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Discussion Groups / ESL Teaching / April 2005definite article
Is the definite article neccessary before winter in the sentence below? I learned that the definite article was optional in you meant winter in general but I was told by a native-speaker friend that it had to included. Any second opinions? In winter, you can go skating and skiing. Thanks. > Is the definite article neccessary before winter in the sentence > below? [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > In winter, you can go skating and skiing. You are correct. Your native-speaker friend is probably basing his assessment on his own particular regional variety of English. Regards, Einde O'Callaghan In general, when speaking of the seasons, educated native speakers avoid the definite article. The only time you absolutely must use a determiner is when you mean a specific winter. the winter of '92, the Long Winter, this winter, next winter, my favorite winter, et hoc genus omne Articles in speech, headlines and in any shorthand note form are often omitted on a wildly inconsistent basis. Since such language input constitutes a large amount of the "raw" language material non-native speakers get in English, they are a difficult topic to master on your own, without the help of a good grammar practice book. Best of luck, Ching. > In general, when speaking of the seasons, educated native speakers > avoid the definite article. Speaking as an "educated" native speaker (whatever that is supposed to mean) and teacher of English as a foreign language, I find this "rule" absurd; and it has little in common with actual usage. I can think of several situations when I would use the definite article without any hesitation. I even think there may be a subtle difference between the meaning of the phrase "in winter" and "in the winter". Regards, Einde O'Callaghan > The only time you absolutely must use a > determiner is when you mean a specific winter. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Best of luck, Ching. "Educated native speaker" means, in the way that I use it, someone who has finished secondary school. The term is popular here in Greece because Cambridge ESOL (formerly UCLES EFL) uses it to describe an A-level pass in the CPE examination. I did not intend to use it in a confusing manner. Einde, I respect you and what you have done in this group to help people you don't know and I have no wish to butt heads. Your advice is consistently intelligent and honestly helpful. |
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