Example

[PINKGREAT]

Hello, dear teachers.

It has been so many times down we not talked. I've been studying Portuguese.

My question is:

What means 'example' in the sentence:

A/an can mean 'any example of something'.

Thanks in advance.

Olga

[Tdol]

As the indefinite article only sepcifies the number and doesn't refer to a specific something, it just refers to an example- if I say 'a table', then you cannot say which particular table, so I referring to any single example of that item of furniture.

[PINKGREAT]

1. And a 'CD' is an example of what?

2. I meant: what means a word 'example'. Just it.

3. Do a 'number' and an 'example' mean one thing?

[Tdol]

If I say 'a CD', I am just referring to a single CD- not any in particular, so it could be any one of the million available. If I saw 'the CD', it could only be one single CD out of all available (the one I bought yesterday, etc).

[PINKGREAT]

Thank you. I get it.

[Tdol]

Excellent- articles are tricky things.