<this> virus that...

[WilliamTaft]

Source: Oxford University Press - Open Forum 1- 4

Student A: You mean he forgets things?
Student B: Right. He lost his memory. He had encephalitis—this virus that destroyed the part of his brain that controls memory.

Does "a" or "the" work in this context?

 

[Tarheel]

I would prefer "a" there.

 

[emsr2d2]

I would use "a" there only if the person went on to describe the general effects of encephalitis (that would use the present tense and wouldn't use "his"). To keep the end of the sentence intact, I'd use the definite article. In real life, I'd use neither. I'd say "He had encephalitis - it destroyed the part of his brain ...".

 

[Tarheel]

@emsr2d2 That's way more words than I wanted to use.

 

[jutfrank]

Does "a" or "the" work in this context?

This is not a good question. Work to do what?

I don't think you should try and change language that has been written specially by an expert, to serve as a model. Instead, ask why 'this' is the best choice for the context. You can't go around replacing the words native speakers use.

 

[WilliamTaft]

This is not a good question. Work to do what?

I don't think so. At least six people here, including you, understood me. It is good enough for me, a non-native English speaker.

 

[WilliamTaft]

I don't think you should try and change language that has been written specially by an expert, to serve as a model.

I don't think so. I think "try and change" is a good way to learn, especially a foreign language.
At least four native speakers here would not use "this" in that context.

 

[WilliamTaft]

Instead, ask why 'this' is the best choice for the context.

I don't know if it is "the best choice."

 

[WilliamTaft]

You can't go around replacing the words native speakers use.

I can and should do this because I also think it's a good method to learn English. There is always more than one way to express one thing.

 

[jutfrank]

I'm sorry if I upset you. I'm speaking as a teacher, that's all. I've spent nearly every day of the last four weeks writing and talking about teaching methodology, and when my head is filled with something, sometimes it spills out. I was genuinely trying to understand what you were asking, and I would never pretend to misunderstand you.

I don't know if it is "the best choice."

I meant it is the best choice in the sense that that's what the speaker chose to use, for a reason. Are you not asking anything related to that word? I thought perhaps you were, indirectly.

If you replace it with 'a' or 'the', it could make sense but you'd change the meaning. Does that count for you as 'working'? Whether your two suggested words make sense in the context? Or is it just whether they'd be grammatical that you want to know? Or is it ultimately something else?

 

[Tarheel]

Source: Oxford University Press - Open Forum 1- 4

Student A: You mean he forgets things?
Student B: Right. He lost his memory. He had encephalitis—this virus that destroyed the part of his brain that controls memory.

Does "a" or "the" work in this context?

While "why" questions are often hard to answer, in this case, I would use "a" because the person seems to be describing the virus. (The word "this" might be appropriate in that person's vernacular. I wouldn't argue about it. (Arguing takes up time you could be doing something else, like playing chess. .))