[Grammar] choose a table vs the table

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vcolts

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Joined
Dec 14, 2008
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Korean
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South Korea
Current Location
Canada
In a restaurant context or similar,
1.
a) Can we choose a table?
b) Can we choose the table? (implying a table "we will use" but not a particular one--a subsitute for "our table")

Q.
Is (b) necessarily wrong? (and (a) right?)

2.
a) Can we change the table?
b) Can we change our table?

Q.
Is (a) wrong?


Thanks in advance.
 

Tdol

No Longer With Us (RIP)
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Nov 13, 2002
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British English
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UK
Current Location
Japan
1 b) is not wrong because we know which table you mean even if you haven't chosen it, though our sounds better to me. With 2, our or change tables are the ones I'd use- the table is not wrong but doesn't sound natural to me.
 
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