play <the> violin

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lackwords

New Member
Cantonese
Hi everyone, I am new here. Greetings!

I was helping in homework, but need help on the following please -

Roger: Do you play ___ violin or ___ piano?
Mark: No, I can only play ___ guitar.
 
    • lackwords said:
    Hi everyone, I am new here. Greetings!

    I was helping in homework, but need help on the following please -

    Roger: Do you play ___ violin or ___ piano?
    Mark: No, I can only play ___ guitar.
    Click to expand...

    In the same exercise, there are questions like -

    1. I am watching X (X = no article is required) television at the moment.
    2. Does your brother play X basketball?

    which I think an article is not required. But for the question above, I am very unsure. Thank you.
     
    It is conventional to use the definite article to refer to a musical instrument.
    Always use the definite article ...
    c) with groups of people, and with musical and scientific instruments and animals when you are discussing them as categories:
    • 'The hospital in Cheery Orchard Avenue is a hospital for the elderly and infirm.'
    • 'The poor are always disadvantaged in contemporary society.
    • 'Matilda is learning to play the trumpet; her brother plays the drums.'
    • 'Who invented the telescope?' 'The first one was made by Galileo in 1608.'
    • 'The Bengali tiger is threatened with extinction.'
    • 'The Manx cat is native to the Isle of Man.
    Click to expand...
    Learning English | BBC World Service
     
    Thank you. Roger seems to be asking Mark: Do you know how to play the violin/piano? Mark said: I only know how to play the guitar.

    So, even if Roger is asking Mark which part he plays in the band in terms of type/categories of instruments, the question: Do you play the violin or the piano? is still appropriate. And Mark may reply: No, I play the Saxophone.

    And the other two questions I quoted follow other rule(s) which cannot apply to music instruments.

    Just wish to check if I understand these correctly.
     
    Yes, your understanding is correct, lackwords. The violin, the piano and the guitar would refer to categories of instruments.

    We generally say, 'John plays the cello in the orchestra.' (However, if you are referring to a particular part in the music, you might say this: 'John plays first cello in the orchestra; Jim plays second cello.')

    The article is usually not used with games. ('Joe played rugby at school on Friday.')
     
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