Question

English

posted by rfvv Wednesday, October 25, 2017 at 9:18am.


1. Can you sink an orange?
2. Can you sink one orange?
3. Can you sink any orange?
[Does #1 mean only #2? What about #3? Can #1 mean #3?]

4. Can you sink oranges?
[In this sentence, is 'oranges' a generic noun? Or do oranges mean some oranges?]

5. Can you sink the orange?
[What about 'the orange' here? Does 'the orange' mean the specific orange all the time? Can 'the orange' mean a generic noun sometimes?]
•

English - Writeacher Wednesday, October 25, 2017 at 9:34am
I guess 1 could mean either 2 or 3. It would depend on the circumstances.

4 - in general, yes

5 - a specific orange, yes
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1. Can you sink an orange?
2. Can you sink one orange?
3. Can you sink any orange?

[If we read 'an' as a strong form, which we can find in the dictionary, does 'an orange' mean 'one orange'?]

Answer 1

1. Can you sink an orange?
2. Can you sink one orange?
3. Can you sink any orange?

[If we read 'an' as a strong form, which we can find in the dictionary, does 'an orange' mean 'one orange'?]
<b>Yes, "an" means "one" in these sentences.</b>