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ESL forum >
Ask for help > A lion is or The lion is
A lion is or The lion is
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lofthanzaaa
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A lion is or The lion is
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Teachers, could you please explain to me the academic difference between:
A lion is a strong animal, and the lion is a strong animal.
Also here
He lives in London, and he is living in London.
Thanks for help! |
24 Nov 2010
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David Lisgo
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I �m no grammar expert but we could just as well say Any lion is a strong animal. (a lion) or All lions are strong animals. (the lion) IMO. |
24 Nov 2010
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moravc
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he is living in London (now) = he has recently moved (something changed recently)
he is living in London = he is staying (temporarily) (?)
He lives in London. = He lives in London permanently, all his life, you are stating a fact about him...
a lion = one lion, not specified which lion you are talking about, any lion
the lion = the lion we talked about before, THAT lion...
I am not 100% sure but this is what I feel :-D
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24 Nov 2010
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Jayho
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Hi lofthanzaa
If you are looking for an answer that relates to academic writing at upper secondary, post secondary and tertiary level then the answer to your first question can be found in Oxford Practice Grammar, Cobuild English Grammar and Cobuild Intermediate English Grammar aswell as a useful web reference here. It�s a great resource to give to ESL/EFLstudents studing for tertiary entrance. This is the relevant extract:
4. Making general statements
There are a number of ways of making general (generic) statements in English. When using countable nouns, the three most common ways are:
(i) The + singular noun
Example: The computer is a remarkable machine.
This is used in fairly formal and technical writing when referring to people, plants, complex inventions and devices. The noun here is used in a fairly abstract sense, referring to the entire class of objects/concepts.
(ii) A + singular noun
Example: A computer is a remarkable machine.
This is used as a more concrete, informal way of expressing generalizations. The noun is used as a representative of that class of nouns, rather than a particular individual member of that class.
(iii) � + plural noun
Example: Computers are remarkable machines
Note: Uncountable/abstract nouns can also be used to make general statements. Use the noun without an article in such cases:
Example: Life is difficult.
Water is essential for survival
Cheers
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24 Nov 2010
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ELOJOLIE274
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he lives in London = general fact
he is living in London = he is living in London now, you �re focusing on what he is doing now, it also implies that it �s something "temporary" - it might change in the future, or it changed in the past... -
the lion = general reference to the animal
a lion = one lion in a group of several lions
i don �t think i would say "a lion is a strong animal"... i would say "lions are strong animals" instead. however i would use "a lion" in a sentence like "a lion escaped from the zoo last night", and when I mention the lion again I would use "the lion was captured 2 hours later..."
have a nice evening
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24 Nov 2010
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PhilipR
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Awimawe, awimawe, awimawe, awimawe In the jungle, the mighty jungle, The lion sleeps tonight...
When hearing this song, I don �t think (or hope) they are referring to the only lion in the jungle. Here �the lion � = �lions � (all lions), so we could say
The lion is a strong animal. Lions are strong animals.
So when speaking in general, �the � or the plural are usually used. I wouldn �t use �a lion � when referring to the whole species.
�A lion escaped from the zoo � is perfectly OK as it �s referring to just a lion, any lion, one lion. BTW, in some cases it might be OK to use �a lion�. Grammar isn�t science after all.
E.g. A lion eats meat (any lion), so it�s a carnivore. (sounds ok to me) or The lion eats meat (all lions or a particular one), so it�s a carnivore. or Lions eat meat (all lions), so they�re carnivores.
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24 Nov 2010
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yanogator
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As Jayho said, "the lion" sounds more formal than "a lion", and both are correct, as in Jayho �s and Philip �s examples.
Bruce
"A pig is an animal with dirt on his face.
His shoes are a terrible disgrace.
He �s got no manners when he eats his food.
He �s fat and lazy and extremely rude."
Note that it �s "a pig" here, not "the pig" |
24 Nov 2010
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sulekra
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Using the and a singular noun refers to it as a class of things.
The mobile phone was invented in 1973.
The bicycle is a very good invention.
It would sound strange to use a or plural, because we are refering to the class.
So if you �re talking about the animal in general, you should use the lion.
The lion is one of the four big cats. The lion is the second-largest species of cat. etc...
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24 Nov 2010
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