{"id":1355,"date":"2020-08-23T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-08-23T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/?p=1355"},"modified":"2021-05-04T07:23:16","modified_gmt":"2021-05-04T07:23:16","slug":"generic-reference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-grammar\/generic-reference\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Dogs Are Man's Best Friend  \u2014 How to Teach Generic Reference"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-grammar\/generic-reference\/#Generic_Reference\" >Generic Reference<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-grammar\/generic-reference\/#1_The_Dog_is_Mans_Best_Friend\" >1. The Dog is Man\u2019s Best Friend<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-grammar\/generic-reference\/#2_A_Dog_is_Mans_Best_Friend\" >2. A Dog is Man\u2019s Best Friend&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-grammar\/generic-reference\/#3_Dogs_are_Mans_Best_Friend\" >3. Dogs are Man\u2019s Best Friend<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-grammar\/generic-reference\/#Teaching_Implications\" >Teaching Implications<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-grammar\/generic-reference\/#%F0%9F%91%8B_Thats_it_for_now\" >\ud83d\udc4b That\u2019s it for now!<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p>Which of the following is correct?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><em>Dogs<\/em> are man\u2019s best friend.<\/li><li><em>The dog<\/em> is man\u2019s best friend.<\/li><li><em>A dog<\/em> is man\u2019s best friend.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>If you answered \u201call of them,\u201d you\u2019re right! It doesn\u2019t matter if you say \u201cdogs,\u201d \u201cthe dog\u201d or \u201ca dog.\u201d These all refer to dogs in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, in other contexts, it does make a difference, and this can be very confusing for learners! For example, why is it that \u201cpandas are an endangered animal\u201d is acceptable, but \u201ca panda is an endangered animal\u201d sounds unnatural?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s look at how we can explain this grammar concept to our students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Generic_Reference\"><\/span>Generic Reference<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>In the three sentences about dogs, the word <em>dog <\/em>is a \u201cgeneric noun.\u201d Generic nouns are used to make \u201cgeneric references,\u201d that is to refer to all members of a group, in this case \u201cdogs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you can see, generic nouns can be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>plural (\u201cdogs\u201d)<\/li><li>singular with \"the\" (\u201cthe dog\u201d)<\/li><li>singular with \"a(n)\"&nbsp; (\u201ca dog\u201d)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_The_Dog_is_Mans_Best_Friend\"><\/span>1. The Dog is Man\u2019s Best Friend<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s start with the definite article option: \u201cthe dog is man\u2019s best friend.\u201d This is the version preferred by <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ogden_Nash\">a famous American poet<\/a> who wrote the following in the 1920s:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"623\" height=\"334\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/05\/04072034\/image3.png\" alt=\"&quot;The dog is man's best friend. He has a tail on one end. Up in front he has teeth. And four legs underneath.&quot;\" class=\"wp-image-1789\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/05\/04072034\/image3.png 623w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/05\/04072034\/image3-300x161.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 623px) 100vw, 623px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>This form of generic reference sounds a little old-fashioned, so it\u2019s no longer used except in specific contexts, like in documentaries about nature or science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some typical sentences that use the \u201cthe\u201d generic form:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\u201c<em>The maple (tree)<\/em> is originally from Asia\u201d<\/li><li>\u201c<em>The panda<\/em> is an endangered animal.\u201d<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As you can see, the generic nouns here refer to species of a plant (maple tree) and an animal (panda).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This form of generic reference is also sometimes used to talk about nationalities and ethnicities, such as \u201cthe French\u201d and \u201cthe Japanese.\u201d However, it\u2019s best not to refer to people like this, as it sounds like we\u2019re making a <a href=\"https:\/\/examples.yourdictionary.com\/stereotype-examples.html\">stereotype<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_A_Dog_is_Mans_Best_Friend\"><\/span>2. A Dog is Man\u2019s Best Friend&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The second way to make a generic reference is to use \u201ca\u201d: \u201cA dog is man\u2019s best friend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We usually hear this form of generic reference used to make statements about how a certain group of people should act:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"623\" height=\"372\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/05\/04072214\/image2.png\" alt=\"Examples: &quot;A real hero doesn't expect to be thanked.&quot; &quot;A good student should know better than to cheat.&quot; &quot;A leader must lead with actions not words.&quot;\" class=\"wp-image-1794\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/05\/04072214\/image2.png 623w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/05\/04072214\/image2-300x179.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 623px) 100vw, 623px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>However, because \u201ca\u201d often means \u201cone,\u201d it can be confusing when used with a generic noun. For example, the title of this blog post would sound a little weird if we used \u201ca\u201d: \u201cWhy <em>A Dog <\/em>Is Man\u2019s Best Friend.\u201d This is because it sounds like we\u2019re talking about one dog!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This also explains why \u201cA panda is an endangered animal\u201d doesn\u2019t make sense: it sounds like \u201cone panda is an endangered animal.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In both instances above, it would be clearer to use \u201cthe\u201d or the plural:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The-generic: \u201cWhy the dog is man\u2019s best friend.\u201d \u201cThe panda is an endangered species.\u201d<\/li><li>Plural generic: \u201cWhy dogs are man\u2019s best friend.\u201d \u201cPandas are an endangered species.\u201d&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Dogs_are_Mans_Best_Friend\"><\/span>3. Dogs are Man\u2019s Best Friend<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The plural is the most common way to make a generic reference and probably the one we\u2019re most familiar with. In fact, all of the sentences above could be formed using this plural:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Dogs are man\u2019s best friend.<\/li><li>Good students should know better than to plagiarize.<\/li><li>Pandas are an endangered species.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Whereas the sentences with \u201cthe\u201d or \u201ca\u201d sound more wise or official, these sentences sound more neutral and plain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After all, the plural is also the form of the generic reference we learn the earliest. It\u2019s the one we use in sentences like \u201cI like <em>dogs<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Teaching_Implications\"><\/span>Teaching Implications<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>So what does all this mean for those of us who teach? Well, we can teach students to default to the plural when making generic references, since the \u201cthe\u201d is basically limited to nature documentaries, and \u201ca\u201d can cause confusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another reason to default to the plural is that English has many more <a href=\"https:\/\/learnenglish.britishcouncil.org\/english-grammar-reference\/count-nouns\">count nouns<\/a> than non-count nouns (like \u201ccheese\u201d or \u201cbroccoli\u201d which don\u2019t pluralize with an -S). Yet, students often forget to add -S\u2019s to plural nouns, ending up with sentences like, \u201cI like dog\u201d instead of \u201cI like dogs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"624\" height=\"394\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/05\/04072140\/image4-1-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1793\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/05\/04072140\/image4-1-1.png 624w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/05\/04072140\/image4-1-1-300x189.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%F0%9F%91%8B_Thats_it_for_now\"><\/span>\ud83d\udc4b That\u2019s it for now!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Hope this article clears things up about teaching generic reference and why dogs (not cats) are man\u2019s best friend. (Kidding! Don\u2019t shoot me, cat people!) Happy tutoring!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Which of the following is correct? Dogs are man\u2019s best friend.The dog is man\u2019s best friend.A dog is man\u2019s best friend. If you answered \u201call of them,\u201d you\u2019re right! It doesn\u2019t matter if you say...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":137,"featured_media":1356,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"unified_meta_tagline_field":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-teaching-grammar"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Why Dogs Are Man&#039;s Best Friend \u2014 How to Teach Generic Reference | Engoo Tutor&#039;s Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-grammar\/generic-reference\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why Dogs Are Man&#039;s Best Friend \u2014 How to Teach Generic Reference | Engoo Tutor&#039;s Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Which of the following is correct? 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