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    From Alexander Koryagin@2:221/1 to All on Mon Jul 28 21:50:56 2025


    Hi, All!

    In the translation of Jules Verne's "The Voyages and Adventures of Captain Hatteras" (project Gutenberg) there are these "table" sentences:

    -----Beginning of the citation-----
    Hatteras unfolded on the table one of the excellent charts published
    in 1859 by the order of the Admiralty.

    ..."Here is the chart of the Polar Seas," resumed the doctor, who had
    brought it to the table;


    ... Johnson and Bell had a good supper awaiting them.
    But before they sat down to table, the doctor said in a voice of
    triumph, as he pointed to his two companions,--
    ----- The end of the citation -----

    Can you say a formal excuse why "table" in the last sentence is used without any article?

    Bye, All!
    Alexander Koryagin

    ---
    * Origin: f1.n221.z2.fidonet.fi (2:221/1.0)
  • From Mortar M.@1:124/5016 to Alexander Koryagin on Mon Jul 28 14:26:10 2025
    Re: No article
    By: Alexander Koryagin to All on Mon Jul 28 2025 21:50:56

    But before they sat down to table, the doctor said in a voice of

    1) You don't start a sentence with words like "but" and "and".
    2) It would be more appropriate to say, "But before they sat down to eat," or
    just, "But before they sat down,", implying that they were sitting down to
    dinner.
    --- SBBSecho 3.28-Linux
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  • From Karel Kral@2:423/39 to Gleb Hlebov on Thu Aug 28 08:21:18 2025
    Hello Gleb!

    04 Aug 25 10:41, you wrote to All:

    2) It would be more appropriate to say, "But before they sat
    down to eat," or just, "But before they sat down,", implying
    that they were sitting down to dinner.

    Based on discussion with Grok: ;-)

    Modern English is different from 19th-century English. In your example, the archaic phrase was retained as it was written by Jules Verne.

    Karel

    --- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20240209
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