Articles, friend of foe? Part 1

Recently my friend, Japanese, posted a Facebook status that read:

I'm living in the another world.

Reading this status I felt an uneasiness that I didn't understand. I said this sentence in my many times like a mantra, I'm living in the another world.I'm living in the another world.I'm living in the another world.

Although grammatically correct and conveying meaning something about this sentence doesn't feel right. What could it be?


Breaking it down:

I'm living in; perfect use of present continuous with the preposition.

the another world; here's the complicated part. Sounds like a place out of a science fiction novel, which if it was then this sentence would make perfect sense. My friend is reading a book about a place called Another World and for the moment is living there.

But...

That wasn't the intention so the use of the article 'the' is being misused.

Articles Defined

'The' is an article used to identify specific people, places or objects. (Definite article)

For example,

The sun
The TV
The man
The Netherlands
The West
The singer
The pencil
etc.

All of which we can conceptualize and especially if we are in the same room or vicinity of those objects can see with our own eyes and will say or learn detailed information about it.

The man has brown hair.
The pencil is on the table.
The singer has really cool clothes.

'A, An' is an article used to identify non-specific people, places or objects. (Indefinite article)

For example,

An apple
A horse
A cup
A singer
An umbrella
A man
A computer
etc.

All of which we can conceptualize but not necessary for us to see in the moment.

An apple is red or green.
A computer is useful.
A singer sings a song.

In Part 2 we'll look at the future of English and the use of articles in the spoken form.

Please feel free to ask questions or give examples in the comments.

Happy learning!

Chromatic English