The use of the indefinite article with class nouns
Class nouns are used with the indefinite article:
1. When the speaker presents the object expressed by the noun as belonging to a certain class. In this case the indefinite article has the meaning of “какой-нибудь, какой-то, один” (in the meaning of «некий»).
She has a watch of her own.
On the green surface of the lake a little boat, with white wings faintly fluttering, rocked in the dewy breeze. (Voynich)
Close beside them grew a rosebush covered with scarlet hips. (Voynich)
In the plural no article is used in this case. If the idea of number is implied the noun is preceded by the pronoun some.
Iliked the room because there were flowers in it.
"I have brought yousome flowers..." "I hate to wear flowers." (Voynich)
2. With a predicative noun, when the speaker states that the object denoted by the noun belongs to a certain class.
Miss Sharp's father was an artist. (Thackeray)
"Is your brother an agreeable man, Peggotty?" "Oh, what an agreeable man he is!" (Dickens)
She works as a chemist. (Cronin)
In the plural neither the article nor the pronoun some is used.
They are good children, no doubt. (E. Bronté)
"... They were business men when I was in the nursery." (Voynich).
After the conjunction as a predicative noun is often used without an article.
She was engaged as governess.
3. When the noun is used in a general sense. What is said of one representative of a class can be applied to all the representatives of the class. The article has the meaning of “every”.
A drowning man catches at a straw.
In the plural neither the article nor the pronoun some isused.
Real friends should have everything in common. (Wilde)
4. There are cases when the indefinite article preserves its old original meaning of “one”.
A stitch in time saves nine.
He had hardly spoken a word since they left Richard’s door ... (Voynich)
This meaning is generally found with:
(a) Nouns denoting time, measure and weight.
A week or two passed. (Ch. Bronte)
“I’ll overtake you in a minute,” said Godfrey. (Eliot)
(b) The numerals hundred, thousand, million and the nouns dozen, score.
He seems to have half a dozen languages at his fingertips. (Voynich)
With nouns in the plural some is used.
Oliver’s sobs checked his utterance for some minutes. (Dickens)
§ 2. The use of the definite article with class nouns.
Class nouns are used with the definite article:
1. When the noun denotes an object or objects which the speaker singles out from all the objects of a given class. An object is singled out in the following cases:
(a) When the speaker and the hearer know what particular object is meant. No special indication is necessary.
How did you like the play?
I have got the magazine. У меня есть этот журнал (журнал у меня).
Nоtе. It should be borne in mind that there is a difference between knowing what object is spoken about and knowing the object itself.
I. A. I do not care to speak tothe girl. I have never seen her.
Won't you speak to her?
B. But I do not know the girl either.
II. A. Who told you about it?
B. A girl.
A. What girl?
B. My sister.
In the first dialogue the speaker and the hearer do not know the person at all, but they know whom they mean, so the definite article is used. In the second the speaker knows the person, but he presents her to the hearer merely as one of a class, so the indefinite article is used.
(b) When the speaker uses an attribute pointing out a particular object.
This is the house that Jack built.
(с) When the situation itself makes the object definite.
The wedding looked dismal. The bride was too old and the bridegroom was too young. (Dickens)
When an object is singled out from all the (objects of a given class the definite article retains its demonstrative meaning, and the English use the definite article much oftener than the demonstrative pronouns this or that. Thus the Russian sentence Дайте мне эту книгу should be rendered in English by Lei me have the book. As a rule the definite article is not translated into Russian. However, there are cases when it must be rendered by этот.
You told me before you wished to be a governess; but my dear, if you remember I did not encourage the idea. (Ch.Bronte) ... я не одобрила эту мысль.
2. When the noun denotes a thing unique (the sun, the moon, the universe) or a class.
The sun was getting warmer. (Abrahams)
The bourgeoisie is cowardly. (London)
The indefinite article can be used when we mean a certain aspect in which the sun, moon and sky appear to us, a certain state of the sun, the moon, the sky. In this case an attribute is used.
Apearl-white moon smiles through the green trees. (Ch. Bronte)
3. With nouns used in a generic sense.
A noun used in a generic sense denotes a genus taken as a whole, a thing taken as a type, a genre.
The tiger has always had the reputation of being a man-eater.
The telephone was invented in the 19th century.
The tragedy and the comedy first appeared in Greece.
When the noun man is used in a generic sense no article is used.
Silas felt that his trust in man had been cruelly destroyed. (Eliot)
When the noun woman is used in a generic sense, it is used with the definite article or occasionally without an article.
He had always been interested in that mysterious being - the woman. (Bennett)
Woman is man's helpmate.
A noun used in a generic sense should not be confused with a noun used in a general sense.
A noun used in a general sense denotes an object regarded as an individual representative of a class.
Adetective story helps to while away the time. (Every or any detective story is meant here.)
A noun in a generic sense denotes the whole class.
Conan Doyle is a master ofthe detective story. (The detective story is regarded here as a certain genre.)