Verona_82
Senior Member
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2010
- Member Type
- Other
- Native Language
- Russian
- Home Country
- Russian Federation
- Current Location
- Ukraine
Hello,
I'm really confused about the usage of articles with names of different kinds of shops and places.
For example, we say
I went to the bank/post office/shops.
But do we say:
I needed a tie, so I went to a clothes shop.
I needed to book a flight, so I went to a travel agent.
I needed to do some photocopying, so I went to a photocopy shop?
It's also unclear if we always use 'the' with such shops as newsagent('s), chemist('s), baker('s) etc. I've come across sentences where they were preceded with 'a', and I 'm struggling to get the logic.
I needed some aspirins, so I went to the chemist('s) (possibly the one round the corner, or the one I always go to)
On arriving in X, we felt badly and went straight to a chemist('s). (one of the local ones)
Go to the florist('s) and buy her some flowers (a definite florist)
If you need flowers, you should go to a florist('s) (one of those available in town)
Does that make any sense?
I'd really be grateful for help.
Thank you.
I'm really confused about the usage of articles with names of different kinds of shops and places.
For example, we say
I went to the bank/post office/shops.
But do we say:
I needed a tie, so I went to a clothes shop.
I needed to book a flight, so I went to a travel agent.
I needed to do some photocopying, so I went to a photocopy shop?
It's also unclear if we always use 'the' with such shops as newsagent('s), chemist('s), baker('s) etc. I've come across sentences where they were preceded with 'a', and I 'm struggling to get the logic.
I needed some aspirins, so I went to the chemist('s) (possibly the one round the corner, or the one I always go to)
On arriving in X, we felt badly and went straight to a chemist('s). (one of the local ones)
Go to the florist('s) and buy her some flowers (a definite florist)
If you need flowers, you should go to a florist('s) (one of those available in town)
Does that make any sense?
I'd really be grateful for help.
Thank you.