The Use of English Definite Article “The” with Generic Reference: A Comparative Corpus-Based Study of Turkish EFL Learners and Native English Speakers

Authors : Songül Taş

Pages : 1009-1028

Doi:10.31592/aeusbed.1681606

View : 70 | Download : 99

Publication Date : 2025-11-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :The English article system, particularly the utilization of articles by both learners and native speakers of English language, has long been a subject of debate among researchers. Although numerous studies have examined this issue from various perspectives, most commonly focusing on the non-generic use of the definite article the, there remains a notable gap in the literature concerning its use with generic reference. Addressing this gap, the current study aimed to investigate the definite article the use with generic reference by analyzing and comparing its usage in blog writings of native English speakers and in academic writings of Turkish EFL learners with an identical topic of writing. The instances of the with generic reference were identified, categorized, and quantified using two different concordance programs. The results were then discussed in relation to the pre-established research hypotheses. Finally, the study ends by acknowledging its limitations and providing recommendations for future research to expand the participant pool to enhance generalizability and incorporate more diverse writing samples across various genres and proficiency levels.
Keywords : İngilizce belirli artikel, türsel anlam, türsel olmayan anlam, karşılaştırmalı analiz, derlem

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