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ESL forum > Grammar and Linguistics > two questions    

two questions



ironik
Australia

two questions
 
Hello everyone, I hope you �re having a great day, mine has just started!
I have two questions, I �ll be happy if you help.

First, I know this sentence is correct:
He must fasten his seat belt.
What about this?
He must fasten a seat belt.

Second, I know this sentence is correct:
Tea is a popular drink in Turkey.
What about this?
Tea is a favourite drink in Turkey.

Thanks in advance.

11 Apr 2012      





poupina86
France

Hello,
About your first sentence, you must use "his" because, in English, you need to say to which seat belt you are refering to and it sounds really weird with "a". I wouldn �t say that.
About your second sentence, you can �t use "a" because with "favourite", you designate one drink among others so you must use "the".
Hope it helps!

11 Apr 2012     



yanogator
United States

Actually, we do sometimes use "a favorite" to mean "a very popular". It doesn �t really make sense, but, then, that �s true of many things in language.
 
Bruce

11 Apr 2012     



ironik
Australia

 Thank you Poupina86 and Yanogator for your answers. 
Yanogator, I agree with you on "a favorite", but I don �t have enough evidence to support Tongue The only one I could find is in M-W dictionary:
That movie is a great favorite with audiences everywhere.  
But here, it �s a noun, not an adjective. 

I couldn �t understand my professors when they said "language is arbitrary." all the time, now I understand!

11 Apr 2012     



epit
Turkey

Hi I think popular consists of  majority �s support but favourite is special to person That is my idea  of course .Hugs

11 Apr 2012     



ironik
Australia

thankss Hug

12 Apr 2012