Mary Bright
Junior Member
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2010
- Member Type
- Student or Learner
- Native Language
- Russian
- Home Country
- Belarus
- Current Location
- Belarus
I know that one of the rules of using the definite article is when we've got a limiting of-phrase; e.x.: the leg of a table But does that rule always work?
Trying to stick to another general rule of using 'the': 'Use it when both you and your listener know what you are talking about', I'm, however, asking myself all the time: And what if I know the subject, and my listener doesn't -- What's then?
Also, I was taught at the university that we use 'a' when describing something or someone; e.x. a blue-blue sky, a strong wind. (Without these adjectives I would have to use 'the').
So, I'm puzzled with that thing too, cuz' sometimes, even if the name has a descriptive attribute, what is used is 'the'. Could you explain to me what peculiaritites in this case are?
This is really one of the most difficult points of English grammar, I believe. Native English speakers, besides their knowledge of articles from school, have a great advantage of using them by intuition. But it'd be interesting to know: What problems do you face when using articles?
Trying to stick to another general rule of using 'the': 'Use it when both you and your listener know what you are talking about', I'm, however, asking myself all the time: And what if I know the subject, and my listener doesn't -- What's then?
Also, I was taught at the university that we use 'a' when describing something or someone; e.x. a blue-blue sky, a strong wind. (Without these adjectives I would have to use 'the').
So, I'm puzzled with that thing too, cuz' sometimes, even if the name has a descriptive attribute, what is used is 'the'. Could you explain to me what peculiaritites in this case are?
This is really one of the most difficult points of English grammar, I believe. Native English speakers, besides their knowledge of articles from school, have a great advantage of using them by intuition. But it'd be interesting to know: What problems do you face when using articles?