I watch a TV vs I watch TV
My student said "I watched a TV at home" but I corrected it to "I watched (the) TV at home". I said "the" is not absolutely necessary. My student doesn't understand why "a" is not appropriate. How can I simply explain this? (The student isn't familiar with grammar jargon so I'm trying to make the explanation as simple as possible)
grammar
asked 2 hours ago
Anna
694
add a comment |
My student said "I watched a TV at home" but I corrected it to "I watched (the) TV at home". I said "the" is not absolutely necessary. My student doesn't understand why "a" is not appropriate. How can I simply explain this? (The student isn't familiar with grammar jargon so I'm trying to make the explanation as simple as possible)
grammar
asked 2 hours ago
Anna
694
Possible duplicate of "watching the television" or "watching television"?
– Jason Bassford
7 mins ago
add a comment |
My student said "I watched a TV at home" but I corrected it to "I watched (the) TV at home". I said "the" is not absolutely necessary. My student doesn't understand why "a" is not appropriate. How can I simply explain this? (The student isn't familiar with grammar jargon so I'm trying to make the explanation as simple as possible)
grammar
asked 2 hours ago
Anna
694
My student said "I watched a TV at home" but I corrected it to "I watched (the) TV at home". I said "the" is not absolutely necessary. My student doesn't understand why "a" is not appropriate. How can I simply explain this? (The student isn't familiar with grammar jargon so I'm trying to make the explanation as simple as possible)
grammar
grammar
asked 2 hours ago
Anna
694
asked 2 hours ago
Anna
694
asked 2 hours ago
Anna
694
asked 2 hours ago
Anna
694
asked 2 hours ago
Anna
694
694
Possible duplicate of "watching the television" or "watching television"?
– Jason Bassford
7 mins ago
add a comment |
Possible duplicate of "watching the television" or "watching television"?
– Jason Bassford
7 mins ago
Possible duplicate of "watching the television" or "watching television"?
– Jason Bassford
7 mins ago
Possible duplicate of "watching the television" or "watching television"?
– Jason Bassford
7 mins ago
add a comment |
2 Answers
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TV means television, and the word "television" has a few meanings.
When we say "I watch TV", we actually mean not that piece of equipment (we never really watch the device). Television as a piece of equipment is a countable noun, and so it could possibly use "a" (e.g. I've got a TV/television in my room). But saying "I watch TV", we mean the programs shown on television, which, in its turn, is the system of broadcasting pictures and sounds by electronic signals (Macmillan Dictionary). In this case "television" is an uncountable noun, so we don't use "a" saying "I watch TV".
answered 1 hour ago
Enguroo
2,3761825
add a comment |
Tv or television has several meanings that are relevant to this question:
(uncountable) An electronic communication medium that allows the transmission of real-time visual images, and often sound.
(countable) A device for receiving television signals and displaying them in visual form.
(uncountable) Collectively, the programs broadcast via the medium of television.
(All quoted from Wiktionary.)
It follows from this that "watching tv / television" does not mean the same thing as "watching a / the tv / television".
- Watching tv means watching programs that are broadcast on television. So when someone says, "I watched tv at home", they mean they watched (part of) one or more programs that were broadcast on tv.
- Watching a tv means looking at or observing a television set, e.g. to see whether it is working correctly. This activity isn't nearly as common as watching tv; we usually just turn on the device to see what's on. Unless you are an electrician or interested in hobby electronics, you will rarely watch "a tv" or "the tv". (The definite pronoun would be used only if it is clear from the context which television set you have in mind.)
answered 1 hour ago
Christophe Strobbe
1,7212826
add a comment |
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2 Answers
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2 Answers
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TV means television, and the word "television" has a few meanings.
When we say "I watch TV", we actually mean not that piece of equipment (we never really watch the device). Television as a piece of equipment is a countable noun, and so it could possibly use "a" (e.g. I've got a TV/television in my room). But saying "I watch TV", we mean the programs shown on television, which, in its turn, is the system of broadcasting pictures and sounds by electronic signals (Macmillan Dictionary). In this case "television" is an uncountable noun, so we don't use "a" saying "I watch TV".
answered 1 hour ago
Enguroo
2,3761825
add a comment |
TV means television, and the word "television" has a few meanings.
When we say "I watch TV", we actually mean not that piece of equipment (we never really watch the device). Television as a piece of equipment is a countable noun, and so it could possibly use "a" (e.g. I've got a TV/television in my room). But saying "I watch TV", we mean the programs shown on television, which, in its turn, is the system of broadcasting pictures and sounds by electronic signals (Macmillan Dictionary). In this case "television" is an uncountable noun, so we don't use "a" saying "I watch TV".
answered 1 hour ago
Enguroo
2,3761825
add a comment |
TV means television, and the word "television" has a few meanings.
When we say "I watch TV", we actually mean not that piece of equipment (we never really watch the device). Television as a piece of equipment is a countable noun, and so it could possibly use "a" (e.g. I've got a TV/television in my room). But saying "I watch TV", we mean the programs shown on television, which, in its turn, is the system of broadcasting pictures and sounds by electronic signals (Macmillan Dictionary). In this case "television" is an uncountable noun, so we don't use "a" saying "I watch TV".
answered 1 hour ago
Enguroo
2,3761825
TV means television, and the word "television" has a few meanings.
When we say "I watch TV", we actually mean not that piece of equipment (we never really watch the device). Television as a piece of equipment is a countable noun, and so it could possibly use "a" (e.g. I've got a TV/television in my room). But saying "I watch TV", we mean the programs shown on television, which, in its turn, is the system of broadcasting pictures and sounds by electronic signals (Macmillan Dictionary). In this case "television" is an uncountable noun, so we don't use "a" saying "I watch TV".
answered 1 hour ago
Enguroo
2,3761825
edited 1 hour ago
answered 1 hour ago
Enguroo
2,3761825
answered 1 hour ago
Enguroo
2,3761825
answered 1 hour ago
Enguroo
2,3761825
2,3761825
add a comment |
add a comment |
Tv or television has several meanings that are relevant to this question:
(uncountable) An electronic communication medium that allows the transmission of real-time visual images, and often sound.
(countable) A device for receiving television signals and displaying them in visual form.
(uncountable) Collectively, the programs broadcast via the medium of television.
(All quoted from Wiktionary.)
It follows from this that "watching tv / television" does not mean the same thing as "watching a / the tv / television".
- Watching tv means watching programs that are broadcast on television. So when someone says, "I watched tv at home", they mean they watched (part of) one or more programs that were broadcast on tv.
- Watching a tv means looking at or observing a television set, e.g. to see whether it is working correctly. This activity isn't nearly as common as watching tv; we usually just turn on the device to see what's on. Unless you are an electrician or interested in hobby electronics, you will rarely watch "a tv" or "the tv". (The definite pronoun would be used only if it is clear from the context which television set you have in mind.)
answered 1 hour ago
Christophe Strobbe
1,7212826
add a comment |
Tv or television has several meanings that are relevant to this question:
(uncountable) An electronic communication medium that allows the transmission of real-time visual images, and often sound.
(countable) A device for receiving television signals and displaying them in visual form.
(uncountable) Collectively, the programs broadcast via the medium of television.
(All quoted from Wiktionary.)
It follows from this that "watching tv / television" does not mean the same thing as "watching a / the tv / television".
- Watching tv means watching programs that are broadcast on television. So when someone says, "I watched tv at home", they mean they watched (part of) one or more programs that were broadcast on tv.
- Watching a tv means looking at or observing a television set, e.g. to see whether it is working correctly. This activity isn't nearly as common as watching tv; we usually just turn on the device to see what's on. Unless you are an electrician or interested in hobby electronics, you will rarely watch "a tv" or "the tv". (The definite pronoun would be used only if it is clear from the context which television set you have in mind.)
answered 1 hour ago
Christophe Strobbe
1,7212826
add a comment |
Tv or television has several meanings that are relevant to this question:
(uncountable) An electronic communication medium that allows the transmission of real-time visual images, and often sound.
(countable) A device for receiving television signals and displaying them in visual form.
(uncountable) Collectively, the programs broadcast via the medium of television.
(All quoted from Wiktionary.)
It follows from this that "watching tv / television" does not mean the same thing as "watching a / the tv / television".
- Watching tv means watching programs that are broadcast on television. So when someone says, "I watched tv at home", they mean they watched (part of) one or more programs that were broadcast on tv.
- Watching a tv means looking at or observing a television set, e.g. to see whether it is working correctly. This activity isn't nearly as common as watching tv; we usually just turn on the device to see what's on. Unless you are an electrician or interested in hobby electronics, you will rarely watch "a tv" or "the tv". (The definite pronoun would be used only if it is clear from the context which television set you have in mind.)
answered 1 hour ago
Christophe Strobbe
1,7212826
Tv or television has several meanings that are relevant to this question:
(uncountable) An electronic communication medium that allows the transmission of real-time visual images, and often sound.
(countable) A device for receiving television signals and displaying them in visual form.
(uncountable) Collectively, the programs broadcast via the medium of television.
(All quoted from Wiktionary.)
It follows from this that "watching tv / television" does not mean the same thing as "watching a / the tv / television".
- Watching tv means watching programs that are broadcast on television. So when someone says, "I watched tv at home", they mean they watched (part of) one or more programs that were broadcast on tv.
- Watching a tv means looking at or observing a television set, e.g. to see whether it is working correctly. This activity isn't nearly as common as watching tv; we usually just turn on the device to see what's on. Unless you are an electrician or interested in hobby electronics, you will rarely watch "a tv" or "the tv". (The definite pronoun would be used only if it is clear from the context which television set you have in mind.)
answered 1 hour ago
Christophe Strobbe
1,7212826
answered 1 hour ago
Christophe Strobbe
1,7212826
answered 1 hour ago
Christophe Strobbe
1,7212826
answered 1 hour ago
Christophe Strobbe
1,7212826
1,7212826
add a comment |
add a comment |
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Possible duplicate of "watching the television" or "watching television"?
– Jason Bassford
7 mins ago