Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[dido4]

The sentence is copied from a test.

Although they heard the good news, they didn't feel happy.

I wrote this:

Although they heard this good news, they didn't feel happy.

My friend said it's not correct to use this to modify news because news is uncountable.

And this is to modify a countable noun.

Is it correct?

Thank you.

[lotus]

That's not the reason why you shouldn't use "this."

The reason is that "the" is a determiner and definite article referring to "good news." There is only one good news being referred to.


"This" is a determiner, but not a definite article. It could have been "that good news" instead of "this good news."



--lotus
_________________
War does not make one great --Yoda

[dido4]

lotus

thank you