Question
16 May
- Japanese
-
English (US)
Question about English (US)
A train will soon arrive at Track number 2. The train will soon arrive at Track number 2. Which article is correct?
A train will soon arrive at Track number 2. The train will soon arrive at Track number 2. Which article is correct?
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- English (US)
- English (UK)
The second one (the). That is because a specific train arrives at the second track.
- English (US)
- Russian Near fluent
It depends on the context, i.e. what exactly you want to say.
"A train" means any train, so you are emphasizing the arrival itself, it doesn't matter of which train.
"The train" means you are referring to a particular train. It is especially appropriate if there was something said about that train prior to the sentence in question.
To put it in Japanese terms:
A train will soon arrive at Track number 2 ２番線にまもなく電車がまいります
The train will soon arrive at Track number 2 電車はまもなく２番線にまいります
Highly-rated answerer
- Japanese
Easy to understand. Thank you. How about in the following situation?
At a small station where there is only one track. There is an announcemen
t.Should it say , The train is arriving or A train is arriving?
At a small station where there is only one track. There is an announcemen
t.Should it say , The train is arriving or A train is arriving?
- English (US)
- English (UK)
@zooiwaya38
A train is any train, the train is a specific train.
If I say bring a sword, this means bring any sword to me. If I say bring "the" sword I'm referring to a specific or a particular sword.
As for your question, it is wrong to say "a" train is arriving because we know a specific or a particular train arrives at that particular place, hence "the" train is arriving.
- Japanese
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