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Which one is the right one?

I am not surprised that Mike is in prison. He robbed {a|the} bank two years ago.

Yohann V.
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Sanjar Igamov
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  • In a small Western town in the 1860s, 'he robbed the bank' might well have been used. Though 'jail' would have been more customary. However, if a particular bank has not been specified either overtly, or by implication (as in the one-bank town), 'a bank' is correct. // With 'he broke the bank', there need not even be a bank, never mind a particular one, involved: this is an idiom. – Edwin Ashworth Jun 08 '15 at 12:23
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    a (any, some ) bank. the (this, that) bank. – Misti Jun 08 '15 at 12:30
  • This is like asking if it should be "he robbed a bank" or "he robbed my mother". Both are equally grammatical. They just don't mean the same thing. – RegDwigнt Jun 08 '15 at 12:34

1 Answers1

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It depends about which bank you are talking about.

If you know which bank and the fact that he robbed this bank in particular is important, then use "the".

If it does not matter which bank he robbed or if you do not know which bank it is, then use "a".

Yohann V.
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