[Grammar] a

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notletrest

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[FONT=&#23435]The following are copied from dictionaries by me.I doubt even an Englishman of good education can use the indefinite article correctly in them, because it is too complecated and without any hint.But I hope to find it out.Why it there the article in each phrase or not?[/FONT]​
[FONT=&#23435][/FONT]​
[FONT=&#23435]At full gallop, at a gallop , [/FONT][FONT=&#23435]At (a)high /full speed [/FONT][FONT=&#23435]At breakneck pace/speed ,[/FONT][FONT=&#23435] At full speed, at /with lightening speed, with all speed [/FONT][FONT=&#23435]With great speed, with incredible speed,[/FONT][FONT=&#23435] at (an ) ordinary speed, at a reasonable speed, at low speed, at top speed [/FONT][FONT=&#23435] [/FONT][FONT=&#23435]With breathless speed, with all convenient speed, with a maximum speed, with a mean speed ., with all possible speed, with a top speed of [/FONT][FONT=&#23435][/FONT][FONT=&#23435], with vertiginous speed with lightning speed, with the speed of a whirlwind , [/FONT][FONT=&#23435]With all speed,[/FONT]​
[FONT=&#23435]Under full speed, under an average hourly speed, [/FONT]​
[FONT=&#23435]At excess speed, [/FONT][FONT=&#23435]At a speed of =at the speed of , At devil-defying speed, at an exhilarating speed, at express speed, ( at )full speed, at a furious speed, at a giddy speed, at a good speed, at the greatest speed, at a headlong speed, at a high speed, at lower speed, at maximum speed, at moderate speed, at a reckless speed, , at reduced speed at a terrific speed, at top speed, at tremendous speed, at utmost speed, [/FONT][FONT=&#23435] [/FONT]​
[FONT=&#23435]At an extraordinary pace, at an accelerate pace at a snail[/FONT][FONT=&#23435][/FONT][FONT=&#23435]s pace, at a slow pace, with slacked pace [/FONT]​
[FONT=&#23435][/FONT]​
[FONT=&#23435]Thanks a lot![/FONT]​
 

Barb_D

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Native speakers use articles without thinking about it, most of the time.

I have read and agree that the final stages of fluency for an English learner are when articles are used entirely naturally.


I can't speak for well-educated English men, but this well-educated American woman uses articles without conscious thought the vast majority of the time. I can also tell you that moderately and even poorly educated people correctly use articles without conscious thought most of the time. We don't learn and apply complex grammatical rules to our speech -- we just speak.

Yes, there are times when we do debate whether to use a "the" or no article at all, but there are also times when it just doesn't make a difference.
 

notletrest

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Native speakers use articles without thinking about it, most of the time.

I have read and agree that the final stages of fluency for an English learner are when articles are used entirely naturally.


I can't speak for well-educated English men, but this well-educated American woman uses articles without conscious thought the vast majority of the time. I can also tell you that moderately and even poorly educated people correctly use articles without conscious thought most of the time. We don't learn and apply complex grammatical rules to our speech -- we just speak.

Yes, there are times when we do debate whether to use a "the" or no article at all, but there are also times when it just doesn't make a difference.
I make bold to say you didn't take a serious attitude towards my asking.You mean there are times ... and there are times ,But what the times mean remains a great problem to a man whose mother tongue is not English. I bet your parden!
 

freezeframe

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I make bold to say you didn't take a serious attitude towards my asking.You mean there are times ... and there are times ,But what the times mean remains a great problem to a man whose mother tongue is not English. I bet your parden!

The response was serious and correct; people here are friendly and try to help with any question.

Articles are the last stage of learning English for speakers whose native language does not contain any. Just because it seems difficult and daunting to you, it doesn't mean that it's too complicated for a native speaker. If I wished to learn Chinese, I am sure that it would be extremely difficult and challenging. But it wouldn't mean that you'd find the things that seem impossible to me difficult, because it's your native language.

You will not learn how to use articles by reading the dictionary. The use of articles depends in large part on context. Explaining articles in phrases you find in a dictionary is not useful -- you need to look at sentences and paragraphs so you can see the context. Also, many phrases included in the dictionaries are idiomatic and you just got to memorize them.

You can review some basic rules on article usage; there are flow charts to help with this. After that, you just need to practice English through reading, listening, writing and speaking.

Also, just reading a huge block of phrases from a dictionary is not useful. Words are best memorized in context. And many idiomatic expressions are for advanced learners. Focus on the basics and on building up your vocabulary in small steps.
 

5jj

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I make bold to say you didn't take a serious attitude towards my asking.
I agree entirely with what freezeframe wrote: "The response was serious and correct".

I would also apply the words to the whole of post #4
 

notletrest

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The response was serious and correct; people here are friendly and try to help with any question.

Articles are the last stage of learning English for speakers whose native language does not contain any. Just because it seems difficult and daunting to you, it doesn't mean that it's too complicated for a native speaker. If I wished to learn Chinese, I am sure that it would be extremely difficult and challenging. But it wouldn't mean that you'd find the things that seem impossible to me difficult, because it's your native language.

You will not learn how to use articles by reading the dictionary. The use of articles depends in large part on context. Explaining articles in phrases you find in a dictionary is not useful -- you need to look at sentences and paragraphs so you can see the context. Also, many phrases included in the dictionaries are idiomatic and you just got to memorize them.

You can review some basic rules on article usage; there are flow charts to help with this. After that, you just need to practice English through reading, listening, writing and speaking.

Also, just reading a huge block of phrases from a dictionary is not useful. Words are best memorized in context. And many idiomatic expressions are for advanced learners. Focus on the basics and on building up your vocabulary in small steps.
I will eat my words of the above and thank you for your teaching including the above three teachers.
 

Tdol

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I would also doubt that being "well-educated" would actually have that much impact on an issue like articles. For instance, you will come across some people using would of thought instead of would have thought, a usage that would be very uncommon among the more formally educated. However, those people who say it, have an understanding of the structure and have simply confused the sound of the contraction would've. The problem is not one of not understanding the underlying grammatical concepts.

With something as basic as article use, the differences between speakers of different educational backgrounds is not likely to be that great IMO. And I would also add that different native speakers may use articles differently; it's not as if there's 100% agreement on everything, but there is a broad consensus on most.
 

notletrest

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I would also doubt that being "well-educated" would actually have that much impact on an issue like articles. For instance, you will come across some people using would of thought instead of would have thought, a usage that would be very uncommon among the more formally educated. However, those people who say it, have an understanding of the structure and have simply confused the sound of the contraction would've. The problem is not one of not understanding the underlying grammatical concepts.

With something as basic as article use, the differences between speakers of different educational backgrounds is not likely to be that great IMO. And I would also add that different native speakers may use articles differently; it's not as if there's 100% agreement on everything, but there is a broad consensus on most.
OK! I see. Thanks a lot!
 
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