posted by rfvv yesterday at 9:59pm.
1. A dolphin is a clever animal.
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In this sentence, 'A dolphin' is in generic use. How about 'a clever animal'? Is it in generic use? Does 'a' mean 'one' in 'a clever animal'?
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English - Writeacher yesterday at 10:17pm
Both those nouns seem to be used generically in that sentence.
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2. Dolphins are clever animals.
[Thank you for your help. What about this sentence? 'Dolphins' is used generically. Right? Then, what about 'clever animals'?
Yes, the plural forms also produce a generic idea.
In the sentence "Dolphins are clever animals," the word "Dolphins" is indeed used generically. It refers to all dolphins in general, not a specific group of dolphins.
As for "clever animals," it can also be considered to be used generically. The use of the plural form "animals" suggests that it is referring to all animals that are considered clever, not just a specific group of animals.
In this context, the word "clever" is describing the type or category of animals, rather than indicating a specific number. The indefinite article "a" in "a clever animal" does not mean "one" in this case. Instead, it is used to indicate that "clever animal" is a general concept rather than a specific instance.
To determine if a word is used generically or specifically in a sentence, it's important to consider the context and how the word is being used. Generically used nouns refer to a class or category of things, while specifically used nouns refer to a particular instance of something.