The usage of articles
In this sentence, In the pursuit of my computer science degree at WUSTL, I have mastered.... Should there be a the in front of pursuit?
In other words, should the sentence be changed to In pursuit of my computer science degree at WUSTL, I have mastered....
articles
asked 16 hours ago
SeedofWInd
61
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In this sentence, In the pursuit of my computer science degree at WUSTL, I have mastered.... Should there be a the in front of pursuit?
In other words, should the sentence be changed to In pursuit of my computer science degree at WUSTL, I have mastered....
articles
asked 16 hours ago
SeedofWInd
61
New contributor
SeedofWInd is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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1
It's fine either way. Whichever you choose would be grammatical.
– Jason Bassford
16 hours ago
interesting, do they have different connotations? @JasonBassford
– SeedofWInd
15 hours ago
Maybe. When I hear the use of the article, I apply an unstated while to the phrase. In other words, I think that you mastered something as a direct result of the pursuit. But without the article, it could be something you simply mastered at the same time, without any direct correlation. But that's only my own impression. There's nothing about the grammar itself that implies that—and other people may well not interpret it that way at all.
– Jason Bassford
13 hours ago
add a comment |
In this sentence, In the pursuit of my computer science degree at WUSTL, I have mastered.... Should there be a the in front of pursuit?
In other words, should the sentence be changed to In pursuit of my computer science degree at WUSTL, I have mastered....
articles
asked 16 hours ago
SeedofWInd
61
New contributor
SeedofWInd is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
In this sentence, In the pursuit of my computer science degree at WUSTL, I have mastered.... Should there be a the in front of pursuit?
In other words, should the sentence be changed to In pursuit of my computer science degree at WUSTL, I have mastered....
articles
articles
asked 16 hours ago
SeedofWInd
61
New contributor
SeedofWInd is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 16 hours ago
SeedofWInd
61
New contributor
SeedofWInd is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 16 hours ago
SeedofWInd
61
New contributor
SeedofWInd is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 16 hours ago
SeedofWInd
61
asked 16 hours ago
SeedofWInd
61
61
New contributor
SeedofWInd is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
SeedofWInd is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
SeedofWInd is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
1
It's fine either way. Whichever you choose would be grammatical.
– Jason Bassford
16 hours ago
interesting, do they have different connotations? @JasonBassford
– SeedofWInd
15 hours ago
Maybe. When I hear the use of the article, I apply an unstated while to the phrase. In other words, I think that you mastered something as a direct result of the pursuit. But without the article, it could be something you simply mastered at the same time, without any direct correlation. But that's only my own impression. There's nothing about the grammar itself that implies that—and other people may well not interpret it that way at all.
– Jason Bassford
13 hours ago
add a comment |
1
It's fine either way. Whichever you choose would be grammatical.
– Jason Bassford
16 hours ago
interesting, do they have different connotations? @JasonBassford
– SeedofWInd
15 hours ago
Maybe. When I hear the use of the article, I apply an unstated while to the phrase. In other words, I think that you mastered something as a direct result of the pursuit. But without the article, it could be something you simply mastered at the same time, without any direct correlation. But that's only my own impression. There's nothing about the grammar itself that implies that—and other people may well not interpret it that way at all.
– Jason Bassford
13 hours ago
1
1
It's fine either way. Whichever you choose would be grammatical.
– Jason Bassford
16 hours ago
It's fine either way. Whichever you choose would be grammatical.
– Jason Bassford
16 hours ago
interesting, do they have different connotations? @JasonBassford
– SeedofWInd
15 hours ago
interesting, do they have different connotations? @JasonBassford
– SeedofWInd
15 hours ago
Maybe. When I hear the use of the article, I apply an unstated while to the phrase. In other words, I think that you mastered something as a direct result of the pursuit. But without the article, it could be something you simply mastered at the same time, without any direct correlation. But that's only my own impression. There's nothing about the grammar itself that implies that—and other people may well not interpret it that way at all.
– Jason Bassford
13 hours ago
Maybe. When I hear the use of the article, I apply an unstated while to the phrase. In other words, I think that you mastered something as a direct result of the pursuit. But without the article, it could be something you simply mastered at the same time, without any direct correlation. But that's only my own impression. There's nothing about the grammar itself that implies that—and other people may well not interpret it that way at all.
– Jason Bassford
13 hours ago
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
You would not use the indefinite article "a" in this context. The definite article "the" is correct because its your personal pursuit and your pursuit is known to you. You could also omit the article "the" as demonstrated in your second example.
If your pursuit in uncertain then the indefinite article "a" is appropriate. For example in this case it is uncertain the kind of degree (Butachlor, Masters or PhD), "In my pursuit of a degree, I'm mastering computer science"
You could turn it around too, "In pursuit of my computer science degree, I'm mastering a knowledge", although it would sound quirky and/or baiting a listener in conversation. IN this case, it is uncertain about the specifics of computer science. Are you mastering web application development, database administration, hardware networking or something different in the industry.
answered 10 hours ago
James Axsom
583
add a comment |
First, let's take the example without the article (in pursuit of). It works, but just saying that it works with or without the article doesn't get at why it works without the article. Let me compare its lack of article with a similar word that lacks an article:
Correct:
In pursuit of my computer science degree at WUSTL, I have mastered....
Incorrect:
In process of my computer science degree at WUSTL, I have mastered....
In pursuit of is an idiomatic phrase meaning "in order to achieve [an item]" (Merriam-Webster). Similar formations (like in process of or in hunt of/for) are not valid, even if their version with the article would be valid. That's one sign that it is an idiom.
An N-gram search shows that "in pursuit of is more common than in the pursuit of or in pursuing, and the Corpus of Contemporary American English has 1442 entries for in pursuit of compared to 467 for in the pursuit of. The sampling illustrates how widespread the idiomatic usage is compared to the version with an article. An idiom will tend to be more common than a similar expression formed organically.
In the first example, the article the emphasizes how pursuit is known. The pursuit would be a pursuit that is already known or understood by writer and reader. From here, the rest of the phrase is constructed through common grammatical rules: something is being pursued (the pursuit of), and you are explaining what you received in that pursuit (in the pursuit of). So the primary difference between the two is how they're constructed: it's not that in pursuit of omits an article, but that the phrase is an idiom whereas in the pursuit of is a common construction.
If from your context it is clear what you have pursued (i.e., what is "the pursuit"?), which one you choose is a matter of taste.
answered 9 hours ago
TaliesinMerlin
84110
add a comment |
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2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
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active
oldest
votes
You would not use the indefinite article "a" in this context. The definite article "the" is correct because its your personal pursuit and your pursuit is known to you. You could also omit the article "the" as demonstrated in your second example.
If your pursuit in uncertain then the indefinite article "a" is appropriate. For example in this case it is uncertain the kind of degree (Butachlor, Masters or PhD), "In my pursuit of a degree, I'm mastering computer science"
You could turn it around too, "In pursuit of my computer science degree, I'm mastering a knowledge", although it would sound quirky and/or baiting a listener in conversation. IN this case, it is uncertain about the specifics of computer science. Are you mastering web application development, database administration, hardware networking or something different in the industry.
answered 10 hours ago
James Axsom
583
add a comment |
You would not use the indefinite article "a" in this context. The definite article "the" is correct because its your personal pursuit and your pursuit is known to you. You could also omit the article "the" as demonstrated in your second example.
If your pursuit in uncertain then the indefinite article "a" is appropriate. For example in this case it is uncertain the kind of degree (Butachlor, Masters or PhD), "In my pursuit of a degree, I'm mastering computer science"
You could turn it around too, "In pursuit of my computer science degree, I'm mastering a knowledge", although it would sound quirky and/or baiting a listener in conversation. IN this case, it is uncertain about the specifics of computer science. Are you mastering web application development, database administration, hardware networking or something different in the industry.
answered 10 hours ago
James Axsom
583
add a comment |
You would not use the indefinite article "a" in this context. The definite article "the" is correct because its your personal pursuit and your pursuit is known to you. You could also omit the article "the" as demonstrated in your second example.
If your pursuit in uncertain then the indefinite article "a" is appropriate. For example in this case it is uncertain the kind of degree (Butachlor, Masters or PhD), "In my pursuit of a degree, I'm mastering computer science"
You could turn it around too, "In pursuit of my computer science degree, I'm mastering a knowledge", although it would sound quirky and/or baiting a listener in conversation. IN this case, it is uncertain about the specifics of computer science. Are you mastering web application development, database administration, hardware networking or something different in the industry.
answered 10 hours ago
James Axsom
583
You would not use the indefinite article "a" in this context. The definite article "the" is correct because its your personal pursuit and your pursuit is known to you. You could also omit the article "the" as demonstrated in your second example.
If your pursuit in uncertain then the indefinite article "a" is appropriate. For example in this case it is uncertain the kind of degree (Butachlor, Masters or PhD), "In my pursuit of a degree, I'm mastering computer science"
You could turn it around too, "In pursuit of my computer science degree, I'm mastering a knowledge", although it would sound quirky and/or baiting a listener in conversation. IN this case, it is uncertain about the specifics of computer science. Are you mastering web application development, database administration, hardware networking or something different in the industry.
answered 10 hours ago
James Axsom
583
answered 10 hours ago
James Axsom
583
answered 10 hours ago
James Axsom
583
answered 10 hours ago
James Axsom
583
583
add a comment |
add a comment |
First, let's take the example without the article (in pursuit of). It works, but just saying that it works with or without the article doesn't get at why it works without the article. Let me compare its lack of article with a similar word that lacks an article:
Correct:
In pursuit of my computer science degree at WUSTL, I have mastered....
Incorrect:
In process of my computer science degree at WUSTL, I have mastered....
In pursuit of is an idiomatic phrase meaning "in order to achieve [an item]" (Merriam-Webster). Similar formations (like in process of or in hunt of/for) are not valid, even if their version with the article would be valid. That's one sign that it is an idiom.
An N-gram search shows that "in pursuit of is more common than in the pursuit of or in pursuing, and the Corpus of Contemporary American English has 1442 entries for in pursuit of compared to 467 for in the pursuit of. The sampling illustrates how widespread the idiomatic usage is compared to the version with an article. An idiom will tend to be more common than a similar expression formed organically.
In the first example, the article the emphasizes how pursuit is known. The pursuit would be a pursuit that is already known or understood by writer and reader. From here, the rest of the phrase is constructed through common grammatical rules: something is being pursued (the pursuit of), and you are explaining what you received in that pursuit (in the pursuit of). So the primary difference between the two is how they're constructed: it's not that in pursuit of omits an article, but that the phrase is an idiom whereas in the pursuit of is a common construction.
If from your context it is clear what you have pursued (i.e., what is "the pursuit"?), which one you choose is a matter of taste.
answered 9 hours ago
TaliesinMerlin
84110
add a comment |
First, let's take the example without the article (in pursuit of). It works, but just saying that it works with or without the article doesn't get at why it works without the article. Let me compare its lack of article with a similar word that lacks an article:
Correct:
In pursuit of my computer science degree at WUSTL, I have mastered....
Incorrect:
In process of my computer science degree at WUSTL, I have mastered....
In pursuit of is an idiomatic phrase meaning "in order to achieve [an item]" (Merriam-Webster). Similar formations (like in process of or in hunt of/for) are not valid, even if their version with the article would be valid. That's one sign that it is an idiom.
An N-gram search shows that "in pursuit of is more common than in the pursuit of or in pursuing, and the Corpus of Contemporary American English has 1442 entries for in pursuit of compared to 467 for in the pursuit of. The sampling illustrates how widespread the idiomatic usage is compared to the version with an article. An idiom will tend to be more common than a similar expression formed organically.
In the first example, the article the emphasizes how pursuit is known. The pursuit would be a pursuit that is already known or understood by writer and reader. From here, the rest of the phrase is constructed through common grammatical rules: something is being pursued (the pursuit of), and you are explaining what you received in that pursuit (in the pursuit of). So the primary difference between the two is how they're constructed: it's not that in pursuit of omits an article, but that the phrase is an idiom whereas in the pursuit of is a common construction.
If from your context it is clear what you have pursued (i.e., what is "the pursuit"?), which one you choose is a matter of taste.
answered 9 hours ago
TaliesinMerlin
84110
add a comment |
First, let's take the example without the article (in pursuit of). It works, but just saying that it works with or without the article doesn't get at why it works without the article. Let me compare its lack of article with a similar word that lacks an article:
Correct:
In pursuit of my computer science degree at WUSTL, I have mastered....
Incorrect:
In process of my computer science degree at WUSTL, I have mastered....
In pursuit of is an idiomatic phrase meaning "in order to achieve [an item]" (Merriam-Webster). Similar formations (like in process of or in hunt of/for) are not valid, even if their version with the article would be valid. That's one sign that it is an idiom.
An N-gram search shows that "in pursuit of is more common than in the pursuit of or in pursuing, and the Corpus of Contemporary American English has 1442 entries for in pursuit of compared to 467 for in the pursuit of. The sampling illustrates how widespread the idiomatic usage is compared to the version with an article. An idiom will tend to be more common than a similar expression formed organically.
In the first example, the article the emphasizes how pursuit is known. The pursuit would be a pursuit that is already known or understood by writer and reader. From here, the rest of the phrase is constructed through common grammatical rules: something is being pursued (the pursuit of), and you are explaining what you received in that pursuit (in the pursuit of). So the primary difference between the two is how they're constructed: it's not that in pursuit of omits an article, but that the phrase is an idiom whereas in the pursuit of is a common construction.
If from your context it is clear what you have pursued (i.e., what is "the pursuit"?), which one you choose is a matter of taste.
answered 9 hours ago
TaliesinMerlin
84110
First, let's take the example without the article (in pursuit of). It works, but just saying that it works with or without the article doesn't get at why it works without the article. Let me compare its lack of article with a similar word that lacks an article:
Correct:
In pursuit of my computer science degree at WUSTL, I have mastered....
Incorrect:
In process of my computer science degree at WUSTL, I have mastered....
In pursuit of is an idiomatic phrase meaning "in order to achieve [an item]" (Merriam-Webster). Similar formations (like in process of or in hunt of/for) are not valid, even if their version with the article would be valid. That's one sign that it is an idiom.
An N-gram search shows that "in pursuit of is more common than in the pursuit of or in pursuing, and the Corpus of Contemporary American English has 1442 entries for in pursuit of compared to 467 for in the pursuit of. The sampling illustrates how widespread the idiomatic usage is compared to the version with an article. An idiom will tend to be more common than a similar expression formed organically.
In the first example, the article the emphasizes how pursuit is known. The pursuit would be a pursuit that is already known or understood by writer and reader. From here, the rest of the phrase is constructed through common grammatical rules: something is being pursued (the pursuit of), and you are explaining what you received in that pursuit (in the pursuit of). So the primary difference between the two is how they're constructed: it's not that in pursuit of omits an article, but that the phrase is an idiom whereas in the pursuit of is a common construction.
If from your context it is clear what you have pursued (i.e., what is "the pursuit"?), which one you choose is a matter of taste.
answered 9 hours ago
TaliesinMerlin
84110
answered 9 hours ago
TaliesinMerlin
84110
answered 9 hours ago
TaliesinMerlin
84110
answered 9 hours ago
TaliesinMerlin
84110
84110
add a comment |
add a comment |
SeedofWInd is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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SeedofWInd is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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1
It's fine either way. Whichever you choose would be grammatical.
– Jason Bassford
16 hours ago
interesting, do they have different connotations? @JasonBassford
– SeedofWInd
15 hours ago
Maybe. When I hear the use of the article, I apply an unstated while to the phrase. In other words, I think that you mastered something as a direct result of the pursuit. But without the article, it could be something you simply mastered at the same time, without any direct correlation. But that's only my own impression. There's nothing about the grammar itself that implies that—and other people may well not interpret it that way at all.
– Jason Bassford
13 hours ago