I was watching a commercial for a teeth whitener or a denture cleaner or something like that, and the Happy-as-Heck user of the product says "Now I can have the coffee and the blueberries" as though he is speaking of a specific cup of coffee or a specific pint of blueberries he's had on hand and has been waiting to consume, as opposed to saying "Now I can have coffee and blueberries" by way of a general reference. It sets my teeth on edge. I don't understand. It sounds wrong to my ears. I will admit that I "Go to the hospital" or "Am in the hospital," rather than the British "He is in hospital." Conversely, I have always said "I'm going to school" if I'm headed off to classes, and "...to the school" if I'm going to that building for some after-hours event. But I don't really know why other than habit, and not necessarily in intentional observance of proper sentence construct. So is this a regional thing? Would you say "I can have the coffee" by way of a general reference? Is it even proper grammar? (I hate to even type it. It sets my teeth on edge.)
To say "I can have coffee and blueberries" sounds like you're having them mixed together. And how are those nouns non-specific?? (I'll ask Ms. Fox.)
"Now I can drink coffee and eat blueberries." Would you ever say "The coffee" and "The blueberries"? It sounds too specific. And don't ask the Ms. Fox. She told me to stalk the Ms. MacFarland just so she could charge the Ms. MacFarland for the advice on how to shake the stalker.
There has been very few people I couldn't understand. All my older family were just plain dirt farmers. I don't think many of my old teachers spoke any better than any of my family members. My Uncle once told me why he was so blind. When he was very young and going to school the teacher told him that he needed glasses, so at the dinner table that evening he told the old man what the teacher told him. My great grandfather told him "you can see them biscuits on that plate can't ya boy ? Well the uncle never had glasses but he was tough and lasted until he was 96. Being a carpenter he lost a couple fingers a long the way. My Great Grandfather made it to 104, he too was tough as nails and I have photos from the late 1800s taken at Cisco Tx when he was riding herd as a cowboy. Another photo just as old he was working at one of those water powered large log saws. On one visit to the nursing home to visit him my younger brother gave him a Mickey Mouse watch. The old man was still wearing the watch when he died. He wasn't senile he just liked the watch.
You're lucky to have known those folks, either directly or through stories. I never knew any of my grandparents (or anyone going further back), and aunts & uncles & cousins were not part of our lives. My parents never spoke of any of them.
I sort of hate to do this, but shouldn't it be " Shouldn't it be " Since we're doing grammar here, shouldn't it be: "There HAVE been," rather than "...has been" PEOPLE (plural)?
Think of it like this: If one is ordering a several course dinner, one might say: "I'd like to have THE soup after the main course. If coffee is part of an establish series, 'the' would fit.
I agree. But that's referring to a specific soup on the menu. If someone asks "What's your favorite food?" you'll say "Soup" [a general reference] not "The soup." I wish my knowledge of grammar were better so I could specify the specific transgression I believe is being committed.
Not a suitable Ms. Fox question. I would refer you to our linguistics expert Cody so he can ask his wife. Is it thee or thah that is the real question? If I connect with my many generations back Indian side, I say, "I now go to store." After the nuns whack my hands with thee or thah ruler, I get it correct and say, "Now I must go to the store." Later slackers!
If the coffee and the blueberries were directly in front of him and visible, the "the's" would make sense to me. Of course there are regional ways that people express themselves, so that could apply too.
Mrs. Cody told me to tell you that there am a comma between they words you be typin'. Seen what I did there?
And that's what I was wondering. I discern no regional accent in those who use "the" in such a context. Maybe it is location-specific. The problem is, it's just a tough thing to phrase an internet search for.
Yeah, using “the” would be a tad improper. I prefer to be rather specific like “them there” strawberries and pass me sumpin’ to go with ‘em like them there blueberries. Otherwise, mama, don’t forget to buy strawberries. Ya know, them there real red ones.