magic dragon
Member
- Joined
- May 17, 2019
- Member Type
- English Teacher
- Native Language
- Japanese
- Home Country
- Japan
- Current Location
- Japan
Would you answer my question?
A: The student took the wrong train, and he was late for the class.
I'd like to know why "the wrong train" is used, not a wrong one.
I think when the hearer hears the phrase "the wrong train", he/she tries to search for the clue for a definite article being used. However, he/she can't find it.
When you identify "the wrong train", you identify it among many wrong trains.
However, when the students is getting on the train he's going to take, he probably doesn't assume he might take an incorrect train, and there're many wrong trains.
So here the identification (specifying) of a thing among many things doesn't hold.
In my opinion, when you make a right-or-wrong choice, there are only 2 options (a right choice and a wrong choice), and whichever you choose it is specified. Hence there are the right choice and the wrong choice.
Let me give you a similar (I think it similar) example. In "He looked me in the eye" and "He cut himself in the hand", which eye is looked at and which hand is cut don't matter. Neither "the eye" nor "the hand" refers to an individual eye or hand. It is somewhat conceptual.
Similarly "the wrong train" doesn't refer to any individual train. I think "the wrong train" isn't specified among many individual wrong trains and that it's specified in terms of binary opposition (in contrast with the right train).
I'd like your opinions.
A: The student took the wrong train, and he was late for the class.
I'd like to know why "the wrong train" is used, not a wrong one.
I think when the hearer hears the phrase "the wrong train", he/she tries to search for the clue for a definite article being used. However, he/she can't find it.
When you identify "the wrong train", you identify it among many wrong trains.
However, when the students is getting on the train he's going to take, he probably doesn't assume he might take an incorrect train, and there're many wrong trains.
So here the identification (specifying) of a thing among many things doesn't hold.
In my opinion, when you make a right-or-wrong choice, there are only 2 options (a right choice and a wrong choice), and whichever you choose it is specified. Hence there are the right choice and the wrong choice.
Let me give you a similar (I think it similar) example. In "He looked me in the eye" and "He cut himself in the hand", which eye is looked at and which hand is cut don't matter. Neither "the eye" nor "the hand" refers to an individual eye or hand. It is somewhat conceptual.
Similarly "the wrong train" doesn't refer to any individual train. I think "the wrong train" isn't specified among many individual wrong trains and that it's specified in terms of binary opposition (in contrast with the right train).
I'd like your opinions.