A CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE USE OF DEFINITE ARTICLES 
IN ENGLISHSCIENTIFIC TEXTS AND IN ENGLISH LITERATURE 
Janlne Gallals-Hamonno 
Fac. des Lettres et Sciences Humalnes, 
Universlt~ de Metz, Ile du Saulcy, 57000 Metz, France 
This paper is a continuation of the paper by lh-ofessor 
I~AMSEY on the use of the definite article In English. 
Professor Kramsk~y found that the definite article Is 
less used in newspapers than In scientific texts, and is less 
used In literary texts than In newspapers. 
Our analysis of English scientific texts led us ~o pro- 
pose a theory which distInguishes In sclentiflc texts two 
different types of propositions: 
- those whlchoonvey the scientific message of the 
author, 1.e. the new theory or polnt of theory he proposes° 
These propositions we call the language propositions In the 
text. 
- those which are used to explain, illustrate and comment 
on the language propositions. They help the reader understand 
and approve of the author*s new Ideas. These we call discourse 
propositions. 
The definite article Is used An these two types of pro- 
positions In s different way: 
- In language propositions, the definite article intro- 
duces the terms or expressions used to designate the concepts 
operative for the analysis presented by the author. 
- In dlscqurs~ propositions, the definite article is 
used to introduce the terms or expressions which designate 
the examples, Illustrations which the author refers to in 
order to explain his theory to the reader. 
- III - 
F~om this analysis of the use of the definite article 
An English scientific texts, there can be devised a quasi 
automatic content analysis of a scientific text, through the 
analysis of the words introduced by the definite articles 
In the text. 
Fromthls analysis of the use of definite articles An 
scientific texts, we proceeded to an analysis of the defin- 
Ite article in literature. 
We first worked on Victory by Joseph Conrad, and then 
on the ~ by Shakespeare. 
From this analysis, we can say that, whether the author 
of a given text be a scientist or a poet, there is at work a 
logical process which can be traced through the use of the 
definite article. 
The problem of the difference An the number of tames 
the definite article is used An scientific texts end An lit- 
erature As due to the fact that the scientist has to demon- 
strate a theory, which is a purely logical process, whereas 
the poet aims at creating beauty end an J~aglnaT,y world which 
the reader must accept of. That Is why there As more emphasis 
In literature on whet we call ~ propositions than on 
what we call language propositions. 
Nevertheless t there can be traced In both types of croat- 
Ave work some similar patterns through which the human mlnd 
finds and expresses new things, which can be Illustrated by 
an analysis of the use made ~y the author of the definite 
artlcle. 
- 112 - 
