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That man with "the" glasses

hirashin

Sempai
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8 Apr 2004
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Hello, native English speakersツ,
I have a little question about "the".

I think that all the sentences below are grammatically correct.
But I'm not sure if all of them are commonly used.
Would all of them be commonly used ?
(a) Who is that man with glasses?
(b) Who is that man with glasses on?
(c) Who is that man with the glasses?
(d) Who is that man with the glasses on?

If (c) or (d) is used, in which situation would it be used?

Thanks in advance.

Hirashin
 
I think (a) is the most common. If you say "the glasses" then you're putting special attention on those glasses. Maybe if someone wearing very strange glasses was seen by you then you would say "the glasses" because the glasses are as much a focus of your attention as the man is. When saying "man with glasses" the glasses are treated as a descriptive detail of the man, but when you say "man with the glasses" then the glasses are being treated as a separate object.

Using the word "on" is probably not necessary here. It seems to imply the action of the glasses being put on because it calls special attention to the idea that the glasses are on and not off. A situation where you could use (b) would be if everyone in a group was expected to not wear glasses, but one person was, then you might ask "who is that man with glasses on?"
 
Thank you for the help, taiyaki san. I appreciate it.

Have you ever eaten taiyaki?

Hirashin
 
When I used to live in South Korea I had bung-eo ppang, which is their version of taiyaki. It was very good, but they only make it with bean filling and there's none where I am now. Maybe someday I'll find a chocolate taiyaki. :)
 
'the glasses': maybe cool glasses; maybe you are sexually attracted to people wearing glasses

'the' is the most complex grammar item of the English Language

agree with Taiyaki's summing up

If you want to be more correct, for formal writing:

'Who is that man wearing glasses?'

two points:
not ending a sentence with a preposition
'wearing', as opposed to 'with'

Challenge: explain the grammar of 'wearing glasses'? shall post answer later
 
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