Classifying
| Generic
| Numeric
| Aspective
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The article shows that the noun belongs to a certain class of things.
| The article shows a typical member of a certain class of things.
| The article shows its original meaning of the numeral ‘one’.
| The article shows a special aspect of the notion expressed by an uncountable abstract noun.
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This flower is a rose.
They bought her a book as a present.
| A rose is a flower. (= every rose is a flower)
| Henry gave Lydia a big red rose.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
| With that rose he offered her an unusual love.
It was an elation that seemed to give her wings.
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Functions of the Definite Article
Specifying (individualizing) function
| Generic function
|
The article shows a particular object that is singled out from the whole class of these objects.
| The article shows that the noun means the whole class of things it denotes.
|
The book I need is on the table.
He was eating the bread that the servant had brought him the day before.
| The book is a great source of knowledge.
Nobody knows when the violin was first made.
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Don’t confuse the articles in the generic function
a
| the
|
The article shows a typical member of a certain class of things.
| The article shows that the noun means the whole class of things it denotes.
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A writer is someone who writes books, stories etc, especially as a job. (gives a definition of any writer’s job)
| Should the writer be impartial while writing his books? – (implies the idea of the writer’s responsibility)
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