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Megumi@Ibaraki
when "the" pressure is on... I do not understand why "the" is necessary in the following sentence. Could anyone give me an explanation? What does "the" specify in this case? Two people are talking about a job interview. And one of them says: "I tend to act like a moron when *the* pressure is on." Is it wrong to say "when pressure is on" meaning he has this tendency in general whenever he is stressed out?
Mar 15, 2017 12:14 PM
Answers · 6
1
Lol......that's a tough one, and something natives rarely if ever think about... I'll be honest, i'm struggling to come up with a logical answer. If I had to give a reply, I would say it perhaps has to do with specificity. "The" pressure is for a specific pressure, not just any pressure... For example, you as a person my have no problem stepping up to the plate and hitting a home run for the baseball team. In this case, it's still pressure, but that pressure doesn't bother you. However, if I ask you to speak in front of 150 people, perhaps that is not pressure you do well with....and when "the" pressure is on, you fall short..... Again, specific pressure to a specific situation. Hopefully that makes some sense.....lol
March 15, 2017
In this context you always use "the pressure". Perhaps there is no satisfying answer. Perhaps it is because there is such a strong focus on the fact that in this situation the person experiences such pressure, that has some result. So we use the definite article. I am at native level, but had to learn English myself, I can advise just to mimic some things, especially phrases, and hey will become second nature,
March 15, 2017
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