“A daughter’s life”: the usage of the article











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What else but sail to save a daughter's life,

and pray she still drew breath?




It seems to me that the article in bold is redundant. Why is it used in this text? Is it grammatically correct?






grammar articles indefinite-article







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    up vote
    3
    down vote

    favorite













    What else but sail to save a daughter's life,

    and pray she still drew breath?




    It seems to me that the article in bold is redundant. Why is it used in this text? Is it grammatically correct?






    grammar articles indefinite-article







    share|improve this question
























      up vote
      3
      down vote

      favorite









      up vote
      3
      down vote

      favorite












      What else but sail to save a daughter's life,

      and pray she still drew breath?




      It seems to me that the article in bold is redundant. Why is it used in this text? Is it grammatically correct?






      grammar articles indefinite-article







      share|improve this question














      What else but sail to save a daughter's life,

      and pray she still drew breath?




      It seems to me that the article in bold is redundant. Why is it used in this text? Is it grammatically correct?






      grammar articles indefinite-article




      grammar articles indefinite-article






      share|improve this question













      share|improve this question











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      share|improve this question










      asked 6 hours ago









      Aer

      18510




      18510






















          2 Answers
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          up vote
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          accepted










          It's the life of a daughter.



          The countably singular noun "daughter" needs some determiner, even with the genitive inflection. The indefinite article "a" is the determiner for "daughter", and in turn the genitive phrase "a daughter's" is the determiner for the countably singular "life".



          Nothing is redundant. Everything that needs counting is counted.






          share|improve this answer

















          • 1




            To further prove non-redundancy, let's point out that some article is needed no matter what, even if this particular article were not necessarily the right one for some different statement. "Save daughter's life" couldn't conceivably be correct, in English.
            – Beanluc
            4 hours ago


















          up vote
          3
          down vote













          Assuming the daughter is the writer's own daughter, the "a" would be incorrect in a strictly mundane grammar lesson on sentence structure. In that case, the sentence would be given as, ".. to save my daughter's life", even if the writer has more than one daughter.



          However in this case, by using the indefinite article "a", the author speaks of his own daughter in a general sense, as if she were the daughter of any person in that situation. He moves the context into a more philosophical, universally significant realm to emphasize the emotion which is shared by humanity in general. It makes the story more poignant and moving to the reader.






          share|improve this answer








          New contributor




          Lorel C. is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.


















          • Thanks! This couplet is taken from the ballade about the admiral's life so the narrator is not the admiral.
            – Aer
            5 hours ago






          • 1




            @Aer In that case, the less poetic form would probably be "save his daughter's life" but otherwise Lorel's point still stands.
            – John Montgomery
            2 hours ago











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          2 Answers
          2






          active

          oldest

          votes








          2 Answers
          2






          active

          oldest

          votes









          active

          oldest

          votes






          active

          oldest

          votes








          up vote
          3
          down vote



          accepted










          It's the life of a daughter.



          The countably singular noun "daughter" needs some determiner, even with the genitive inflection. The indefinite article "a" is the determiner for "daughter", and in turn the genitive phrase "a daughter's" is the determiner for the countably singular "life".



          Nothing is redundant. Everything that needs counting is counted.






          share|improve this answer

















          • 1




            To further prove non-redundancy, let's point out that some article is needed no matter what, even if this particular article were not necessarily the right one for some different statement. "Save daughter's life" couldn't conceivably be correct, in English.
            – Beanluc
            4 hours ago















          up vote
          3
          down vote



          accepted










          It's the life of a daughter.



          The countably singular noun "daughter" needs some determiner, even with the genitive inflection. The indefinite article "a" is the determiner for "daughter", and in turn the genitive phrase "a daughter's" is the determiner for the countably singular "life".



          Nothing is redundant. Everything that needs counting is counted.






          share|improve this answer

















          • 1




            To further prove non-redundancy, let's point out that some article is needed no matter what, even if this particular article were not necessarily the right one for some different statement. "Save daughter's life" couldn't conceivably be correct, in English.
            – Beanluc
            4 hours ago













          up vote
          3
          down vote



          accepted







          up vote
          3
          down vote



          accepted






          It's the life of a daughter.



          The countably singular noun "daughter" needs some determiner, even with the genitive inflection. The indefinite article "a" is the determiner for "daughter", and in turn the genitive phrase "a daughter's" is the determiner for the countably singular "life".



          Nothing is redundant. Everything that needs counting is counted.






          share|improve this answer












          It's the life of a daughter.



          The countably singular noun "daughter" needs some determiner, even with the genitive inflection. The indefinite article "a" is the determiner for "daughter", and in turn the genitive phrase "a daughter's" is the determiner for the countably singular "life".



          Nothing is redundant. Everything that needs counting is counted.







          share|improve this answer












          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer










          answered 6 hours ago









          Gary Botnovcan

          8,755926




          8,755926








          • 1




            To further prove non-redundancy, let's point out that some article is needed no matter what, even if this particular article were not necessarily the right one for some different statement. "Save daughter's life" couldn't conceivably be correct, in English.
            – Beanluc
            4 hours ago














          • 1




            To further prove non-redundancy, let's point out that some article is needed no matter what, even if this particular article were not necessarily the right one for some different statement. "Save daughter's life" couldn't conceivably be correct, in English.
            – Beanluc
            4 hours ago








          1




          1




          To further prove non-redundancy, let's point out that some article is needed no matter what, even if this particular article were not necessarily the right one for some different statement. "Save daughter's life" couldn't conceivably be correct, in English.
          – Beanluc
          4 hours ago




          To further prove non-redundancy, let's point out that some article is needed no matter what, even if this particular article were not necessarily the right one for some different statement. "Save daughter's life" couldn't conceivably be correct, in English.
          – Beanluc
          4 hours ago












          up vote
          3
          down vote













          Assuming the daughter is the writer's own daughter, the "a" would be incorrect in a strictly mundane grammar lesson on sentence structure. In that case, the sentence would be given as, ".. to save my daughter's life", even if the writer has more than one daughter.



          However in this case, by using the indefinite article "a", the author speaks of his own daughter in a general sense, as if she were the daughter of any person in that situation. He moves the context into a more philosophical, universally significant realm to emphasize the emotion which is shared by humanity in general. It makes the story more poignant and moving to the reader.






          share|improve this answer








          New contributor




          Lorel C. is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.


















          • Thanks! This couplet is taken from the ballade about the admiral's life so the narrator is not the admiral.
            – Aer
            5 hours ago






          • 1




            @Aer In that case, the less poetic form would probably be "save his daughter's life" but otherwise Lorel's point still stands.
            – John Montgomery
            2 hours ago















          up vote
          3
          down vote













          Assuming the daughter is the writer's own daughter, the "a" would be incorrect in a strictly mundane grammar lesson on sentence structure. In that case, the sentence would be given as, ".. to save my daughter's life", even if the writer has more than one daughter.



          However in this case, by using the indefinite article "a", the author speaks of his own daughter in a general sense, as if she were the daughter of any person in that situation. He moves the context into a more philosophical, universally significant realm to emphasize the emotion which is shared by humanity in general. It makes the story more poignant and moving to the reader.






          share|improve this answer








          New contributor




          Lorel C. is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.


















          • Thanks! This couplet is taken from the ballade about the admiral's life so the narrator is not the admiral.
            – Aer
            5 hours ago






          • 1




            @Aer In that case, the less poetic form would probably be "save his daughter's life" but otherwise Lorel's point still stands.
            – John Montgomery
            2 hours ago













          up vote
          3
          down vote










          up vote
          3
          down vote









          Assuming the daughter is the writer's own daughter, the "a" would be incorrect in a strictly mundane grammar lesson on sentence structure. In that case, the sentence would be given as, ".. to save my daughter's life", even if the writer has more than one daughter.



          However in this case, by using the indefinite article "a", the author speaks of his own daughter in a general sense, as if she were the daughter of any person in that situation. He moves the context into a more philosophical, universally significant realm to emphasize the emotion which is shared by humanity in general. It makes the story more poignant and moving to the reader.






          share|improve this answer








          New contributor




          Lorel C. is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.









          Assuming the daughter is the writer's own daughter, the "a" would be incorrect in a strictly mundane grammar lesson on sentence structure. In that case, the sentence would be given as, ".. to save my daughter's life", even if the writer has more than one daughter.



          However in this case, by using the indefinite article "a", the author speaks of his own daughter in a general sense, as if she were the daughter of any person in that situation. He moves the context into a more philosophical, universally significant realm to emphasize the emotion which is shared by humanity in general. It makes the story more poignant and moving to the reader.







          share|improve this answer








          New contributor




          Lorel C. is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.









          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer






          New contributor




          Lorel C. is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.









          answered 6 hours ago









          Lorel C.

          1842




          1842




          New contributor




          Lorel C. is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.





          New contributor





          Lorel C. is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.






          Lorel C. is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.












          • Thanks! This couplet is taken from the ballade about the admiral's life so the narrator is not the admiral.
            – Aer
            5 hours ago






          • 1




            @Aer In that case, the less poetic form would probably be "save his daughter's life" but otherwise Lorel's point still stands.
            – John Montgomery
            2 hours ago


















          • Thanks! This couplet is taken from the ballade about the admiral's life so the narrator is not the admiral.
            – Aer
            5 hours ago






          • 1




            @Aer In that case, the less poetic form would probably be "save his daughter's life" but otherwise Lorel's point still stands.
            – John Montgomery
            2 hours ago
















          Thanks! This couplet is taken from the ballade about the admiral's life so the narrator is not the admiral.
          – Aer
          5 hours ago




          Thanks! This couplet is taken from the ballade about the admiral's life so the narrator is not the admiral.
          – Aer
          5 hours ago




          1




          1




          @Aer In that case, the less poetic form would probably be "save his daughter's life" but otherwise Lorel's point still stands.
          – John Montgomery
          2 hours ago




          @Aer In that case, the less poetic form would probably be "save his daughter's life" but otherwise Lorel's point still stands.
          – John Montgomery
          2 hours ago


















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