Pavel
An English learner vs English articles (again) Hello italki community, A native English sentence - And drinking too much can cause a(*) person to pass out altogether. Shouldn't we use "the" article instead of a(*) here? Why? Well, my non-native logic - THE person here would mean that exact person who drinks too much, not any person, but definite one. If Matt drinks too much, well Matt will pass out, not John. Thank you.
١٣ مايو ٢٠٢٤ ١٤:٣٠
الإجابات · 3
1
In this type of construction, it's referring to a general person (any person) who fits the criteria. If you did use 'the' it wouldn't sounds too weird or jarring, though.
١٣ مايو ٢٠٢٤
a person = any person = one
١٥ مايو ٢٠٢٤
No, it's the right choice of article. No specific person was mentioned.
١٣ مايو ٢٠٢٤
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