Tagged Questions
-1
votes
1answer
88 views
Do you feel any subtle changes in meaning with the addition or omission of article(s) in this sentence? [closed]
I'm translating a short story that is a parody of Kafka's 'Report to an Academy.' A chimp is called to present a report to an academy about the time when he was a chimp. I'm to translate into English ...
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 ...
4
votes
2answers
128 views
“To market, to market, to buy a fresh pig” vs “To the markets” valid English?
Is the phrase "to market" as in "going to the markets" valid use of the English language?
I can think of two examples in local Australian vernacular:
The Nursery Rhyme:
"To market, to market, to ...
9
votes
3answers
657 views
Use of “them” as an article, not a pronoun
I've seen a lot of times the pronoun them used like an article. For example, in the title of the Delta Rhythm Boys Them bones, or in the first sentence of "Money for nothing":
Now look at them ...
7
votes
2answers
449 views
Definite or indefinite article in “the/a devil's advocate”
I can't quite figure out which of the following expressions is more correct:
He is the devil's advocate.
He is a devil's advocate.
He is playing devil's advocate.
The combination of an article ...
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.
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 ...
