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A car vs the car - English Article
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Consider the following sentence from Oxford learners' dictionary, under their entry for the:
There was an accident here yesterday. A car hit a tree and the driver was killed.
In the first sentence, an occurrence of an accident is mentioned. Then, why "a car" is used in the second sentence? I think it should be "the car". Since it is assumed we are talking about of a car involved in the accident.
articles definite-article indefinite-article
edited 8 hours ago
J.R.♦
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Consider the following sentence from Oxford learners' dictionary, under their entry for the:
There was an accident here yesterday. A car hit a tree and the driver was killed.
In the first sentence, an occurrence of an accident is mentioned. Then, why "a car" is used in the second sentence? I think it should be "the car". Since it is assumed we are talking about of a car involved in the accident.
articles definite-article indefinite-article
edited 8 hours ago
J.R.♦
106k9 gold badges140 silver badges260 bronze badges
asked 9 hours ago
AnonymousAnonymous
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add a comment
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Consider the following sentence from Oxford learners' dictionary, under their entry for the:
There was an accident here yesterday. A car hit a tree and the driver was killed.
In the first sentence, an occurrence of an accident is mentioned. Then, why "a car" is used in the second sentence? I think it should be "the car". Since it is assumed we are talking about of a car involved in the accident.
articles definite-article indefinite-article
edited 8 hours ago
J.R.♦
106k9 gold badges140 silver badges260 bronze badges
asked 9 hours ago
AnonymousAnonymous
757 bronze badges
Consider the following sentence from Oxford learners' dictionary, under their entry for the:
There was an accident here yesterday. A car hit a tree and the driver was killed.
In the first sentence, an occurrence of an accident is mentioned. Then, why "a car" is used in the second sentence? I think it should be "the car". Since it is assumed we are talking about of a car involved in the accident.
articles definite-article indefinite-article
articles definite-article indefinite-article
edited 8 hours ago
J.R.♦
106k9 gold badges140 silver badges260 bronze badges
asked 9 hours ago
AnonymousAnonymous
757 bronze badges
edited 8 hours ago
J.R.♦
106k9 gold badges140 silver badges260 bronze badges
asked 9 hours ago
AnonymousAnonymous
757 bronze badges
edited 8 hours ago
J.R.♦
106k9 gold badges140 silver badges260 bronze badges
edited 8 hours ago
J.R.♦
106k9 gold badges140 silver badges260 bronze badges
edited 8 hours ago
J.R.♦
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106k9 gold badges140 silver badges260 bronze badges
asked 9 hours ago
AnonymousAnonymous
757 bronze badges
asked 9 hours ago
AnonymousAnonymous
757 bronze badges
asked 9 hours ago
AnonymousAnonymous
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757 bronze badges
add a comment
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add a comment
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2 Answers
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an accident, a car
The accident on X Street or Road, the car or a car, depending.
The car is random in the first and could be specific in the second.
The Oxford's Learners Dictionary is 100% spot on, of course.
- There was an accident here yesterday. A car hit a tree and the driver was killed.
Compare:
- The accidents that occurred here yesterday were bad. The car that hit a tree ended with a dead driver.
answered 9 hours ago
LambieLambie
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The dictionary doesn't say that the sentence would be wrong if the word the was used. In fact, I think all four of the following sentences are grammatical and sensible, although they each conjure up slightly different images in my mind:
A: There was an accident here yesterday. A car hit a tree and the driver was killed.
B: There was an accident here yesterday. The car hit a tree and the driver was killed.
C: There was an accident here yesterday. A car hit the tree and the driver was killed.
D: There was an accident here yesterday. The car hit the tree and the driver was killed.
Version A (the original) is correct because the first sentence never mentions a car. (The accident could have been a motorcycle accident, or a bicycle accident, or a van hitting a pedestrian, or even a small plane crash.)
Version B (your suggested version) is not incorrect, but it assumes the speaker already knows the accident was an automobile accident involving a single automobile. (This is not outside the realm of possibility; I can imagine, say, two police officers who were already made aware of the accident before they drove past the site.)
Version C (my new version) might be said if two people were standing on the sidewalk viewing the accident site. If there was only one tree nearby and they were both looking at it, the definite article could be used in front of tree, but we might be inclined to use an indefinite article in front of car if the car itself had already been towed away.
Version D (another new version) might be said on the scene, particularly if the car is still smashed against the tree.
If the first sentence was rephrased, though, you'd have a stronger argument for using the car instead of a car:
E: There was a car accident here yesterday. The car hit a tree and the driver was killed.
This would work especially well if there were several trees in the area and the speaker did not know which tree was hit.
answered 5 hours ago
J.R.♦J.R.
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2 Answers
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2 Answers
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active
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active
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active
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an accident, a car
The accident on X Street or Road, the car or a car, depending.
The car is random in the first and could be specific in the second.
The Oxford's Learners Dictionary is 100% spot on, of course.
- There was an accident here yesterday. A car hit a tree and the driver was killed.
Compare:
- The accidents that occurred here yesterday were bad. The car that hit a tree ended with a dead driver.
answered 9 hours ago
LambieLambie
21.4k16 silver badges46 bronze badges
add a comment
|
an accident, a car
The accident on X Street or Road, the car or a car, depending.
The car is random in the first and could be specific in the second.
The Oxford's Learners Dictionary is 100% spot on, of course.
- There was an accident here yesterday. A car hit a tree and the driver was killed.
Compare:
- The accidents that occurred here yesterday were bad. The car that hit a tree ended with a dead driver.
answered 9 hours ago
LambieLambie
21.4k16 silver badges46 bronze badges
add a comment
|
an accident, a car
The accident on X Street or Road, the car or a car, depending.
The car is random in the first and could be specific in the second.
The Oxford's Learners Dictionary is 100% spot on, of course.
- There was an accident here yesterday. A car hit a tree and the driver was killed.
Compare:
- The accidents that occurred here yesterday were bad. The car that hit a tree ended with a dead driver.
answered 9 hours ago
LambieLambie
21.4k16 silver badges46 bronze badges
an accident, a car
The accident on X Street or Road, the car or a car, depending.
The car is random in the first and could be specific in the second.
The Oxford's Learners Dictionary is 100% spot on, of course.
- There was an accident here yesterday. A car hit a tree and the driver was killed.
Compare:
- The accidents that occurred here yesterday were bad. The car that hit a tree ended with a dead driver.
answered 9 hours ago
LambieLambie
21.4k16 silver badges46 bronze badges
answered 9 hours ago
LambieLambie
21.4k16 silver badges46 bronze badges
answered 9 hours ago
LambieLambie
21.4k16 silver badges46 bronze badges
answered 9 hours ago
LambieLambie
21.4k16 silver badges46 bronze badges
21.4k16 silver badges46 bronze badges
add a comment
|
add a comment
|
The dictionary doesn't say that the sentence would be wrong if the word the was used. In fact, I think all four of the following sentences are grammatical and sensible, although they each conjure up slightly different images in my mind:
A: There was an accident here yesterday. A car hit a tree and the driver was killed.
B: There was an accident here yesterday. The car hit a tree and the driver was killed.
C: There was an accident here yesterday. A car hit the tree and the driver was killed.
D: There was an accident here yesterday. The car hit the tree and the driver was killed.
Version A (the original) is correct because the first sentence never mentions a car. (The accident could have been a motorcycle accident, or a bicycle accident, or a van hitting a pedestrian, or even a small plane crash.)
Version B (your suggested version) is not incorrect, but it assumes the speaker already knows the accident was an automobile accident involving a single automobile. (This is not outside the realm of possibility; I can imagine, say, two police officers who were already made aware of the accident before they drove past the site.)
Version C (my new version) might be said if two people were standing on the sidewalk viewing the accident site. If there was only one tree nearby and they were both looking at it, the definite article could be used in front of tree, but we might be inclined to use an indefinite article in front of car if the car itself had already been towed away.
Version D (another new version) might be said on the scene, particularly if the car is still smashed against the tree.
If the first sentence was rephrased, though, you'd have a stronger argument for using the car instead of a car:
E: There was a car accident here yesterday. The car hit a tree and the driver was killed.
This would work especially well if there were several trees in the area and the speaker did not know which tree was hit.
answered 5 hours ago
J.R.♦J.R.
106k9 gold badges140 silver badges260 bronze badges
add a comment
|
The dictionary doesn't say that the sentence would be wrong if the word the was used. In fact, I think all four of the following sentences are grammatical and sensible, although they each conjure up slightly different images in my mind:
A: There was an accident here yesterday. A car hit a tree and the driver was killed.
B: There was an accident here yesterday. The car hit a tree and the driver was killed.
C: There was an accident here yesterday. A car hit the tree and the driver was killed.
D: There was an accident here yesterday. The car hit the tree and the driver was killed.
Version A (the original) is correct because the first sentence never mentions a car. (The accident could have been a motorcycle accident, or a bicycle accident, or a van hitting a pedestrian, or even a small plane crash.)
Version B (your suggested version) is not incorrect, but it assumes the speaker already knows the accident was an automobile accident involving a single automobile. (This is not outside the realm of possibility; I can imagine, say, two police officers who were already made aware of the accident before they drove past the site.)
Version C (my new version) might be said if two people were standing on the sidewalk viewing the accident site. If there was only one tree nearby and they were both looking at it, the definite article could be used in front of tree, but we might be inclined to use an indefinite article in front of car if the car itself had already been towed away.
Version D (another new version) might be said on the scene, particularly if the car is still smashed against the tree.
If the first sentence was rephrased, though, you'd have a stronger argument for using the car instead of a car:
E: There was a car accident here yesterday. The car hit a tree and the driver was killed.
This would work especially well if there were several trees in the area and the speaker did not know which tree was hit.
answered 5 hours ago
J.R.♦J.R.
106k9 gold badges140 silver badges260 bronze badges
add a comment
|
The dictionary doesn't say that the sentence would be wrong if the word the was used. In fact, I think all four of the following sentences are grammatical and sensible, although they each conjure up slightly different images in my mind:
A: There was an accident here yesterday. A car hit a tree and the driver was killed.
B: There was an accident here yesterday. The car hit a tree and the driver was killed.
C: There was an accident here yesterday. A car hit the tree and the driver was killed.
D: There was an accident here yesterday. The car hit the tree and the driver was killed.
Version A (the original) is correct because the first sentence never mentions a car. (The accident could have been a motorcycle accident, or a bicycle accident, or a van hitting a pedestrian, or even a small plane crash.)
Version B (your suggested version) is not incorrect, but it assumes the speaker already knows the accident was an automobile accident involving a single automobile. (This is not outside the realm of possibility; I can imagine, say, two police officers who were already made aware of the accident before they drove past the site.)
Version C (my new version) might be said if two people were standing on the sidewalk viewing the accident site. If there was only one tree nearby and they were both looking at it, the definite article could be used in front of tree, but we might be inclined to use an indefinite article in front of car if the car itself had already been towed away.
Version D (another new version) might be said on the scene, particularly if the car is still smashed against the tree.
If the first sentence was rephrased, though, you'd have a stronger argument for using the car instead of a car:
E: There was a car accident here yesterday. The car hit a tree and the driver was killed.
This would work especially well if there were several trees in the area and the speaker did not know which tree was hit.
answered 5 hours ago
J.R.♦J.R.
106k9 gold badges140 silver badges260 bronze badges
The dictionary doesn't say that the sentence would be wrong if the word the was used. In fact, I think all four of the following sentences are grammatical and sensible, although they each conjure up slightly different images in my mind:
A: There was an accident here yesterday. A car hit a tree and the driver was killed.
B: There was an accident here yesterday. The car hit a tree and the driver was killed.
C: There was an accident here yesterday. A car hit the tree and the driver was killed.
D: There was an accident here yesterday. The car hit the tree and the driver was killed.
Version A (the original) is correct because the first sentence never mentions a car. (The accident could have been a motorcycle accident, or a bicycle accident, or a van hitting a pedestrian, or even a small plane crash.)
Version B (your suggested version) is not incorrect, but it assumes the speaker already knows the accident was an automobile accident involving a single automobile. (This is not outside the realm of possibility; I can imagine, say, two police officers who were already made aware of the accident before they drove past the site.)
Version C (my new version) might be said if two people were standing on the sidewalk viewing the accident site. If there was only one tree nearby and they were both looking at it, the definite article could be used in front of tree, but we might be inclined to use an indefinite article in front of car if the car itself had already been towed away.
Version D (another new version) might be said on the scene, particularly if the car is still smashed against the tree.
If the first sentence was rephrased, though, you'd have a stronger argument for using the car instead of a car:
E: There was a car accident here yesterday. The car hit a tree and the driver was killed.
This would work especially well if there were several trees in the area and the speaker did not know which tree was hit.
answered 5 hours ago
J.R.♦J.R.
106k9 gold badges140 silver badges260 bronze badges
answered 5 hours ago
J.R.♦J.R.
106k9 gold badges140 silver badges260 bronze badges
answered 5 hours ago
J.R.♦J.R.
106k9 gold badges140 silver badges260 bronze badges
answered 5 hours ago
J.R.♦J.R.
106k9 gold badges140 silver badges260 bronze badges
106k9 gold badges140 silver badges260 bronze badges
add a comment
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add a comment
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