A/the book is an/the instrument for time-travelling in some ways.

[Anna232]

How does the meaning change based on the use of articles? I wrote this simple sentence but realised how many nuances it can have. I understand a book to mean "any book". "An instrument" any instrument. "In some ways" or "some way" I think its use depends whether I am talking about one way or more. Am I right?
A/the book is an/the instrument for time-travelling in some ways. As a child I especially loved reading English literature. I would imagine myself walking down those narrow cobbled streets on a rainy day. English books would often take me to those places I had never visited before.
Context: I am sharing my opinion about reading. The part after the sentence in the title is added for context.

 

[tedmc]

Different articles are for different purposes of course. What is your question specifically?

As a child I especially loved reading English literature books. I would imagine myself walking down those narrow cobbled streets on a rainy day. English books would often take me to those places I had never visited before.

 

[Anna232]

Different articles are for different purposes of course. What is your question specifically?

As a child I especially loved reading English literature books. I would imagine myself walking down those narrow cobbled streets on a rainy day. English books would often take me to those places I had never visited before.

I was wondering if my understanding is correct. I mean this part: "a book" in my cotext means "any book". "An instrument" means "any instrument". "In some ways" means many different ways. While in "some way" I am talking about one way or more. Am I right?

 

[emsr2d2]

I was wondering if my understanding is correct. I mean this part: "a book" in my context means "any book". "An instrument" means "any instrument".

I would say they're closer to "all books" and "all instruments".

"In some ways" means many different ways, while in "some way" I am talking about one way or more. Am I right?

"In some ways" doesn't have to mean many different ways, just more than two or three (roughly!)
"Some way", being singular, cannot mean more than one. It means "to a certain extent".

 

[Anna232]

I would say they're closer to "all books" and "all instruments".

"In some ways" doesn't have to mean many different ways, just more than two or three (roughly!)
"Some way", being singular, cannot mean more than one. It means "to a certain extent".

And "the instrument" means in this context that it is the only instrument for time-travelling. Right?

 

[güey]

Different articles are for different purposes of course. What is your question specifically?

As a child I especially loved reading English literature books. I would imagine myself walking down those narrow cobbled streets on a rainy day. English books would often take me to those places I had never visited before.

I would keep the first "those", as it connects it to "English literature" in the previous sentence, and not add "books".

A/the book is an/the instrument for time-travelling in some ways.

You can say that about some books (like classical literature) though, not all books in general.

 

[tedmc]

I would keep the first "those", as it connects it to "English literature" in the previous sentence, and not add "books".

Why is it better to say "read English literature (a subject)" than "read English literature books"?

Why is "walking down those narrow cobbled street" better than "walking down narrow cobbled streets"?

 

[Tarheel]

I might say:

In a way, it's like time traveling.

Or:

In a way, it's like going back in time.

 

[güey]

Why is it better to say "read English literature (a subject)" than "read English literature books"?

I don't understand why anyone would feel the need to add "books" to that in the first place. It makes it less natural.

Why is "walking down those narrow cobbled street" better than "walking down narrow cobbled streets"?

Because, most likely, you're talking about the narrow cobbled streets in a particular novel. Without that, it just looks like a general statement unrelated to the previous part.

 

[Tarheel]

I don't understand why anyone would feel the need to add "books" to that in the first place. It makes it less natural.

Because, most likely, you're talking about the narrow cobbled streets in a particular novel. Without that, it just looks like a general statement unrelated to the previous part.

I agree with the first one.

 

[emsr2d2]

Because, most likely, you're talking about the narrow cobbled streets in a particular novel. Without that, it just looks like a general statement unrelated to the previous part.

In that case, out of curiosity, in the quote box in post #6, why did you cross out the first "those" but then say you'd keep it?

 

[güey]

why did you cross out the first "those"

But I didn't. I simply quoted post #2 and left it intact.

 

[emsr2d2]

But I didn't. I simply quoted post #2 and left it intact.

Ahhh. Sorry! I thought you'd deleted it yourself. I would have put that "those" back in, in red, in the quote box in post #6.

 

[güey]

Ahhh. Sorry! I thought you'd deleted it yourself. I would have put that "those" back in, in red, in the quote box in post #6.

I agree, but the edit option’s expired anyway.