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I'm doing IELTS preparation tests. One of the tasks is to read a text and compltete the summary by filling the gaps. I did it without mistakes.

Text:

Before committing yourself to postgraduate course, weigh up the options. Perhaps the best route might be to take a job now and plan to do an MBA a few years down the line? Try to get sponsorship from A company. Or go for a well researched and thoroughly thought through masters that will help you land a good job.

Summary:

First, however, it is important to consider the .... (options): whether to start right away on a carefully chosen postgraduate course, or to do so after a few years' work, preferably with financial assistance from THE ... (company).

My question:

  • Why it's not A company in the summary?

Thank you in advance

Laurel
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kuku
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  • There are mistakes in the 'text' you supply. And elsewhere. / Where do you get the idea that '... whether to start right away on a carefully chosen postgraduate course, or to do so after a few years' work, preferably with financial assistance from a company' is incorrect? – Edwin Ashworth Jan 11 '18 at 15:25
  • my question is why in the text is A company and in the summary THE company. – kuku Jan 11 '18 at 16:02
  • One assumes that the original was less error-prone (Before committing yourself to a postgraduate course / thoroughly // financial). But one doesn't really know who made these mistakes. //// If the 'summary' is as given by the tests (other than the spelling error/typo), I'd not consider 'a' company incorrect here, nor 'the' company, but would prefer 'the company employing you'. – Edwin Ashworth Jan 11 '18 at 16:12
  • there's only "the company." other mistakes were done by me while typing – kuku Jan 11 '18 at 16:20
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    The summary was written after the main body of text. Since 'a' company has been mentioned in the body, the writer then refers to it as 'the' company when summarising, since the writer is treating it as though it is already identified. – Nigel J Jan 11 '18 at 16:38
  • @Nigel J A summary can't assume that the original is available. – Edwin Ashworth Jan 11 '18 at 17:57
  • @EdwinAshworth Indeed, I agree. I would expect a summary only to summarise what went before. The summary has behaved as though it is supplementary and has brought forward the mention of 'company' and developed the idea, which is not what I would expect of a true summary. – Nigel J Jan 11 '18 at 19:34

1 Answers1

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The difference between A and THE:

A - means any single company. Generally speaking - 'what happens in any one company' - but we don't know which company - because we are talking generally - we have not named a company - what we are saying may be true for most or many companies.

THE - means one specific company (ie, you already chose it, and now we are talking about the specific details of it, and we know the name of it).

Why it's not A company, in the summary, is because they are then talking about a time when you already chose a company - you already know its name - so then it is THE company - that you work for.

So there's a time shift, between paragraphs, I think - between 'generally looking at companies' and then 'being employed by one company'.

Jelila
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