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Kwai_Chang_Kain
Joined: 16 Feb 2005
Location: The Borg Collective
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 Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 11:27 pm Post subject: Quick grammer question |
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| Hi all, is there any official explanation why the article "the" is not needed when we say "Would you like to come to church?" but is needed when we say "Would you like to come to the library?" Thanks. |
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withnail
Joined: 13 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul, South Korea.
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| Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 12:38 am Post subject: |
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Yes there is but perhaps not a very good one. Consider these:
I went to work.
I went to school.
I went to church.
There is no definite article in these three for the reason that they are considered almost to be universal invariants- they exist in every society. We only need to define each with when we want to identify a specific example.
Library has not made it into this small group of invariants which are so fundamental a part of society as not to require "the".
Last edited by withnail on Wed Nov 05, 2008 8:18 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Hanson
Joined: 20 Oct 2004
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| Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 1:21 am Post subject: |
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Sorry, pet peeve...
GrammAr, not grammEr |
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call_the_shots
Joined: 10 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 1:42 am Post subject: |
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http://www.toronto.edu/writing/l2the.html
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Special Uses of Articles
d) Place/object of activity nouns:
Certain nouns refer to either a place/object or to an activity. When they refer to an activity, do not use the definite article:
I go to bed at 11 o'clock.
Don't jump on the bed.
She went to school for many years.
The school was too small.
Many families eat dinner together.
The dinner was delicious.
I shower before breakfast.
The breakfast was delicious.
They are at church.
The church is very old.
She is in class.
The class is in Room 102.
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Bigfeet
Joined: 29 May 2008
Location: Grrrrr.....
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| Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 3:24 am Post subject: |
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Quick grammar answer! Sorry, couldn't resist.  |
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The Cosmic Hum
Joined: 09 May 2003
Location: Sonic Space
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| Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 7:42 am Post subject: hmm |
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you can ask...but ...
add to your grammar enigma
I went to my house.
I went home.
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jadarite
Joined: 01 Sep 2007
Location: Andong, Yeongyang, Seoul, now Pyeongtaek
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| Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 7:48 am Post subject: |
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I don't think it has to do with universality, but more with exclusiveness.
If you take a magic card trick, the common saying is "Pick A card, ANY card". After that, it is referred to it as THE card.
We don't have that in the case of home, work, or church. This is because there are no other choices as there is with picking a card from a deck. You only have 1 home, 1 church, and in theory 1 place of work. So, saying "the" would be redundant (ex. "The nose I have is itchy" vs. "My nose is itchy"). |
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ddeubel
Joined: 20 Jul 2005
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| Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 8:21 am Post subject: |
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with nail wrote,
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| they exist in every society. |
ummm excuse me????
Jadarite, thank you for summing this up......
DD |
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Kwai_Chang_Kain
Joined: 16 Feb 2005
Location: The Borg Collective
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| Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 9:21 am Post subject: |
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Grammar. Hahaha, I was in a rush when I made this thread as my co-teacher was mere seconds away from assaulting me with another one of her bloody "Why is it this way and not that way?" questions.
How about for issues of health?
What is the rule for using "a"? For example, "I have a cold" as opposed to "I have diarrhea"?
Thanks for the help folks! |
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