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TimR
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Lions in the zoo are very aggressive

Can be paraphrased: When lions are put in a zoo they become aggressive.

You are stating a general fact about lions in zoos everywhere.

"in the zoo" need not refer to a particular zoo, just as "in the hospital" need not refer to a particular hospital. "in the zoo" there can be paraphrased as in captivity.

If you want to say that these lions are unlike other lions found in other zoos, you need to point to this zoo in particular:

The lions in this zoo are very aggressive.

or

Lions in this zoo are very aggressive.

The first refers to those particular lions in captivity in this zoo. The second, without "the", is a more general statement than the first. It is more a statement about what this zoo does to lions than about the particular lions that are there now. We could add the word "always" and not really change its meaning:

Lions in this zoo are always very aggressive. That has been the case ever since the zoo opened, over 100 years ago. The caged area hasn't changed in size in all that time, and people think it might be too small for the number of lions in captivity here.

Lions in the zoo are very aggressive

Can be paraphrased: When lions are put in a zoo they become aggressive.

You are stating a general fact about lions in zoos everywhere.

"in the zoo" need not refer to a particular zoo, just as "in the hospital" need not refer to a particular hospital. "in the zoo" there can be paraphrased as in captivity.

If you want to say that these lions are unlike other lions found in other zoos, you need to point to this zoo in particular:

The lions in this zoo are very aggressive.

or

Lions in this zoo are very aggressive.

The first refers to those particular lions in captivity in this zoo. The second, without "the", is a more general statement than the first. It is more a statement about what this zoo does to lions than about the particular lions that are there now. We could add the word "always" and not really change its meaning:

Lions in this zoo are always very aggressive.

Lions in the zoo are very aggressive

Can be paraphrased: When lions are put in a zoo they become aggressive.

You are stating a general fact about lions in zoos everywhere.

"in the zoo" need not refer to a particular zoo, just as "in the hospital" need not refer to a particular hospital. "in the zoo" there can be paraphrased as in captivity.

If you want to say that these lions are unlike other lions found in other zoos, you need to point to this zoo in particular:

The lions in this zoo are very aggressive.

or

Lions in this zoo are very aggressive.

The first refers to those particular lions in captivity in this zoo. The second, without "the", is a more general statement than the first. It is more a statement about what this zoo does to lions than about the particular lions that are there now. We could add the word "always" and not really change its meaning:

Lions in this zoo are always very aggressive. That has been the case ever since the zoo opened, over 100 years ago. The caged area hasn't changed in size in all that time, and people think it might be too small for the number of lions in captivity here.

Source Link
TimR
  • 136.8k
  • 8
  • 103
  • 227

Lions in the zoo are very aggressive

Can be paraphrased: When lions are put in a zoo they become aggressive.

You are stating a general fact about lions in zoos everywhere.

"in the zoo" need not refer to a particular zoo, just as "in the hospital" need not refer to a particular hospital. "in the zoo" there can be paraphrased as in captivity.

If you want to say that these lions are unlike other lions found in other zoos, you need to point to this zoo in particular:

The lions in this zoo are very aggressive.

or

Lions in this zoo are very aggressive.

The first refers to those particular lions in captivity in this zoo. The second, without "the", is a more general statement than the first. It is more a statement about what this zoo does to lions than about the particular lions that are there now. We could add the word "always" and not really change its meaning:

Lions in this zoo are always very aggressive.