Godiva Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
Articles - need help please!
Hi to everyone!
Please pretend that "dust" is being introduced for the first time in my example:
Larry came up to a bookcase and wiped (the) dust off the shelf.
1. Is it correct to omit the article before 'dust'? Dust may or may not be on a bookshelf. It's not a given... It's not like 'Larry cut the hair off his head' (most heads have hair and 'the' means that Larry cut all of it).
So I think no article is okay . . .
2. . . . but I also think "the" is okay, even if this dust has not been mentioned before. But why? It is because
i) many people expect there to be dust on a bookshelf?
ii) or because the words 'off the shelf' makes this dust definite enough?
If someone could answer these questions, I would be so very grateful! Thank you for your charitable help!
Please pretend that "dust" is being introduced for the first time in my example:
Larry came up to a bookcase and wiped (the) dust off the shelf.
1. Is it correct to omit the article before 'dust'? Dust may or may not be on a bookshelf. It's not a given... It's not like 'Larry cut the hair off his head' (most heads have hair and 'the' means that Larry cut all of it).
So I think no article is okay . . .
2. . . . but I also think "the" is okay, even if this dust has not been mentioned before. But why? It is because
i) many people expect there to be dust on a bookshelf?
ii) or because the words 'off the shelf' makes this dust definite enough?
If someone could answer these questions, I would be so very grateful! Thank you for your charitable help!
Top answer
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Hello, Godiva—and welcome to English Forums. Thank you for registering as a member.
Godiva1. Is it correct to omit the article before 'dust'?Yes.
Godiva2. . . . but I also think "the" is okayYes.
Godiva becausei) many people expect there to be dust on a bookshelf?Yes.
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