Semantic peculiarities of the English article and ways of its translation
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ns the function of the definite article may be called restricting. The definite article restricts the abstract notion expressed by an uncountable noun to a concrete instance (a); it also restricts the material denoted by a concrete uncountable noun to a definite quantity, portion or to a definite locality
(b):.g. a) I did not wish to betray the anxiety 1 felt.rested in the certainty that his duty was done.) "Robert, "said Aunt Lin, coming in pink and indignant, "did you know that you left the fish on the hall table and : it has soaked through to the mahogany?" As we came out into the cold damp air she shivered.
. When the definite article is associated with nouns which have no reference to the category of countability it has its defining function. It naturally refers to a definite object, as the noun denotes a thing or notion that is unique:.g. The moon set, and in the sky the countless stars shone with their terrifying brilliance.each knew that this quarrel was different from those in the past.of the Article (The Zero Article)absence of the article (the zero article) has only one function with common nouns and this is synonymous with the main structural meaning of the indefinite article: it is the nominating function.function of the absence of the article may be found with countable nouns in the plural; it is parallel to the use of the indefinite article with singular nouns. But while the indefinite article is associated with the idea of oneness, the zero article always implies more-than-oneness:.g. As Robert got out of the car Marion came round the corner of the house, wearing gardening gloves and a very old skirt. her friends came to tea, my mother would give me some pennies to buy apples or a magazine. sleeps very soundly. She had a splitting headache and took an aspirin and sleeping pills. road led across a stream and then through woods and open clearings.the indefinite article, the zero article may convey some additional meanings. It may sometimes express indefiniteness and perform the classifying and the communicating functions.nominating function of the zero article is also found with uncountable nouns, both abstract and concrete (names of materials):.g. Last night I felt friendship and sympathy for Henry, but today he has become an enemy. he is so interested in justice he might do something about that.asked for water and drank thirstily. place smelled of dust.grammars point out the introductory function of the indefinite article and the anaphoric function of the definite article. It is not correct, however, to regard the use of the indefinite article with nouns mentioned for the first time and the use of the definite article to refer back to an object which has already been mentioned as structural meanings inherent in the articles themselves. We rather deal with certain situations here in which the nominating function of the indefinite article and the defining function of the definite article are manifest.above description of the various functions of articles and their significant absence may be summed up in the table.can be seen from the table, the use of the articles depends on the character of the noun. But in English there are many polysemantic nouns which may be countable in one meaning and uncountable in another. As a result, the functions of the articles vary in accordance with the different meanings in which a noun appears.
Countable nounsUncountable nounsNouns having no reference to the category of countabilityThe indefinite articleWith singular nouns - the nominating function + oneness Additional functions: 1) indefiniteness 2) classifying 3) communicating 4) any 5) a certain 6) numeric 7) the same 8) distributiveThe aspective function Additional functions: communicatingThe aspective function Additional functions: communicatingThe definite articleWith singular and plural nouns 1. the defining function 2. the generic function The restricting functionThe defining functionAbsence of the articleWith plural nouns - the nominating function + more-than-oneness Additional functions: 1) indefiniteness 2) classifying 3) communicatingThe nominating function
Note. The above description of the functions of articles shows that their use is built up around a number of oppositions. There arc two main types of these.. Oppositions based on the category of number:
This opposition is found when the article is associated with uncountable nouns or nouns having no reference to the category of countability.
We find the two above given kinds of opposition within the same function of the indefinite article and the zero article, i.e. the nominating function.. Oppositions based on the structural meaning of the articles:
, we find one more special kind of opposition where the indefinite article in its aspective function is opposed to both the definite article and the zero article, neither of which possesses aspective force [29, c.87].
.4.1 The use of the indefinite articlenouns are used with the indefinite article:
. When the speaker presents the object expressed by the noun as belonging to a certain class. In this case the indefinite article has the meaning of 'какой-нибудь, какой-то, один' (in the meaning of 'некий').has a watch of her own.the green surface of the lake a little boat, with white wingsfluttering, rocked in the dewy breeze. (Voynich)beside them grew a rose-bush covered with scarlet hips. (Voynich)the plural no article is used in this case. If the idea of number is implied the noun is preceded by the pronoun some.liked the room because there were flowers in it.
"I have brought you some flowers..." "1 hate to wear flowers." ( Voynich)
. With a predicative noun, when the speaker states that the object denoted by the noun belongs to a certain class.Sharp's father was an artist. (Thackeray)
"Is your brother an agreeable man, Peggotty?" "Oh, what anman he is!" (Dickens)works as a chemist. (Cronin)the plural neither the article nor the pronoun some is used.are good children, no doubt. (E. Bronte) "... they were business men when I was in the nursery." (Voynich)the conjunction as a predicative noun is often used without an article.was engaged as governess.
3.When the noun is used in a general sense. What is said of one representative of a class can be applied to all the representatives of the class. The article has the meaning of 'every'.
A drowning man catches at a straw.the plural neither the article nor the pronoun some is used. Real friends should have everything in common. (Wilde)
4.There are cases when the indefinite article preserves its old original meaning of 'one'.
A stitch in time saves nine.had hardly spoken a word since they left Riccardo's door ... (Voynich)meaning is generally found with:
(a)nouns denoting time, measure and weight.
A week or two passed. (Ch. Bronte)
"I'll overtake you in a minute," said Godfrey. (Eliot)
(b)the numerals -hundred, thousand, million and the nouns
dozen, score.seems to have half я dozen languages at his finger-tips. (Voynich)nouns in the plural some is used. Oliver's sobs checked his utterance for some minutes. (Dickens)
.4.2 The use of the definite articlenouns are used with the definite article:
. When the noun denotes an object or objects which the speaker singles out from all the objects of a given class. An object is singled out in the following cases:
(a) when the speaker and the hearer know what particular object is meant. No special indication is necessary.
How did you like the play?have got the magazine.
У меня есть этот журнал (журнал у меня).
Note. - It should be borne in mind that there is a difference between knowing what object is spoken about and knowing the object itself.
. A. I do not care to speak to the girl. I have never seen her.'t you speak to her? B. But I do not know the girl either. . A. Who told you about it?
в: a girl.
A.What girl?.My sister.
In the first dialogue the speaker and the hearer do not know the person at all, but they know whom they mean, so the definite article is used. In the second the speaker knows the person, but he presents her to the hearer merely as one of a class, so the indefinite article is used.
(b)when the speaker uses an attribute pointing out a particular object.
This is the house that Jack built.
(c)when the situation itself makes the object definite.
The wedding looked dismal. The bride was too old and the bridegroom was too young. (Dickens)an object is singled out from all the objects of a given class the definite article retains its demonstrative meaning, and the English use the definite article much oftener than the demonstrative pronouns this or that. Thus the Russian sentence Дайте мне эту книгу should be rendered in English by Let me have the book.a rule the definite article is not translated into Russian. However, there are cases when it must be rendered by этот.told me before you wished to be a governess; but, my dear, if you remember, I did not encourage the idea. (Ch. Bronte) ... я не одобрила эту мысль.
2.When the noun denotes a thing unique (the sun, the moon,
the universe) or a class.
The sun was getting warmer. (Abrahams) The bourgeoisie is cowardly. (London)indefinite article can be used when we mean a certain aspect in which the sun, moon and sky appear to us, a certain state of the sun, the moon, the sky. In this case an attribute is used.pearl-white moon smiles