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Question

Hi,I was looking at my Collins Cobuild Compact English  Learner's Dictionary and came upon the uncountable nouns like 'recognition'.1. Recognition is the act of recognizing someone or identifying something when you see it.Why does it have 'the'? I think when an uncountable is specified, 'the' is necessary like here.The furniture I purchased yesterday was well-bought in terms of its price. Then, I believe there is a 'the' use for when a person wants to make the point that there is only one such thing like this:this is the normal use of the indefinite article, Believer.For the above sentence of mine, which I have used to ask a question before, I believe a Guru  responded that this  would be inappropriate if there were more than one normal use.  Now, going back to the original question, No. 1, why it couldn't be like this?Recognition is an act of recognizing someone or identifying something when you see it. Again, sorry for asking too many questions on articles.

Fleder_m@u_S · Accepted Answer

0 01font00Hi Believer, 05002font02br
02br
01font00I believe there is a 'the' use for when a person wants to make the point that there is only one such thing like this:02font02br
01font01i00this is00 01u00the normal use02u00 of the indefinite article, Believer.02i02font02br
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01font00If there's only one such thing, it must be infinite (You surely knew it when you call its name). That's why you say "the normal use".02font02br
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01font00Now, going back to the original question, No. 1, why it couldn't be like this?02font02br
02br
01font01i001. Recognition is 01u00the act02u00 of 00recognizing someone or identifying something when you see it.02i02font02br
02br
01font00Why does it have 'the'? I think when an uncountable is specified, 'the' is necessary like here.02font02br
01font00Yes, 01i00"the"02i00 isn't necessary for 01i00"recognition"02i00, so you dont say 01i00"the recognition"02i00. However, though 01i00"act"02i00 is not a infinite noun, you give it a "the" because you had limited it in this case. Just ask a question: Which act? A: 01i00The act 02i00of recognizing someone or identifying something when you see it. 02font01font00Similar explaination to the following: 02font01font02font02br
02br
01i01font01u00The furniture02u00 I purchased yesterday was well-bought in terms of its price. 02font02br
02i02br
02br
01font00Q: Which furniture? A02font01font00: 01i00The furniture 02i00I purchased yesterday02font00, 01font00not any furniture else.02font010id1

Anonymous · Answer

0 Thank you, Fleder, for your response. 0-

Cool Breeze · Answer

0 Hi Believer02br
02br
00I would prefer 01i00the act of recognizing... 02i00in the first sentence since there is only 01b00one02b00 definition for recognition. However, if one didn't let that fact dominate one's mind when one utters the sentence, 01i00an act of recognizing02i00 wouldn't be a decidedly wrong choice. I consider it correct as well.02br
02br
00The article in your second example is due to the 01font00relative clause02font00 (01i00I purchased yesterday02i00). Similar examples:02br
01i00This is 01b00the02b00 house 01font00(that/which) I told you about.02font02br
00I didn't like 01b00the02b00 film 01font00I saw last week.02font02br
01b00The02b00 book 01font00you left on the bench02font00 has been stolen.02i02br
02br
00I see nothing wrong with 01i00this is 01b00a02b00 normal use of the article02i00 if the reference is 01b00not02b00 to a specific instance.02br
02br
00Cheers02br
00CB0-

Believer · Answer

0Thank you, Cool Breeze.02br
02br
00Can you tell me how this work?02br
02br
00Your example sentences:02br
02br
00This is the house (that/which) I told you about.02br
02br
00I didn't like the film I saw last week.02br
02br
00The book you left on the bench has been stolen.02br
02br
00My example sentence that was used by Fleder in order to answer my question:02br
02br
00The furniture I purchased yesterday was well-bought in terms of its price.02br
02br
00He said this:02br
02br
00Q: Which furniture?02br
02br
00A: The furniture I purchased yesterday, not any furniture else.02br
02br
00LOOK HERE please, what I am going to say is that (I think as you and Fleder probably agree) the previous "thes" are dependent upon the assumption that "house", "film", "book", and "furniture" are the only ones there. If there were other houses talked about, films (he??) saw, books (he?) left, and pieces of furniture purchased, then all those sentences would be incorrect. Am I right? 0-

Fleder_m@u_S · Answer

1i00LOOK HERE please, what I am going to say is that (I think as you and Fleder probably agree) the previous "thes" are dependent upon the assumption that "house", "film", "book", and "furniture" are the only ones there. 01u00If there were other houses talked about,02u02i01u00 films (he??) saw, books (he?) left, and pieces of furniture purchased, then all those sentences would be incorrect. 02u00Am I right? 02br
02br
01font00If there were other houses (or something...) talked about, all those sentences would be still correct. It's because you've said "the house that...", means you've already known it.02br
02font02br
01font00Speak simply, you use "the" when you have an image of what you wanna talk about in your mind. Maybe not the only ones somehow.02br
02font02br
01font00For example, 01i00there're many houses in this town, but what is the house in which you've living?02i02br
00(When I said so, I knew what I wanted to ask.)02br
02br
02font00 0-

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