[Grammar] <The> country

[moseen]

Hello everyone!

What does the difference between two sentences? why does "country" one time come from with "a" and one time with "the"?

1. Canada is a very big country.

2. Do you live in a town or in the country?

Reference: Essential Grammar in Use by Raymond Murphy , the sentence with number 1 come from Unit 70 and the sentence with number 2 come from Unit 71.

 

[Matthew Wai]

http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/country?q=country

In your quoted sentences, 'country' in #1 and #2 refer to definition #1 and #4 in the above link respectively, so different articles should be used.

 

[moseen]

http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/country?q=country

In your quoted sentences, 'country' in #1 and #2 refer to definition #1 and #4 in the above link respectively, so different articles should be used.

Always do we use "a" for definition #1 and use "the" for definition #4 in dictionary?

 

[emsr2d2]

Do we always [STRIKE]do we[/STRIKE] use "a" for definition #1 and use "the" for definition #4 in the dictionary?

Note the correct way to construct a question.

 

[Rover_KE]

Also

What [STRIKE]does[/STRIKE] is the difference between these two sentences?

 

[Matthew Wai]

Always do we use "a" for definition #1 and use "the" for definition #4 in dictionary?

In definition #1: China is the big country where I live. China is a big country you want to visit.