To be a doctor versus to be doctor

[Dark Magician]

English Grammar Tests, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #8 "How to use the articles", question 8

She always said that when she grew up she wanted to be ..........

(a) doctor
(b) a doctor
(c) the doctor

English Grammar Tests, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #8 "How to use the articles", answer 8

She always said that when she grew up she wanted to be a doctor.

Correct answer: (b) a doctor

Your answer was: incorrect
She always said that when she grew up she wanted to be doctor.
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Hi,
I know I ask you many Questions....
that make of me shy!!
could tell me short basic about the articles,please?

my respect
Mba
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Right is always stronger than iniquity.

[Alan]

Hi,

Have a look at some material I've written for the site:

Articles in English: The vs. A/an
http://www.english-test.net/lessons/16/index.html

A
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Future

[Dark Magician]

thanks a lot Alan

I was need to your explain (the articles)
I'm reading it and studying now.

Mba
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Right is always stronger than iniquity.

[Vermilion]

Hi Alan!
I read your article about articles and have some questions, but don't know where to ask them. May be here?
You write: "A horse is a noble animal" - this represents no particular person or thing, but "The donkey is a very obstinate animal" - represents a class of objects. Sorry, I don't understand what's the difference!
And further: abstract nouns do not attract indefinite articles. But why Charlie hoped "that the terror could not be seen in his eyes"?
I suspect I've made some goofs, sorry, I'm going to learn by my mistakes

[Alan]

Hi Vermilion,

Don't worry about making what you call 'goofs'. That doesn't matter at all! The difference between 'a' and 'the' with reference to 'donkey' and 'horse' is that 'A horse is a noble animal' is just a general statement whereas 'The donkey is a very obstinate animal' picks out the donkey as a particular example of an obstinate animal. I agree the difference is slight but the reason why we choose 'the' is because we want to particularise and the reason why we choose 'a' is to generalise.

On your second point - usually abstract nouns do not have articles attached but in this particular sentence: that the terror could not be seen in his eyes we are again particularising 'terror'. It isn't just 'terror' it is the terror you can't see in his eyes.

Hope this helps a little.

Alan
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English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Progressive Forms

[Vermilion]

Thank you Alan!
I think I understood these examples. But don't know if I can see the difference in some other situation and choose right articles in that struggle "generalization vs. particularising"… Nuances are the most difficult matter in foreign language!