Hey,
I've been told, that you /lit/ might help me with this particular problem, I currently have and that is this thing with the articles ''an, a, the'' in the English Grammar. We can skip the basics, like use an, a when you are talking about a thing in general, NOT a specific thing. Use THE when talking about something which is already known to the listener or which has been previously mentioned etc. I know this shite. There is one specific situation, where I'm completely lost and it's fucking bugging me and I hate it.
And that is the usage of the articles with the preposition ''of''.
For example;
Painted in the livery of the Czechoslovak 312 Squadron.
Painted in a livery of the Czechoslovak 312 Squadron
Even its current location, a small area of grass called Klarov, may not prove to be permanent.
Even its current location, the small area of grass called Klarov, may not prove to be permanent.
The Winged Lion statue, a gift of the British community,
The Winged Lion statue, the gift of the British community,
I'm not able to logically justify when to use the articles ''an, a, the'' with the usage of the preposition ''of''. I'm fucking lost. It would be great, if anyone could provide a logical explanation to me, when to use ''an, a, the'' with the preposition ''of'' in a sentence.
Also, I'm sort of a new fag, so if this a wrong board for that kind of a question, sorry. Otherwise, thank you a lot.
>>8024412
>the livery
There's only one livery, so it takes the definitive.
>the small area
Again, it is a specific patch of grass, there is not another small area of grass so called, so definitive.
>a gift of the British
The British have given many different gifts other than this one, so it takes the indefinite article.
If the Winged Lion was the only gift the British community, it would take the definite article, such as if it were in a list of gifts from different communities to whomever received the Winged Lion.
>>8024454
So for example, if was going to say ''.. a picture of the girl running on the field...''
Should I use the indefinite article ''a'' girl, because this is the first time I mentioned her and we (listeners) have no idea who she might be. We don't know anything about her.
Or, should I use the definitive article ''the'' girl, because even though she is unknown to us and being mentioned for the first time, I said that she is running on the field, so certain connections between her and the field has been established and she is ''that girl running on the field''?
fuck articles. i never use them
>>8024491
>the girl
Yes, if you know her. If it's just some random girl, a girl.
>the field
again, unless it's a field which you've previously focused on, "a field". If it's a known field, then you use "the".
>>8024516
In this case, it is a random girl. A photo/picture I've just found. I've never seen it before and have no knowledge about it.
But saying ''A picture of a girl running on a field.'' It sounds so unnaturally to me, to say it in this way. I don't know but for some reason, it sounds retarded. Could any native speaker cope on that?
>>8024527
there are other options, but putting the in there sounds wrong to native readers
>a picture of some girl running on a field
>some picture of a girl running on a field
you should also probably change "running on a field" to "running through a field". Running through a field of wheat or grass or a minefield etc is different to running on a field of blue, or running on a field of dead bodies. Running on a field mostly happens with artificial things: "running on a field of astroturf" but "running through a field of tall grass"; running on a movie screen or treadmill or track. but running through the flowers or clover or woods.
>>8024539
Thanks for your help, I appreciate that.
So there is a certain rule about using the articles (an, a, the) with the preposition ''of'', right? I mean, I could say ''.. you have a chance to give him the gift of peace..'' Again, being mentioned for the first time (the word gift), yet, being defined at the same time as ''of peace''. Then, I could use the define article, even though, as I said, it's been mentioned for the first time?
Idk, maybe I'm getting lost in it.
>>8024566
that's right, because it's metaphorical. like with "stop and smell the roses", They don't really mean a literal rose, or a group of them, but the broad idea of them. The same with "the livery" is still the one livery despite there being many copies of the livery.
Similarly, "a smile like that of the Mona Lisa" (metaphor but there's still one Mona Lisa and she is a specific girl), or "a picture of the Mona Lisa" (a replica of the original), is still different to "the picture of the Mona Lisa" (the actual Mona Lisa).
>>8024630
So if the phrase is metaphorical, you are able to use the article ''the'' nonetheless the meaning or the usage in the sentence. Hmm, is it a general rule? Except the "a smile like that of the Mona Lisa" case where you have to use the indefinite article with the world smile.
Also, I used only the definite articles in the first sentence of this reply because of talking in general, is that correct?
