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"the instructions" vs. "instructions"

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ESL Forum | English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms

Annual report phrases and vocabulary materials? | Difference between waiting and awaiting

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#1 (permalink) Mon Jun 26, 2006 9:07 am "the instructions" vs. "instructions"

Hi I just used the sentence in a different thread, 1- We are awaiting instructions. Should I have written the instructions? If the is not required, then why not--when the speaker and the listener both know which instructions? Awaiting answer or maybe the answer Tom

Tom
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Joined: 30 May 2006
Posts: 2061

#2 (permalink) Mon Jun 26, 2006 12:29 pm "the instructions" vs. "instructions"

Tom wrote:

Hi

I just used the sentence in a different thread,

1- We are awaiting instructions.

Should I have written the instructions? If the is not required, then why not--when the speaker and the listener both know which instructions?

Awaiting an answer or maybe the answer
Tom

Awaiting instructions means awaiting some/your (any) instructions. We don't know exactly what instructions we will be given.

Now the use of the definite article implies that the instructions have already been mentioned or that we know what instructions to expect.

Conchita
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Annual report phrases and vocabulary materials? | Difference between waiting and awaiting

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