Does one use 'a' or ...
2
votes
2answers
432 views
“To be elected chairman” vs. “to be elected the chairman”
I have a question regarding the correct use of the definite article "the":
One of my books says:
Definite article the is used before
nouns denoting a position that can be
held by one person ...
3
votes
2answers
149 views
“A dual nationality” vs. “dual nationalities”
Which one is correct?
He has a dual nationality.
He has dual nationality.
He has dual nationalities.
8
votes
3answers
447 views
Is it correct to say “one out of *a* possible four”?
I am curious if it is correct to say "one out of a possible four".
This is what I found in a publication:
Discrete level (one out of a possible
four), corresponding to a range of
safety ...
5
votes
4answers
958 views
Is the phrase “man is mortal” grammatically correct?
Or, must it be "Every man is mortal"? How about "Tree is mortal"?
In another sense, "A detailed description of a man", "A detailed description of man" or "A detailed description of Man"?
2
votes
1answer
224 views
“Bad weather doesn't exist” vs. “The bad weather doesn't exist”
Should it be:
Bad weather doesn't exist.
or
The bad weather doesn't exist.
5
votes
4answers
326 views
“In the nick of time” or “in a nick of time?”
They both sound right and I've found examples of both.
4
votes
1answer
583 views
Use or omit “the” before profession?
This image-stabilising system for a hand-held camera, developed by cameraman Garrett Brown in 1973, offers (...)
Wouldn't it be more correct to write "the cameraman Garrett Brown"?
Is omitting ...
4
votes
2answers
8k views
13
votes
3answers
784 views
Definite article — “on television” vs. “on the radio”
Why are these different?
We heard the news on the radio.
We watched the news on television.
In this book, the author says we must use television without the. Why? It makes me crazy. Is ...
2
votes
3answers
633 views
Is “if winning isn't everything then why do they keep score” a correct sentence?
We wanted to use this as a T-shirt quote, but I feel that "if winning isn't everything then why do they keep score" is wrong. The correct sentence should be "if winning isn't everything then why do ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
Missing articles?
Aren't some articles missing in the following sentence?
... when traditional pattern of landscape became established.
Or is it something else that is wrong with this sentence?
Context.
5
votes
4answers
5k views
Is it “a uniform” or “an uniform”? [duplicate]
On a Physics specification, it says:
6.7 Know how to use two permanent magnets to produce a uniform magnetic field pattern.
Isn't it "produce an uniform magnetic field", or is the existing ...
3
votes
2answers
123 views
“Ate cheeseburger” or “ate a cheeseburger”?
Which of the following is correct?
Ate a cheese burger last night.
Ate cheese burger last night.
