Help me with the article choice, pls

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Dashkinru
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#1

Сообщение Dashkinru »

Hi! Please, conferm my choice of the article (in capslock) in this sentence
"Read 4 parts of the text and do the tasks below👇 (look up in the dictionary THE new words that you don't know)"
Am I right that, when giving some extra information, we use THE for the noun?
Like in this example as well
Dashkinru
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#2

Сообщение Dashkinru »

Dashkinru пишет: 08 апр 2021, 12:37 Hi! Please, conferm my choice of the article (in capslock) in this sentence
"Read 4 parts of the text and do the tasks below👇 (look up in the dictionary THE new words that you don't know)"
Am I right that, when giving some extra information, we use THE for the noun?
Like in this example as well
Forgot the sentence)))
My friend opened THE strange box that was behind the door.
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Michelangelo
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#3

Сообщение Michelangelo »

Dashkinru пишет: 08 апр 2021, 12:37 Am I right that, when giving some extra information, we use THE for the noun?
I am not sure if this rule is valid, because in the sentence
Dashkinru пишет: 08 апр 2021, 12:37 look up in the dictionary THE new words that you don't know
I would use rather "any new words you fount in the text", because it is clear that if a word is new for you, then you shouldn't know its meaning.
In the sentence
Dashkinru пишет: 08 апр 2021, 12:41 My friend opened THE strange box that was behind the door.
I would use THE since before opening he must have seen it already. Therefore it is not new information for him.
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Dashkinru
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#4

Сообщение Dashkinru »

Michelangelo пишет: 08 апр 2021, 13:37 I would use THE since before opening he must have seen it already. Therefore it is not new information for him.
Right! That's a good point! Thank you!
Michelangelo пишет: 08 апр 2021, 13:37 I would use rather "any new words you fount in the text", because it is clear that if a word is new for you, then you shouldn't know its meaning.
In the sentence
And here I also agree! THE just doesn't sound good. Maybe "THOSE new words that you don't know" will more sutable as well.
Thanks a million!)
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Yety
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#5

Сообщение Yety »

Dashkinru пишет: 08 апр 2021, 12:41 Am I right that, when giving some extra information, we use THE for the noun?
It depends upon the kind of extra information you provide. If this information is 'a limiting attribute', it makes the noun definite, hence the definite article. However, it may well be 'a descriptive attribute', which leaves the noun indefinite with the indefinite article. So the answer is, 'It depends'.

Take your sentence for example:
Dashkinru пишет: 08 апр 2021, 12:41 My friend opened THE strange box that was behind the door.
The underlined part may serve as a limiting attribute if the speaker refers to THAT PARTICULAR strange box that both the speaker and the listener know about. And then the specifying info that it is behind the door supports this idea.

However, the same context may just as well justify the indefinite article, given the fact that the box behind the door is unknown to the speaker or there are several strange boxes there:
My friend opened A strange box that was behind the door.

The underlined part then serves as a descriptive attribute giving some additional information - without distinguishing the object from the class, though.
Dashkinru пишет: 08 апр 2021, 12:37 look up in the dictionary THE new words that you don't know
The underlined part looks like a limiting attribute all right. However, it sounds a bit tautological - 'the new [words]' alone would work just fine, limited by the context of the situation (THE words [that you will surely come across]). Thus, it's not the attribute/additional information 'that you don't know' that makes the noun definite, but rather the usual context of the situation.
Dashkinru пишет: 08 апр 2021, 12:37 confeIrm my choice
Those 'confirm, affirm' are related to 'firm'.
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Chaika
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#6

Сообщение Chaika »

любые новые слова, которые не знаете. (any) new words that you don't know.
те новые слова, которые не знаете. those/the new words that you don't know.

оба фразы правильные. Разницы в значении нет.
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