Grammar-Quizzes.com

 PRACTICE ON POINTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

• Article Summary
• Article Diagnostic
• A-unspecific
• A-specific
• All/ The-class
• The-class/ A-unspec
• All/ The-specfic
• The-Earlier Mention
• The-Included Parts
• The-Later Mention
• The-Shared Knowl
• A-Nationality
• The-Landmarks
• The-Geography
• The-Countries
• Most / Most of the
• Another/ The other
• 2nd Mention Prac
• Identifying Nouns
• Article Expressions
• The-Superlatives
• Known or New?
• Speaking in General
• Art Paragr Edit
• Article Context
• Related Pages

The – class / A – unspecific

Stating quality, characteristics and behavior

 

 

 

When discussing quality, characteristic and behavior , the or a is used: "This is true of all members of the class."  "The" can refer to biological classifications: kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species. The (class) is mostly used in scientific writing. 

 

THE  - THE CLASS		A – UNSPECIFIC
UNSPECIFIC – true of all members in the class (scientific contexts)		UNSPECIFIC – any one as an example of all
ANIMALS The lion sleeps much of the day. Environmentalists are trying to protect the polar bear. The prarie dog is native to central North America.		ANIMALS A lion sleeps much of the day. Villagers know that a hyena can be very dangerous. The parakeet is a native of Australia.
PLANTS The banana grows in equitorial zones. Vitamin C and are contained in the orange. The banana fruit grows in hanging clusters.		PLANTS A banana makes an excellent snack. A banana is a seedless fruit. A plantain is similar to a banana.
VEHICLES, AIRCRAFT AND SHIPS The sub-compact is a North American classification. The hybrid offers consumers fuel economy.		VEHICLES, AIRCRAFT AND SHIPS A sub-compact is a popular size car. A hybrid is a fuel-saving car.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS The trombone is a brass wind instrument. Tommy Dorsey plays the trombone.		MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS A trombone is a verb portable instrument. I love the sound of a trombone.

Other kinds of classifications: architectural styles, cooking styles, clothing styles, cinema styles

 

 

 

 

The - Instruments

Referring to the Class of Instruments

 

Classification is used in formal contexts such as encyclopedias and reference books:

The violin refers to any and all violins of the class of stringed instruments called "violin" . For example, an encyclopedia of stringed instruments uses "the" to distinguish the "the violin family" from all other categories: the viola, the cello, the double bass.

"The violin emerged in its definitive form between 1520 and 1550 in Northern Italy."

"Violin: The History" http://www.theviolin.net/en/section/1/1+.html

 

 

 

Compare

CONTEXT	REFERENCE	EXAMPLE
Class of instrument	unspecific	Yehudi Menuhin plays the violin.
One particular instrument	specific	Yehudi Menuhin was given a violin when he was seven.
Any instrument	unspecific	Yehudi told his students that learning to playing a violin took hours of practice each day.
All	unspecific	Yehudi said violins are the most beautiful sounding instruments.

 

 

 

 

Practice 1

Instruments Played by Accomplished Musicians

 

 

 

1. Select the article that refers to the class of intruments the artist plays.
2. Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button to the right.

#	YOUR RESPONSE	COMPARE ANSWER
1.	Louis Armstrong played -- trumpet a trumpet the trumpet and sang.
2.	Itzhak Perlman plays -- violin a violin the violin .
3.	Eric Clapton plays -- electric guitar an electric guitar the electric guitar .
4.	Elton John composes songs and plays   -- piano a piano the piano .
5.	Yo-Yo Ma, a french born American, plays  -- cello a cello the cello .
6.	John Coltrane, jazz artist, plays  -- saxophone a saxophone the saxophone .
7.	Ringo Starr of the Beatles played  -- drums a drums the drums .

 

 

 

 

Practice 2

The Class vs. One as an Example of All

 

 

1. Select the if the noun refers to the class - scientific writing. 
2. Select a if the noun refers to any one (as an example of all)  - non-scientific writing.

#	YOUR RESPONSE	CHECK ANSWER
1.	-- A The   dog needs a lot of care and attention.
2.	-- A The   dog is a member of the canine family.
3.	-- A The   dog may occassionally need to visit a veterinarian.
4.	-- A The   cabernet variety of grape makes a dark red wine.
5.	-- A The   grape contains a lot of vitamin C.
6.	-- A The   Muscat grape is as sweet as the Concord grape.
7.	-- A The   Lexus is classified as a luxury car.
8.	-- A The   English language is a mixture of German, French and other languages.
9.	-- A The   language includes a mixture of words borrowed from other languages.
10.	-- An The   English drink a lot of tea.
11.	-- An The   English person may drink several cups of tea each day.
12.	-- A The   computer can help a person study.
13.	-- A The   computer has been an important part of space exploration.
14.	-- A The   Macintosh computer has better design than its competitors.
15.	-- A The   Macintosh Pro is a dual-Intel processor computer.
16.	-- An The   oak tree is from the genus Quercus.
17.	-- An The   oak tree drops acorns on the ground.
18.	-- A The Victorian style of house can be seen in San Francisco neighbor hoods.  Painted Ladies
19.	-- A The   mini-skirt was first worn on a fashion runway in 1964.  Mary Quant claims to be the original designer.
20.	-- A The   mini-skirt style was named after her favorite car "the Mini".