1. The cell phone vibrates.
2. The specific cell phone (I showed you before) vibrates.
3. Any cell phone vibrates.
4. The cell phone is vibrating.
[Does #1 mean #2 or #3? In #4, the specific phone is vibrating. So, no problem. However, all cell phones do not have the vibration mode. Then, 'The cell phone' in #1 means 'the specific cell phone, right?
2 answers
#1 means #2 per the use of "the." It does not mean #3 since "any" is a general statement.
#4 means that the phone is vibrating at this very moment. The others imply that it vibrates when receiving a call, not necessarily at this moment - it's a feature of the phone.
#1 "The" implies a specific phone. #3 "Any" means all cell phones. #2 You might better say, "This or (or that) cell phone vibrates," as opposed to other models which do not.
#1 "The" implies a specific phone. #3 "Any" means all cell phones. #2 You might better say, "This or (or that) cell phone vibrates," as opposed to other models which do not.