I believe I've posted about the definite article before (it's "the"). I encounter its misuse in scientific texts written by non-native English speakers (understandably, as English is unusual in its use of the definite article). I've been asked to make comments on a text that seems to be using this word inappropriately, but I have trouble articulating why it is wrong, and how to correct this class of error. I don't want to use an example from the text I'm reading, so I'll have to make one up that is similar:
It typically rains on the plains in Spain. Driving on the roads can be difficult.
There are a number of alternatives that would make these sentences better, but I find it difficult to specify exactly what is wrong with these sentences. A thinking person could determine that "the roads" refers to the roads in the plains in Spain, as we were just talking about them being rainy, and it can be difficult to drive in rainy conditions. This seems like the wrong argument to make, though. If a thinking person could determine all that from what was given, what is the point of the second sentence at all? I think it should be more immediately clear which roads one is talking about:
It typically rains on the plains in Spain. Driving on the roads in the region can be difficult.
This is better, but it's still not that good.
It typically rains on the plains in Spain. Driving on the roads in this region can be difficult.
If it must be two sentences, this is how I would prefer to see it. Perhaps I've arrived at a rule: Use "this" or "these" when the meaning can be determined from a nearby noun. Use "the" when the meaning is clear from overall context. How's that?
4 comments:
I have no comment.
If you DID express the thought in a single sentence, could it be:
"Because it typically rains on the plains in Spain, driving on the roads can be difficult."?
Or would it have to be:
"Because it typically rains on the plains in Spain, driving on those roads can be difficult."?
Or even:
"... driving on the roads of that region can be difficult."
I would argue that, in the case of sentence #1, you can tell which roads you're talking about from the overall context.
I find that #2 is actually more confusing, because for some reason I'm expecting "those" to refer NOT to a noun in the same sentence but to a noun in a previous sentence. But maybe that's just me.
I'm pretty bad at explaining grammar and usage. For example, I couldn't tell you WHY I decided to use "that" instead of "this" in sentence number three.
I applaud you for making THIS attempt!
I had a boss that just struck out "the" in most sentences. There were very few cases that I could argue that "the" was necessary.
It typically rains on plains in Spain. Driving on wet roads can be difficult.
As an unrelated point, Stating your point first, and then supporting it is often useful. Someone who is in a hurry will get your point, and then can deal with the argument if they are interested.
"Driving on plains in Spain can be difficult because it typically rains on those plains." (You even saw some snow there)
"el", "la", "los", y "las" son los artículos determinados en el idioma de español. Con el enspañol tu usas muchos articulos, siempre antes el nombre sustantivo, pero, en el inglís, tu no usas muchos articulos determinados: normalmente estan optativos.
Sounds like you are all right. But, at least in Spanish, articles (definite, indefinite, or quantitative) are required before all nouns except proper nouns. So I can understand why [the] foreigners like to use [the] articles even though they are optional in [///] English. Where-as English is a proper noun in this language, English would be a regular noun in Spanish and is written "el inglís".
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