This is the book vs This is a book

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'This is the book' implies a specific book that has been previously mentioned or is known to both the speaker and the listener. 'This is a book' is more general, referring to any book without specifying a particular one.

Last updated: March 08, 2024 • 1021 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used when referring to a specific book that has been previously mentioned or is known to both the speaker and the listener.

"This is the book"

Use 'this is the book' when you are talking about a particular book that has been previously mentioned or is known to both the speaker and the listener.

Examples:

This is the book I was telling you about.
This is the book that won the award last year.

Show examples from the web [+]

Genesis 5 King James Version (KJV). 5 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;.
This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. New American Standard Bible This is the book of the ...
... this is the book of the generation of the second Adam. The Jews call their blasphemous history of the life of Jesus, "The book of the generations of Jesus" ( o).
Amazon.com: This Is a Book for Parents of Gay Kids: A Question & Answer Guide to Everyday Life (9781452127538): Dannielle Owens-Reid, Kristin Russo, ...

Alternatives:

This book is the one.
This is the specific book.

This phrase is correct and commonly used when referring to any book in a general sense without specifying a particular one.

"This is a book"

Use 'this is a book' when you are talking about any book in a general sense without specifying a particular one.

Examples:

This is a book I found at the library.
This is a book on gardening.

Show examples from the web [+]

This is a book that past guests have written in.
This is a book of failures and fixes.
This is a book would break the heart.
Interestingly, this is a book that was published back in 1938.
This is a book that gets rid of the usual predictions about the end of politics.
This is a book written by Avellano, dedicated to the difficult years of Gibraltar's isolation from Spain, when between 1969 and 1975 Franco closed the border with the tiny British territory.
This is a book for naukovedov philosophers.
What? No. This is a book of stories, plural.
No. This is a book of stories, plural.
This is a book written by a consummate player by the name of Kevin Carroll.
This is a book that shows how you can take three different easy-to-make shapes and turn them into a huge variety of different wearable items.
This is a book I will want to keep handy daily, along with my Serious Drill.
This is a book about all the creatures that live in the rainforest that Mr Sting hasn't told us about.
This is a book of poems which enjoys the patronage of the Municipal Administration of Caorle and the procee...
This is a book you should keep with you whenever you develop with symfony.
This is a book on how common psychology, special effects and trickery can create miracles for audiences.Â
This is a book, you're writing a book?
This is a book of the century, and sets completely new standards!
This is a book that includes healing stories of knit and crochet and it will likely appeal to fans of Crochet Saved My Life: The Mental and Physical Health Benefits of Crochet.
The book begins with a disclaimer: "This is a book set in a fictional time, peopled with fictional characters, and no reference is intended to any living person, whether in the Church or out of it."

Alternatives:

This is one of the books.
This is a general book.

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This is the book vs This is a book

"This is the book"

"This is a book"

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