posted by rfvv yesterday at 7:25am.


The dietitian says, "This is the school cafeteria."
What does the school cafeterian mean?
1. This is the (only) school cafeterian of our school.
2. This is the specific school cafeterian of our school.
[What does "This is the school cafeteria." mean?]

I'm the school nurse. I take care of sick students.
Why is 'the ' used before 'school nurse'? Can't we use 'a' instead of 'the'?
3. I'm the (only) school nurse of our school.
4. I'm the specific school nurse of our school.
5. I'm a school nurse.
6. I'm the school nurse.
[What does 'I'm the school nurse' mean? What is the difference between #5 and #6?]
• English - Writeacher yesterday at 9:00am
Here are many examples of what "school cafeteria" means:

#1 means this is the only place where students and teachers can buy their lunches at school. I'd rephrase that sentence a bit, though. ~~> This is the cafeteria in our school. (no repetition!)
#2 is wordy and awkward. The best sentence of all these is this. ~~> "This is the school cafeteria."

Rephrased --
3. I'm the school nurse at our school.
4. I'm the nurse at our school.
5. (fine as it is; could work at any school, but hasn't indicated which one)
6. (fine as it is; works at THIS school -- whichever school is being referred to)

The school nurse is the qualified nurse who works at a school. In the schools around here, each school has a qualified nurse on campus, plus other people who assist her or him. The assistants usually don't have specific degrees or titles. The larger schools have more than one or two assistants.
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I appreciate your help.
7. This is the school cafeteria.
8. This is the school cafeteria of/at/in our school.
[Does #7 mean #8?]

9. I'm the school nurse.
10. I'm the school nurse of/at/in our school.
[Does #9 mean #10?]

Yes, they mean the same. Seven and nine are best. Eight and ten are redundant. If this is THE cafeteria, it is the only one, there are not more than one to choose from. The same with THE nurse. It's not like there are several. There is only one.

To understand the meanings of the statements in question, let's break them down:

1. "This is the school cafeteria." This statement means that the place being referred to is the only cafeteria in the school. It implies that there might not be any other cafeterias in the school.

2. "This is the specific school cafeteria." This statement is awkward and not commonly used in English. It is better to simply say, "This is the school cafeteria."

3. "I'm the (only) school nurse of our school." This statement implies that the person is the only nurse in the entire school. It emphasizes that there is only one nurse and no other nurses in the school.

4. "I'm the specific school nurse of our school." This statement is redundant and awkward. It is better to say, "I'm the nurse at our school."

5. "I'm a school nurse." This statement means that the person is a school nurse but does not specify that they are the only nurse in the school. There could be other nurses working in the same school.

6. "I'm the school nurse." This statement implies that the person is the nurse at the particular school being referred to. It does not necessarily mean that they are the only nurse in the school, but it does indicate that they are the nurse for that specific school.

Regarding the additional numbered statements:

7. "This is the school cafeteria." This statement means the same as statement 1 - that the place being referred to is the only cafeteria in the school.

8. "This is the school cafeteria of/at/in our school." This statement is awkward and redundant. It is better to say, "This is the school cafeteria."

9. "I'm the school nurse." This statement means the same as statement 6 - that the person is the nurse at the particular school being referred to.

10. "I'm the school nurse of/at/in our school." This statement is awkward and redundant. It is better to say, "I'm the school nurse."