article usage

[black_velvet]

This is a sentence from an article in The Guardian:

...After a day in which the Russian foreign ministry announced the expulsion of four British diplomats, Mr Putin called for "common sense" and said the "mini-crisis" would be resolved...

Shouldn't they have used the definite article and written "after the day in which..."

Honestly, I do not see the logic of using the indefinite article at all
Could someone explain this to me, if you please?


Russia responds in kind to diplomat expulsions | Russia | Guardian Unlimited
(this is the link)

[Anglika]

No - it is a day in which something happened. It could be any day.

The day is absolutely specific - it could not be any other day.

[black_velvet]

Originally Posted by Anglika

The day is absolutely specific - it could not be any other day.

Isn't this..
"in which the Russian foreign ministry announced the expulsion of four British diplomats"
..a specification?

[Anglika]

This is a good example of English's flexibility.

It could be "the [specific] day on which" but it can also be "a [non-specific] day on which". In my view, in this context and source (a newspaper report), either can be used and the journalist has preferred "a day".

[black_velvet]

Oh, I understand.
Thank you.