Comment on Why do we say, "when I look in the mirror" instead of "when I look in a mirror?"

• EleventhHour@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  “You have something on your face; go take a look in the mirror” is just as grammatically correct in English

  yes, but only if you’re referring to a specific mirror. so, “go look in the mirror” would be appropriate if you’re also indicating to/pointing at a mirror, or there’s been a specific mirror under discussion already (or if the audience already knew there was only one mirror they could be referring to.)

  also, it’s not technically a grammatical error, but one of poor style/form.

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  • kabe@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Nope, as I explained in my other comment, it’s standard usage.

    In English, we often use the definite article when speaking in general about a specific activity or action that involves a non-specific object. E.g. “go to the bathroom” or “catch the bus”, or “read the newspaper”. It’s not poor form at all.

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    • EleventhHour@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Nope, as I explained in my other comment, it’s standard usage.

      you explained more or less what i did, except the whole “using the grammar and spelling of a 3 year-old is valid because language is fluid!” BS argument i outright reject–

      and your claims of being an English teacher? it bears no weight here.

      Argument from authority

      An argument from authority (argumentum ab auctoritate), also called an appeal to authority, or argumentum ad verecundiam, is a form of argument in which the opinion of an influential figure is used as evidence to support an argument.[1]

      The argument from authority is a logical fallacy,[2] and obtaining knowledge in this way is fallible.[3][4]

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      • kabe@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        Lol well teaching this professionally surely makes me some form of authority (albeit of course not the authority!) on this subject.

        To clarify, your original point sounded like you were making a distinction between metaphorical mirrors and actual mirrors:

        “in the mirror” tends to more often refer to a metaphorical “mirror”, typically when discussing self-reflection

        • "I took a look in the mirror and decided to change my ways."

        “in a mirror” tends to refer most often to actual mirrors that exist in reality, not metaphorically

        • "I looked into a mirror to fix my eyeliner."

        This incorrect distinction is what I was objecting to, because of course we can use both the indefinite and definite articles to refer to either real or imaginary mirrors.

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      • Nibodhika@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        That’s a common mistake, an argument from authority is only a fallacy if the person is not an authority in the field. Quoting Neil deGrasse Tyson on political views is an argument from authority, quoting him on astrophysics is not.

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