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While reading an English grammar book I've run into some issues:
There is the example of a sentence with particularizing attribute:
One day in January he called at the seminary to return a book which he had borrowed.
(noun - a book, particularizing attribute - which he had borrowed)
Could it be that it's just a typo or there can be an exceptions in this rule ?
According to the rule, nouns with particularizing attributes are used with the definite article.
Here is an example with a particularizing attribute:
He went to return the book which he had borrowed.
In this example, we assume that he borrowed only one book. The clause “which he had borrowed” identifies a particular book.
Here is an example with a descriptive attribute:
He went to return a book which he had borrowed.
In this example, we assume nothing about the number of books he borrowed. The clause “which he had borrowed” simply describes the book.
We can see the same sort of flexibility with simple adjectives:
He returned a red book.
He returned the red book.
How can we tell the difference between a particularizing “red” and a merely descriptive “red”? Where the attribute is particularizing, we find the definite article.
The point is that, in the original example in question, there is no particularizing attribute. The book is trying to show you how to identify that difference.
As mentioned already in the comments, the text itself specifically explains that this is an exception, and what the exception is called ("descriptive attribute" as opposed to "particularizing attribute").
"A descriptive attribute is used to describe an object or to give some additional information about it. This kind of attribute does not single out an object (or a group of objects) but only narrows the class to which it belongs." https://studopedia.org/6-124075.html
"A descriptive attribute... In a fortnight I got a long letter, which I considered odd. (E. Bronte)" https://studfiles.net/preview/2975819/page:2/
By these definitions, to return a book which he had borrowed is a descriptive attribute, it does not absolutely single out the book, it only narrows the class to which it belongs.
