ARTICLES WITH GENERIC REFERENCE

Exercise 1. In the following sentences decide whether the nouns underlined refer generically to something or refer to something in particular. Try making them plural; if there is no change in meaning, they are generic.

1. An African elephant has larger ears than an Indian elephant.

2. A car isn’t the best way to travel in a city.

3. An undertaker was arrested for drunken driving.

4. A stream is a small river.

5. A dog is sitting listening to a record-player.

6. If you don’t like public transport, you should get a car.

7. You can never trust a politician.

8. A car drove past.

9. The best pet for a child is a dog.

10. I’ve been studying a seagull.

 

Exercise 2. Choose the underlined alternative that best fits the meaning of each sentence.

1. He gained his doctorate with a thesis on a / the seagull.

2. What on earth is a / the CD-ROM?

3. Frank Whittle invented a / the jet engine.

4. A / The liver is used to help purify the blood.

5. A / The tortoise is a / the sort of reptile.

6. A / The meteor is sometimes known as a shooting star.

7. A / The flower is the reproductive part of an / the organism.

8. A / The cat is a sacred animal.

9. An / The astronomer would know more about the surface of Venus than an / the astrologer.

10. A / The computer has already changed our lives dramatically.

 

Exercise 3 . Study the following sentences and decide whether the nouns ‘man’ and ‘woman’ are used generically or not; insert articles where necessary.         

1. Self-culture is the true ideal for __ man. (O. Wilde)

2. Let us learn to show our friendship for __ man when he is alive and not after he is dead. (F. Sc. Fitzgerald)

3. How does __ woman manage to get to your age without being married? (H. Fielding)

4. I was a lay-figure, no use to __ man or __ beast. (D. du Maurier)

5. Would we never be together, he __ man and I __ woman, standing __ shoulder to __ shoulder, __hand in__ hand, with no gulf between us? (D. du Maurier)

6. Besides, I’ve heard that a girl can have more fun with __ man whom she knows she can never marry. (F. Sc. Fitzgerald)

7. __ woman would do a thing like that because she felt sympathetic – only __ man would do it because he felt responsible. (F. Sc. Fitzgerald)

8. Beware of losing yourself in the personality of another being, __ man or __ woman. (F.Sc. Fitzgerald)

9. I never met __ man I’d marry. (F. Sc. Fitzgerald)

10. It was impossible to keep anything quiet: particularly an association between __ man and __ woman. (J.H. Chase)

 

Exercise 4. In the following sentences articles are missing with nationality words. State whether they show generic or specific reference; use articles where necessary.

1. In the Middle Ages (1100-1400 A.D.) __ Teutons fighting __ Slavs and __ Celts spread over their territories.

2. He was for one thing what __ French call serviable, a word for which, so far as I know, there is no exact equivalent in English. (W.S. Maugham)

3. “My dear fellow, __ English are a great people, but they have never been able to paint and never will be able to paint. I am not interested in __ English school.” (W.S. Maugham)

4. In your experience, Baby, have you found that when __ European wants to see __ American very pressingly it is invariably something concerned with money? (F. Sc. Fitzgerald)

5. But she nevertheless supposed __ French would always cling to it, just as __ Scots did to herring and oatmeal. (H.E. Bates)

6. I knew you were __ Arab. (H. Fielding)

7. From this Mademoiselle Dupont had come to the conclusion that __ English were to some extent eccentric. (H.E. Bates)

8. If you were __ Italian you’d get a couple of months in prison. (F. Sc. Fitzgerald)

9. You are __ American. You can do this without professional harm. (F. Sc. Fitzgerald)

10. __ Russians and __ Italians weren’t any good on this front. (F. Sc. Fitzgerald)

11. __ English are the best-balanced race in the world. (F. Sc. Fitzgerald)

12. The Club was run by __ fat, cheerful Chinese who called himself Blackie Lee. (J.H. Chase)

 

Exercise 5. The following sentences demonstrate the usage of fully and partially substantivised adjectives, referring to people. Fill each gap with an appropriate article and state the type of the adjective.

1. They were invited to stuffy teas in the homes of __ powerful, and had dinner with a count in his castle with suits of armor standing all around. (Th. Harris)

2. He confined his ministrations to __ rich and __ aristocratic. (W.S. Maugham)

3.  He took them to lunch and dine with __ great. (W.S. Maugham)

4. He gave generously to the charity the bishop had organized to provide free meals for the families of __ workless. (W.S. Maugham)

5. Do you think __ dead come back and watch __ living? (D. du Maurier)

6. Would you be __ dear and leave me? (D. du Maurier)

7. She had once been __ Catholic. (F. Sc. Fitzgerald)

8. You won’t listen to __moderates. (F. Sc. Fitzgerald)

9. The silver cord is cut and the golden bowl is broken and all that, but __ old romantic like me can’t do anything about it. (F. Sc. Fitzgerald)

10. Max thinks __ Marxian is somebody who went to St. Mark’s school. (F. Sc. Fitzgerald)

11. She’s a schizoid – __ permanent eccentric. (F. Sc. Fitzgerald)

12. That Trent fellow is the lowest of the low, a perfect example of __ privileged rich taking advantage of __ working poor. (M. Gabot)