tailieunhanh - The grammar book teacher course part 41

Learners of English are told that it is possible to place a direct object after a certain kind of two word, or phrasal, verb when the direct object is a noun, but not when the direct object is a pronoun. The asterisk before the second example is a linguistic convention used to indicate ungrammatically. | 278 The Grammar Book In these examples we understand that an individual animal or animals are being commented upon not all lions. To distinguish among the nongeneric uses of articles we need to make the distinction between specific and nonspecific norm phrases. A specific noun phrase is one in which the identity of individual member s is clear. In the example The lion escaped from the zoo a particular lion is being referred to for instance there may have been only one lion in the zoo so its identity is dear. A nonspecific noun phrase is one where the identity of a member of the set is not clear . Have you ever seen a lion in the wild The Meaning of the Indefinite Articles Nonspecific noun phrases can only be marked with indefinite articles a an some 0 Let s rent a movie or listen to some 0 music. The identity of the movie or music is not clear. I need some 0 stamps. In other words the speaker is saying that any stamps will do. The difference between some and 0 here can be accounted for by noting that the zero article expresses a nonspecific semigeneric meaning I need stamps. The speaker is concerned with the qualitative meaning of the noun . the quantity is irrelevant Christophersen 1939 . Use of some seems to impose a limit on the number of stamps needed even though the precise number of stamps remains unspecified. I need some stamps. Another difference between sơm and 0 exists when a subject noun predicate is being used to classify . to represent a particular type or class as opposed to another type or dass. To classify the singular indefinite artide is used John is a teacher. This is a pencil. However with a plural subject noun predicate only the 0 article can be used. John and Bill are teachers. These are pencils. John and Bill are some teachers. These are some pencils. Sometimes the status of an NP preceded by an indefinite article is ambiguous. This is because it is possible to use an indefinite article when the noun being referred to by the speaker