The end и end в чем разница

"An end" or "the end" in titles

I would like to know why the article «an» is used in the title:

An End, Once and for All
_{(a song title off a video game soundtrack)}

However, The Beatles have a song called The End.

And is there a rule or it depends on the creators?

1 Answer 1

These two phrases mean two different things.

«An End, Once and For All» implies that this is an open-ended ending.

If this is from the Mass Effect 3 soundtrack as a simple Google search shows, it’s probably pretty obvious to you that there were multiple endings and plot holes, ergo, the open-ended-ness of the song title.

«The End» implies nothing and lets us know quite firmly that this is the end.

It was a song that not marked the end of the medley, but also the last song recorded by the four Beatles collectively, and thus, appropriately enough, the end.

So it’s important to note that context means (almost) everything, not only grammar.

The end и end в чем разница

Символ показывает уровень знания интересующего вас языка и вашу подготовку. Выбирая ваш уровень знания языка, вы говорите пользователям как им нужно писать, чтобы вы могли их понять.

Мне трудно понимать даже короткие ответы на данном языке.

Могу задавать простые вопросы и понимаю простые ответы.

Могу формулировать все виды общих вопросов. Понимаю ответы средней длины и сложности.

Понимаю ответы любой длины и сложности.

Show your appreciation in a way that likes and stamps can’t.

By sending a gift to someone, they will be more likely to answer your questions again!

If you post a question after sending a gift to someone, your question will be displayed in a special section on that person’s feed.

In the end и at the end — разница

Есть ли разница между выражениями in the end и at the end? Это нам и предстоит сегодня выяснить. Данные выражения — это тот самый случай, когда предлоги в корне меняют значение. Но обо все по-порядку.

Разница между in the end и at the end

• We are going away at the end of the month. (Мы уезжаем в конце месяца)

При этом конец чего-либо может быть как что-то физическое, так и абстрактное понятие.

• At the end of the street (В конце улицы);
• At the end of the day (В конце дня);
• At the end of the game (В конце игры);
• At the end of June (В конце июня).

• You’ll find a jewellry shop at the end of the street. (В конце улицы ты найдёшь ювелирный магазин);
• Let’s talk about it at the end of the day. (Давай поговорим об этом в конце дня);
• They told me at the end of the intereview that they hired me. (В конец собеседование мне сказали, что берут меня на работу).

Противоположное значение at the end имеет выражение at the beginning (В начале чего-либо).

• We’re going away at the beginning of August. (Мы уезжаем в начале августа)

In the end

Рассмотрим другой пример

• We wanted to cook something. But in the end we ordered pizza. (Мы хотели что-нибудь приготовить, но в итоге заказали пиццу)

• She always said that she fed up with her job. In the end she quit. (Она всегда говорила, что сыта по горло своей работой. В итоге она уволилась);
• I tried to learn Chinese. But I gave up in the end. (Я пытался выучить китайский. Но в конце концов бросил);
• We couldn’t decided where to go. In the end we stayed home. (Мы не могли решить куда пойти. В итоге остались дома).

Противоположное значение in the end, имеет выражение at first (В начале, по началу)

The difference between an end and the end

Our conversation came to an end.
Our conversation came to the end.

Our lesson is coming to an end.
Our lesson is coming to the end.

His time at work has come to an end.
His time at work has come to the end.

Which ones are good?

Grumpy Old Man

Senior Member

• 9 Дек 2018

• #2

Ivan_I

Banned

• 9 Дек 2018

• #3

Hildy1

Senior Member

• 9 Дек 2018

• #4

Ivan_I

Banned

• 9 Дек 2018

• #5

dojibear

Senior Member

• 9 Дек 2018

• #6

The the version usually has a possessive, saying it is a specific end: the end of this conversation. Note the subject of the verb "came" is "we", not "conversation":

We came to the end of the conversation.
We came to the conversation‘s end.

"A/an" is used without the possessive. It means that an ending happened to the conversation. The subject is the conversation.

Our conversation came to an end.
Our conversation ended.

Ivan_I

Banned

• 9 Дек 2018

• #7

Dojibear, thank you. To tell you the truth. It’s a bit unthinkable for languages without articles. What is the practical difference (how does this difference manifest itself in physical world? I mean

The conversation came to an end.
We came to the end of the conversation.

I think in reality we have the same end.

Another thing which is confusing is "an end" which means "one of the ends". (Isn’t it too much of semantics for a simple notion?)

I am just pondering over it. it’s interesting how natives take it.

dojibear

Senior Member

• 10 Дек 2018

• #8

The example is very odd. The "end of a conversation" isn’t a physical thing. Literally it is the moment in time when a thing (the conversation) stops existing. But we use grammar that was designed (or came to exist) for physical objects:

— Which end of the cart connects to the horse? Does it matter? Can I just connect an end?
— No, only the front end works, dummy.

It would make perfect sense to use different words for the start and end of a time period (or a conversation). Some languages do that. English re-uses "begin/end" (or "start/finish"). If you want to understand "a vs. the", don’t use such an odd example. Use a simple physical object, until you are comfortable with that. Then look at the metaphors.

I study Chinese (no articles, no plural nouns). I’ve noticed that where English uses "a", Chinese often uses "one of". Where English uses "the", Chinese often uses "this, that". It may help to think of "a/an" as "one" and "the" as "this/that/these/those". That is just a guess, since I haven’t studied Russian.

In English the rule is that all countable nouns need a "determiner" before them. A determiner can be an article, or a number (one), a possessive (my, Bill’s), or several other words (this, that, each, few, many, which, what, etc.). You don’t use an article if there is another determiner:

— The conversation reached an end.
— The conversation reached its end.
— A conversation only has one end.