Questions tagged [zero-article]
For questions about noun phrases that contain no articles, definite or indefinite.
356
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Should I use zero article when elaborating existing things using "current/existing"?
I'm working on the abstract of my paper. According to the edition of my professor, the last sentence of the abstract is like:
The results also reveal some limitations of current outlier detection ...
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1
answer
30
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Zero article with ordinal numbers
Recently I've seen several examples of phrases like 'awarded for first place' on Wikipedia etc. (E.g., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_ribbon)
I think I understand when definite or indefinite ...
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41
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How to say a fact in general? [duplicate]
When you want to talk about cheetahs in general,
A cheetah can run fast.
The cheetah can run fast.
Cheetahs can run fast.
The cheetahs can run fast.
are they all correct? Which one would you use in ...
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2
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25
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"Solid Like Stone" vs "Solid Like A Stone", which one would you prefer?
I found both forms (with and without "a") on the Internet. I don't know which one is more acceptable.
Is it an idiom?
https://wolfstone.za.com/blog/1-solid-like-stone-to-stone-like-solid
...
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3
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50
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Why doesn't "autism spectrum disorder" require an indefinite article?
Example sentence:
He may have a personality disorder, a depressive disorder, or autism
spectrum disorder.
Why is that personality disorder and depressive disorder requires an a but not autism ...
- 6,877
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17
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omission of the article a/an when multiple nouns are listed
I know that a or an in sentences like the following is your choice--it can be used there or omitted as you prefer.
We need a car or (a) bike to get out of this area. Russian soldiers will be here ...
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20
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with good grip or with a good grip?
I'm talking about a pair of boots. "You need to buy boots with good grip" or "You need to buy boots with a good grip."
1
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1
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34
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Why do so many websites write "earn minimum wage" when "wage" is a countable noun?
When I searched from the NOW corpus, I found that there are more instances of "earn minimum wage" than "earn the minimum wage", with many results from big US news websites. Why is ...
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1
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Regarless of income and despite infirmity
"He remains a great leader despite infirmity.
"The allowance is paid regardless of income"
Why have we not used "an income" and "an infirmity" with "regardless&...
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Is the rule of when to add the articles: (a, the, no article) before a noun, too flexible in English?
This is from William Gibson's Neuromancer:
The impact with pavement drove dull rods of pain through his shins.
Why is there no article before pavement?
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the University of California, San Diego [duplicate]
Is it correct to use or remove the definite article in the following sentence?
Beachgoers discovered a 4-foot lancetfish washed up near the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of ...
- 4,695
2
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1
answer
37
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Articles as manager/as a manager [duplicate]
I'd be happy to see Jim as manager.
That might be a little confusing because they know me as manager.
We will work with him on the issue, in his capacity as manager of the company.
But as manager, you ...
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101
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Can I omit the article "the" in "A specific principle for the material supply"?
Can I omit the article here? If yes, why? If no, why? Some translation software suggests me to.
A specific principle for the material supply of small batch manufacturing
areas
I think I can't omit ...
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vote
2
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68
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Tickets cost 20 dollars or so. (Where is "the" article?)
Tickets cost 20 dollars or so.
The sentence is from a dictionary. (Source)
Why there is no "the" article if it is definitely said about particular tickets?
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half goat and half sheep
a.) This animal is half goat and half sheep.
b.) This animal looks half like a goat and half like a sheep.
In sentence a, half does not need to be followed by an indefinite article, does it? But why?...
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Should the indefinite or zero article be used with the phrase "low cost"
You can build your first app on a small, single database at low cost in the serverless compute tier or a small compute size in the provisioned.
Should we use the indefinite article (a low cost) or ...
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Can I use the definite article before "less frequently used {noun}"?
In the following sentence in a problem I was assigned, can I use the definite article before "less frequently used"?
___(/,The) less frequently used words or constructions are more likely ...
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Why don't the nouns "human", "anatomy lab", and "happy hour" have articles in this passage?
I don't understand why the articles were missing in the following writing in a book:
"It was hard to recognize this pile of tissue as human. Anatomy lab, at the end, becomes less a violation of ...
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36
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Definite article when introducing a list of items
Should I use the definite article when introducing a list of items, tasks, and so on?
Completed tasks:
Buy that cool t-shirt
Call Jane about Mike
Fix the car
Is it correct to use "Completed ...
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16
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What does the use of the definite article give to these sentences?
I like winter because (the) snow lies on (the) trees, on (the) houses,
and on (the) roads.
I like winter because there is snow on (the) trees, on (the) houses,
and on (the) roads.
I've made up these ...
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0
answers
52
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Using the definite article before the first noun in the phrase [noun] + of + [noun]
I asked this question stating whether we should use the definite article before the noun "manipulation" in the phrase "manipulation of formal symbols" or not, and I was told that ...
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Should the definite article before the word "manipulation" not be omitted?
I have seen the following sentence:
He claims that thinking is merely the manipulation of formal symbols.
However, in my opinion, the definite article before the word "manipulation should be ...
- 417
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52
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Definite article 'the' with the word 'painting' when speaking about crafts
I'm writing an article about Russian traditional handicrafts, such as Khokhloma, Zhostovo, and Gzhel. I know the names of these styles/techniques do not require any determiner before them when I use ...
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2
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"the percentage of the changes" vs. "the percentage of changes" and use of an article "the"?
I write the following two statements from the graph.
Statements
The given line graphs illustrate the percentage of the change in usage of the three electrical appliances.
The given line graphs ...
- 5
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0
answers
26
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The + system/machine
From Wikipedia:
The internal combustion engine is perhaps the most common example of a heat engine, in which...
The internal combustion engine = all (general) internal combustion engines. Systems/...
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answer
47
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'at very high altitude', 'at very high altitudes': both are okay in this sentence?
I'd like to know and ask whether both the sentences below are correct.
At very high altitude you will have difficulty breathing.
At very high altitudes you will have difficulty breathing.
My ...
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0
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14
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"xxx is true, physicists say": is it ambiguous about it means "some" or "generally"?
"xxx is true, physicists say" is a frequent pattern in headlines ( of articles that are often "not very accurate", especially when it is about sciences, especially on facebook ).
...
- 157
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2
answers
60
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Why have I to use zero article in a question? [closed]
Why do we not use article before noun fruit in this question?
Do you like fruit?
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1
answer
29
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The phrase "in relationship" with zero article
Context: "God wanted to be in relationship with His people."
Is it okay not to use an article before "relationship?"
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1
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109
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No article for noun + number?
I'd like to understand if there should always be no article before nouns followed by a number, like in the following examples:
The train arrives at platform 5.
The flight departs from gate 7.
In my ...
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1
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102
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One of my favourite flowers is tulips/a tulip/the tulip/tulip
Which one is correct?
One of my favourite flowers is tulips/a tulip/the tulip/tulip
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Why is there no article before "use" in "indefinitely suspended use of the vaccine"?
This is a sentence from Wikipedia, from article on Astra-Zeneca vaccine:
On 14 April, the Danish Health Authority indefinitely suspended use of
the vaccine.
Why not "the use" is used here?
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44
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bare plurals vs the+ plural nouns
The usage of "the" is really difficult. When it combines with the usage of plural nouns, it is hard to tell whether "the" should be used in front of the plural noun. I searched ...
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44
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What article should I use before the noun "handstand"?
What article(s) should I use before the noun "handstand"?
I read several example sentences with this word and found different options to choose from. I would like to know if they are all ...
- 1,189
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... others suggest that lively colors are (the) best because they make people happier [duplicate]
Do we need the 'the' in this sentence?
While some have argued that pastels are better because they calm
people down, others suggest that lively colors are (the) best because
they make people happier.
...
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1
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Why don't we use the definite article in "you have the experience of..."?
Consider these examples:
Do you have the experience of working with kids?
Do you have experience of working with kids?
From what I have learned, we can use "the" with uncountable nouns ...
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0
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school or the school?
Is the definite article necessary in both the following sentences?
a. I forgot to bring the book to the school today.
b. His home is only two blocks away from the school.
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votes
2
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190
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What articles and when do I use with the phrase "past tense"?
Let's take a couple of quotes from the Wikipedia article:
The past tense is a grammatical tense whose function is to place an action or situation in past time.
In some languages, the grammatical ...
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Should I place an article before "20/20 vision"?
Having (a) 20/20 vision is the desirable condition of the eye.
If you have (a) 20/20 vision you don't need glasses.
(A) 20/20 vision is required for certain job positions.
Is the article "a"...
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0
answers
51
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Use of articles in certain situations
I read that with certain places, "the" or the zero article can be used, but all depend on context. For example:
I'm in hospital. (mainly indicates that you had a health problem, so
you're ...
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1
answer
378
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Why is the definite article "the" used before some dances and with others not? [duplicate]
I crossed with two sentences:
Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the
1880s along to the Río de la Plata.
How to dance the Tango.
So, I got very confused because the ...
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Why isn't there an article before "conflict"?
Why isn't there an article before conflict in the following sentence?
Difference in the pronouncement leads to conflict.
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1
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"I am a boy." vs. "I am boy." How native speakers feel if there is no article like "a" or "an"?
"I am a boy." vs. "I am boy." How natives speakers feel if there is no article like "a" or "an"?
Could anybody describe what kind of syntax or feeling you have ...
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Why don't these countable nouns have articles in this sentence?
Why exactly don't "header" and "body" need articles in the following sentence (as per this answer)?
We've improved the visual separation between header and body in classes with ...
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29
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Why zero article is used here
I came upon this sentence in a book I was reading ("Why Aren't They Shouting?" by Kevin Rogers):
(...) it is always pored over by banks and their regulators for months after publication.
...
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2
answers
43
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What is the difference between using 'as president' and 'as a president'?
Someone asked why we can't use as the president/as a president in this sentence.
When teachers were upset about the stringent accountability measures
Barack Obama imposed on them as president.
And ...
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1
answer
30
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Is there any difference in meaning with the use of the definite article?
According to
http://amj.amegroups.com/article/view/4743/html
In the sentence,
"This study was designed to imagine the impact of the antioxidant metallothoinein (MT) on 'the' lipopolyssacharide (...
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81
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Definite article vs zero article
I have problems with definite and zero articles in the following sentences:
"I met a man you were talking about over THE telephone yesterday."
"The wounded were examined by THE doctor ...
1
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1
answer
22
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No Article Problem: A Person’s Title? [duplicate]
I wonder how to explain this regular zero article in such constructions:
Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrentheit 451.
Karl Marx, creator of Marxism.
I can see that the second example may be explained as ...
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1
answer
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"Snow" or "the snow"?
Should I use the definite article in front of the word snow here?
I remember snow in late October many years ago
Is this sentence grammatically correct?
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