[化学論文のための英語講座] 第32回：Pop Quiz 4 Same and Similar

(English version is here.)

以下の文章に適切な答えを選んでください。

1. Using 　　　　 procedure reported by Tius et al., the trimethylsilyl enol ether was prepared.
A. same B. a same C. the same

2. This reaction likely proceeds through 　　　　 mechanism as the previous example.
A. same B. a same C. the same

3. We faced 　　　　 challenges when preparing the ruthenium complex.
A. similar B. a similar C. the similar

4. The ketone was elaborated, following a protocol 　　　　 to that reported by Takada et al.
A. similar B. a similar C. the similar

5. The rearrangement was demonstrated to occur via 　　　　 mechanism.
A. similar B. a similar C. the similar

[答]
1. C 2. C 3. A 4. A 5. B

[解説]
1. 「same」は「全く同じ」という意味です。制限形容詞であるので常に定冠詞「the」を付けます。
2. これも問1と同じく、定冠詞「the」を付けます。
3. 「similar」も制限形容詞ですが「same」よりゆるいので「the」はほぼ付けません。この文では「challenges」は複数ですので、similarに冠詞は付けません。代わりに単数である「challenge」を使えば、similarに不定冠詞「a」を付けます。
4. 「similar」が名詞の後にあれば、冠詞は必要ありません。
5. 問3と同じ理由で「a similar」が正しいです。

[まとめ]
「same」は常に定冠詞「the」を付けます。「It's always THE same」を暗記すれば良いです。「similar」が名詞の後にあれば、冠詞は必要ありませんが、名詞の前にある場合は名詞に適切な冠詞が必要です。不定冠詞の場合が多いです。理解するべき重要な点は、「similar, same」と一緒に用いる冠詞は形容詞である「similar, same」だけではなく、修飾された名詞と合わせて使うということです。

形容詞については、後日詳細な解説を予定しています。

次回は動名詞と不定詞についてです。

Pop Quiz 4 Same and Similar

Choose the correct answer for the following sentences.

1. Using 　　　　 procedure reported by Tius et al., the trimethylsilyl enol ether was prepared.
A. same B. a same C. the same

2. This reaction likely proceeds through 　　　　 mechanism as the previous example.
A. same B. a same C. the same

3. We faced 　　　　 challenges when preparing the ruthenium complex.A. similar B. a similar C. the similar

4. The ketone was elaborated, following a protocol 　　　　 to that reported by Takada et al.
A. similar B. a similar C. the similar

5. The rearrangement was demonstrated to occur via 　　　　 mechanism.
A. similar B. a similar C. the similar

[Answers]
1. C 2. C 3. A 4. A 5. B

[Explanation]
1. Same means identical, restricting the noun to a single possibility. Thus, the definite article the is used.
2. Like 1, this uses definite article the.
3. Similar is also a limiting adjective but it is looser than same, and the definite article the is rarely used. In this sentence challenges is plural and thus, no article is used. If instead challenge were used, similar would take the indefinite article a.
4. If similar follows the modified noun, an article is not needed.
5. For the same reason as in question 3, a similar is correct.

[Summary]
Same always takes the definite article the. Remember, "It's always THE same." When similar appears after the noun, no article is required. When it appears before the noun however, it takes an article appropriate for the noun, and is usually the indefinite article. An important point to understand is that the article used with similar/same depends not only on similar/same, but also on the modified noun.

A detailed explanation of adjectives is planned for a later date.

At next time, we will discuss about gerund and infinitive.