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a poet and novelist

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navi

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Oct 14, 2012, 10:49:24 PM10/14/12
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1-A poet and novelist walked into the theatre.
2-The poet and novelist walked into the theatre.

Could either of these sentences be used if one were talking, not of two people, but of the same person, who was both a poet and a novelist?

Gratefully,
Navi.

Harrison Hill

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Oct 15, 2012, 2:48:37 AM10/15/12
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Both imply only one person. "A poet and a novelist" implies two
people, "the poet and the novelist" implies one person.

Guy Barry

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Oct 15, 2012, 3:02:57 AM10/15/12
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"navi" wrote in message
news:78fb5ae5-f830-408e...@googlegroups.com...
Yes, in (2), if it were already established who we were talking about.
Theoretically also in (1), although I'd avoid the phrasing myself.

--
Guy Barry

Arcadian Rises

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Oct 15, 2012, 8:52:02 AM10/15/12
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There would be no problem if you used the present time:

A poet and a novelist walks...

Berna

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Oct 15, 2012, 11:07:22 AM10/15/12
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Shouldn't that last be "the poet and novelist"?

--
Berna
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James Hogg

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Oct 15, 2012, 11:43:56 AM10/15/12
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Lewis wrote:
> In message <d0c065f4-bc91-40cd...@b8g2000yqh.googlegroups.com>
> No, "the poet and the novelist" still is two people. If you want to
> imply a single person you have to drop the second article, "the poet and
> novelist..."

A woman who is going out with an officer and a gentleman may be two-timing.

--
James
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Mike L

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Oct 15, 2012, 6:25:38 PM10/15/12
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On Mon, 15 Oct 2012 17:43:56 +0200, James Hogg <Jas....@gOUTmail.com>
wrote:
"Gentlemen, sweethearts and wives!"
"May they never meet!"

--
Mike.

Eric Walker

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Oct 16, 2012, 6:15:29 AM10/16/12
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In fact, as other posts have shown, the sentences each refer to but a
single person.

The right use of articles is a deal trickier than it often seems. Wilson
Follett, in his rather concise "Dictionary of Modern American Usage",
which I much recommend (but not the Wensburg "revision") devotes, as best
I recall, some eleven pages to the topic.


--
Cordially,
Eric Walker

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