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  #1 (permalink)  
Old 20-Nov-2006, 09:34
aki aki is offline
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Unhappy Help me...

Hello.
Nice to have a chance to ask English questions.

Now,I got a question from the English reading test that I took the other day.
That was about a chinese man who loves american woman.
One day,he tried to tell her that he loves her and wants her to be his girlfriend.
He said in broken English;
"You are a girl I love.You are a girl I'd like to have as my girlfriend."
But she stared at him coldly and walked away...
Many years later,He noticed the mistake that he said"a girl"in stead of"the girl".

I'm just wondering why she got angry to be said "a girl"...
Does it sound strange to native English speakers??

I'm looking forward your answer.

Aki
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Old 20-Nov-2006, 10:10
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Default Re: Help me...

Quote:
Originally Posted by aki View Post
Hello.
Nice to have a chance to ask English questions.

Now,I got a question from the English reading test that I took the other day.
That was about a chinese man who loves american woman.
One day,he tried to tell her that he loves her and wants her to be his girlfriend.
He said in broken English;
"You are a girl I love.You are a girl I'd like to have as my girlfriend."
But she stared at him coldly and walked away...
Many years later,He noticed the mistake that he said"a girl"in stead of"the girl".

I'm just wondering why she got angry to be said "a girl"...
Does it sound strange to native English speakers??

I'm looking forward your answer.

Aki
It is a bit strange, but the mistake in article use should not have provoked anger.

It should be "You are the girl I love. You are the girl I'd like to have as my girlfriend.

If this is a true story, which is doubtful, she may have been annoyed because it was too early in the relationship and he was being too forward.
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Old 20-Nov-2006, 19:04
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Default Re: Help me...

Speaking from the feminine perspective, I can tell you that she was angry because he said "a" girl, making it sound like she was one among many girls that he loved. "The" girl makes it sound exclusive, as though she would be his one and only. (Girls are funny that way.....)
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Old 20-Nov-2006, 19:43
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Default Re: Help me...

i agree with ouisch that 'she' had become angree because his statement had meant " that she is any girl or she is one of his girlfriends"
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Old 21-Nov-2006, 00:45
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Default Re: Help me...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ouisch View Post
Speaking from the feminine perspective, I can tell you that she was angry because he said "a" girl, making it sound like she was one among many girls that he loved. "The" girl makes it sound exclusive, as though she would be his one and only. (Girls are funny that way.....)
I'll bet she grew up to be a crabby English teacher.
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Old 21-Nov-2006, 07:19
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Originally Posted by MikeNewYork View Post
I'll bet she grew up to be a crabby English teacher.

You forgot old. Old and crabby.
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Old 21-Nov-2006, 07:49
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Default Re: Help me...

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Originally Posted by Ouisch View Post
You forgot old. Old and crabby.
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Old 23-Nov-2006, 11:26
aki aki is offline
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Smile Re: Help me...

thank you for replying;-D
It's all clear.
I'll be careful not to use article wrongly like that.
Anyway,thanks a lot
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Old 24-Nov-2006, 00:22
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Default Re: Help me...

Quote:
Originally Posted by aki View Post
thank you for replying;-D
It's all clear.
I'll be careful not to use article wrongly like that.
Anyway,thanks a lot
You're welcome.

True love transcends article use.
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Old 24-Nov-2006, 02:46
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Originally Posted by MikeNewYork View Post
You're welcome.

True love transcends article use.

It helps if the article comes from Tiffany or Cartier.
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