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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?]
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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'?]

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'?]
Yes, "an" means "one" in these sentences.

If we read "an" as a strong form, it can mean "one" in certain contexts. So in this case, "an orange" can mean "one orange." However, it is important to note that "an orange" can also be used more generally to mean any orange. The specific meaning would depend on the context in which the sentence is used.