"The" Class vs. "A" Any One

Articles
The - class vs. A - any one	Framed \| Unframed

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Discussing Quality, Characteristics and Behavior

When discussing quality, characteristic and behavior , the or a is used: "This is true of all members of the class." "The" can refer to biological classifications: kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species. Therefore, "the" is commonly used in scientific writing. "The" can be used for anything that is classified into types.

THE - CLASS ecif		A - ANY ONE AS AN EXAMPLE OF ALL
UNSPECIFIC		UNSPECIFIC
ANIMALS The lion sleeps much of the day. Environmentalists are trying to protect the polar bear. The prarie dog is native to central North America.		ANIMALS A lion sleeps much of the day. Villagers know that a hyena can be very dangerous. The parakeet is a native of Australia.
PLANTS The banana grows in equitorial zones. Vitamin C and are contained in the orange. The banana fruit grows in hanging clusters.		PLANTS A banana makes an excellent snack. A banana is a seedless fruit. A plantain is similar to a banana.
VEHICLES, AIRCRAFT AND SHIPS The sub-compact is a North American classification. The hybrid offers consumers fuel economy.		VEHICLES, AIRCRAFT AND SHIPS A sub-compact is a popular size car. A hybrid is a fuel-saving car.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS The trombone is a brass wind instrument. Tommy Dorsey plays the trombone.		MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS A trombone is a verb portable instrument. I love the sound of a trombone.

Other kinds of classifications: architectural styles, cooking styles, clothing styles, cinema styles

Read & Contrast

The - refers to the class of instrument

It is used in formal contexts such as encyclopedias and reference books:

"The violin" refers to any and all violins of the class of stringed instruments called "violin" . For example, an encyclopedia of stringed instruments uses "the" to distinguish the "the violin family" from all other categories: the viola, the cello, the double bass.

"The violin emerged in its definitive form between 1520 and 1550 in Northern Italy."

"Violin: The History" http://www.theviolin.net/en/section/1/1+.html

violins in Cremona, Italy shop

Referring to an Instrument a Person Plays

CONTEXT	REFERENCE	EXAMPLE
Class of instrument	unspecific	Yehudi Menuhin plays the violin.
One particular instrument	specific	Yehudi Menuhin was given a violin when he was seven.
Any instrument	unspecific	Yehudi told his students that learning to playing a violin took hours of practice each day.
All	unspecific	Yehudi said violins are the most beautiful sounding instruments.

Practice 1

Select the article that refers to the class of intruments the artist plays.

#	YOUR RESPONSE	COMPARE ANSWER
1.	Louis Armstrong played and sang.
2.	Itzhak Perlman plays .
3.	Eric Clapton plays .
4.	Elton John composes songs and plays .
5.	Yo-Yo Ma, a french born American, plays .
6.	John Coltrane, jazz artist, plays .
7.	Ringo Starr of the Beatles played .

Practice 2

The Class vs. One as an Example of All

Select the if the noun refers to the class - scientific writing.
Select a if the noun refers to any one (as an example of all) - non-scientific writing.

#	YOUR RESPONSE	CHECK ANSWER
1.	dog needs a lot of care and attention.
2.	dog is a member of the canine family.
3.	dog may occassionally need to visit a veterinarian.
4.	cabernet variety of grape makes a dark red wine.
5.	grape contains a lot of vitamin C.
6.	Muscat grape is as sweet as the Concord grape.
7.	Lexus is classified as a luxury car.
8.	English language is a mixture of German, French and other languages.
9.	language includes a mixture of words borrowed from other languages.
10.	English drink a lot of tea.
11.	English person may drink several cups of tea each day.
12.	computer can help a person study.
13.	computer has been an important part of space exploration.
14.	Macintosh computer has better design than its competitors.
15.	Macintosh Pro is a dual-Intel processor computer.
16.	oak tree is from the genus Quercus.
17.	oak tree drops acorns on the ground.
18.	Victorian style of house can be seen in San Francisco neighbor hoods. Painted Ladies
19.	mini-skirt was first worn on a fashion runway in 1964. Mary Quant claims to be the original designer.
20.	mini-skirt style was named after her favorite car "the Mini".

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Julie Sevastopoulos - College of San Mateo - San Mateo, CA 94402 USA

Articles

Read & Contrast

Discussing Quality, Characteristics and Behavior

Read & Contrast

The - refers to the class of instrument

Referring to an Instrument a Person Plays

Practice 1

Practice 2

The Class vs. One as an Example of All