'On the table' versus 'on a little table'

Question

There is an example in the book that I use to learn English. There are two sentences:

The (book) is on the (table).
The (book) is on a little (table).

The author suggests that we should learn this pattern, but doesn't explain the reasoning behind it. For some reason I should use the indefinite article to tell about a specific thing if there is an adjective before it. Why is it so?

These are two additional examples from the textbook where this pattern is used:

1. Where are the flowers? - The flowers are in a beautiful vase.
2. Where is the vase? - The vase is on a little table near the window.

Answer 1

Sample sentences:

The book is on the table. [a specific table] The book is on a little table. [general, it could be any little table]

The book is on a table. [general] The book is on the little table. [specific]

The adjective little can go either one of the four.

the table is the one the speakers know about, or that they have already established

a table is a general thing, not specific. the table is specific to a specific context.

Answer 2

I can offer a practical scenario to help you decide which version to use.

You phone your sister, who will be coming to the party where you are now, to ask her to bring your phone, which you left at home accidentally. You have borrowed a friend's phone to make the call.

Sis: Who is this?

You: It's me. I forgot my phone. I am using Mary's. Can you please bring it with you?

Sis: Where is it?

You: It is in my room on the table.

If there is only one table in your room, the above is good. She will know to look on the table in your room.

But what if it is in your dresser, which has two small half-height and half-width drawers on top, and full-height and full-width drawers below them. You cannot remember which little drawer you put your phone in:

You: It is in the dresser, in a little drawer.

She will know to look in the other little drawer if the phone is not in the first little drawer she opens.

That is just one example. We would need a thousand more examples to cover all of the remaining situations.

Answer 3

You use the indefinite article to refer to a general thing, and the definite to refer to a specific thing. This is true no matter what adjectives are attached.

I'm not going to say your textbook is wrong, but the interpretation you've written in the question is definitely wrong.

The book is on the table.

There is only one table. Saying "the table" uniquely identifies it.

The book is on a table.

There are (potentially) many tables, and the book is on one of them.

The book is on the little table.

There is only one little table, and the book is one it. There may be other tables that are not little.

The book is on a little table.

There are (potentially) many little tables, and the book is on one of them. There may be other tables that are not little.

You can also use either the definite or indefinite article if the hearer of the sentence would be unfamiliar with the object in question. Both "The book is on a little table" and "The book is on the little table" are acceptable if the hearer knows nothing about the table, even if there is only one.