a/the

[polokoza]

Hello,

can anyone please tell me if this sentence sounds natural? My main problem is "an ecotone" vs. "the ecotone":

A specific position among the landscape units occupies the ecotone, a transition area between two or more adjacent ecosystems.
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Thanks a lot!

 

[rmsh16]

<Not a teacher>

1) Use "between" for two items and use "among" for more than two.
2) Subject "units" conflicts with verb "occupies.
3) You may either use "an" or "the". I feel an ecotone would be correct.

....Rasna

 

[Khosro]

I don't think that "occupy" is the right word here, I don't think that "a specific position" can "occupy" something in this sense.

Why not just say:
"An ecotone is a transition area between two or more adjacent ecosystems".

What you wrote about "a specific position" doesn't seem to add anything special to your sentence.

 

[mafto]

<Not a teacher>

1) Use "between" for two items and use "among" for more than two.
2) Subject "units" conflicts with verb "occupies.
3) You may either use "an" or "the". I feel an ecotone would be correct.

....Rasna

NOT A TEACHER

as for 2) - I don't think 'units' is the subject. According to the sentence it looks that 'position' is the subject but I have some doubts about it's being joined with the verb 'occupy'. If 'ecotone' is the subject, than I would say that the word order of the sentence is incorrect.

 

[polokoza]

Thanks to all of you! "An ecotone" is the subject and the "specific position" must be mentioned. How about this one:

An ecotone, which is a transition area between two or more adjacent ecosystems, has a specific position among the landscape units.

 

[polokoza]

Mafto, the original sentence I am trying to translate is:

Specifické postavení mezi krajinnými jednotkami zaujímá ekoton, přechodová zóna mezi dvěma nebo více ekosystémy.

 

[Khosro]

Thanks to all of you! "An ecotone" is the subject and the "specific position" must be mentioned. How about this one:

An ecotone, which is a transition area between two or more adjacent ecosystems, has a specific position among the landscape units.

Much better. And if you want to attract the reader's attention you might say:"Among the landscape units there is one with a unique position, the ecotone, a transition area ...".