[an/the phone] [a/the book] [a/the dictionary]

English grammar questions, answered by Alan

Moderator: Alan

Locked
ansonman
Rising Star
Rising Star
Posts: 127
Joined: Mon May 18, 2020 9:18 pm
Status: Learner of English

[an/the phone] [a/the book] [a/the dictionary]

Post by ansonman »

I have made up the sentences below.

(1a) I lost a phone that you gave me.
(1b) I lost the phone that you gave me.

(2a) This is a book that you can use for your project.
(2b) This is the book that you can use for your project.

(3a) This might be a dictionary that you can use for your English course.
(3b) This might be the dictionary that you can use for your English course.

Most of my non-native English speaking friends think you can use either the definite article or the indefinite article. They think ''the" is obvious because it's modified by the "that" clause. "A" is also correct because it could mean "one of many".

That means in (1a) I lost one of the phones that.. (2a) This is one of the books that ... (3a) This might be one of the dictionaries" that...

I am not sure if my friends are correct. Please help me. Thank you.
User avatar
Alan
Teacher/Moderator
Teacher/Moderator
Posts: 15193
Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2003 7:56 pm
Status: Teacher of English
Location: Japan

Re: [an/the phone] [a/the book] [a/the dictionary]

Post by Alan »

Yes, the sentences are all grammatically possible, and the differences in meaning are essentially as you describe.
Locked