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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.
13 mai 2024 14:30
Réponses · 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.
13 mai 2024
a person = any person = one
15 mai 2024
No, it's the right choice of article. No specific person was mentioned.
13 mai 2024
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