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Ask for help > About the use of the article
About the use of the article
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-eva
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About the use of the article
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Hi dear colleagues,
I �ve got a question about the use/omission of "the" in the following sentence:
I was exposed to the rain and the wind and (the???) cold weather tended to shorten battery life.
I �ve copied the sentence litteraly from my course book resource pack and students are meant to correct mistakes. The thing is, I �d personally leave "the" before cold weather, but the key says "omit it".
Have you got any clues?
Thanks a lot in advance for your help.
Eva
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26 Apr 2013
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jannabanna
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The key is correct! As a native speaker - no doubts - I was exposed to the rain and the wind and cold weather tended to shorten battery life. Janet
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26 Apr 2013
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cunliffe
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I �m not happy about this sentence at all. (Maybe I need to get a life?)
Shouldn �t it be it was exposed to the rain... referring to something that the battery is in? Also, it should be tends because it �s a general statement, not something that happened once.
The would be needed in the following sentence: It (my phone or whatever) was exposed to the rain and wind and the cold weather shortened the battery life. In this instance, you are referring to that particular patch of cold weather.
Well, I have thoroughly complicated matters!
Edit: is it metaphorical - i.e you ran out of puff???
Lynne |
26 Apr 2013
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yanogator
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I agree with Lynne, but the sentence definitely needs a comma, either after "rain" or after "wind", depending on which it was exposed to, and which shortened the battery life.
Either
I(t) was exposed to the rain, and the wind and the cold weather (It works with or without "the") tend to shorten battery life.
I(t) was exposed to the rain and the wind, and the cold weather tends to shorten battery life.
I(t) was exposed to the rain and the wind, and cold weather (speaking generally now) tends to shorten battery life.
And you thought you complicated matters, Lynne!
Bruce |
26 Apr 2013
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edrodmedina
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...shorten it �s battery life. Hhhhm. I can only imagine what we are talking about here.  Ed |
26 Apr 2013
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-eva
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Thanks a lot for your more than useful contributions.
Lots of love,
Eva
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29 Apr 2013
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