Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[T.A]

Hello! I have a question about this sentence:

Culture shock is simply a reomoval or change in meaning of many of the familiar singals one encounters at home and the substitution for them of other signals which are strange.

Why 'a' for 'removal or change', not 'the'? And why 'the' for 'substitution', not 'a'? What do you think the choice of those articles implies?

[doliver]

T. A. wrote:

Hello! I have a question about this sentence:

Culture shock is simply a removal or change in meaning of many of the familiar signals one encounters at home and the substitution for them of other signals which are strange.

Why 'a' for 'removal or change', not 'the'? And why 'the' for 'substitution', not 'a'? What do you think the choice of those articles implies?

Comments:

The "culture shock" sentence is not, in my opinion, well written: I see no reasons for use of different articles before removal and substitution. I would probably write the in both cases, but I might also write the sentence with no articles before removal and substitution ("simply removal or change . . . ," "and substitution for them . . . ").

Sincerely,

D. Oliver
_________________
Dennis Oliver
Estrella Mountain Community College
Avondale, AZ U.S.A.
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu

[T.A]

Thank you, Sir!