1.4 determiners with common nouns

If you use a common noun, you are saying that the person or thing you are talking about can be put in a set with others that are similar in some way.

If you just want to say that the person or thing is in that set, you use a general determiner with the common noun.

• I met a girl who was a student there.
• Have you got any comment to make about that?
• There are some diseases that are clearly inherited.

If you want to say that the common noun is connected to other words or phrases in the text, you use a specific determiner with it.

• I put my arm round her shoulders.
• ...the destruction of their city.
• She came in to see me this morning.

See paragraphs 1.161 to 1.236 for more information about determiners, and paragraphs 1.14 to 1.93 for more information about nouns.