Example

PINKGREAT · #1 (**permalink**) 23-Dec-2006, 10:48

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 · #2 (**permalink**) 23-Dec-2006, 12:29

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 · #3 (**permalink**) 24-Dec-2006, 02:57

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 · #4 (**permalink**) 24-Dec-2006, 09:09

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 · #5 (**permalink**) 25-Dec-2006, 00:54

Thank you. I get it.

Tdol · #6 (**permalink**) 25-Dec-2006, 03:34

Excellent- articles are tricky things.


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