Omission of the
A. The definite article is not used
1. Before names of places except as shown above or before names of people
2. Before abstract nouns except when they are used in a particular sense
Men fear death but
The death of the Prime Minister left his party without a leader
3. After a noun in the possessive case, or a possessive adjective
the boy’s uncle = the uncle of the boy
It is my (blue) book = The (blue) book is mine
4. Before names of meals (but see 3 C)
The Scots have porridge for breakfast but
The wedding breakfast was held in her father s house
5. Before names of games He plays golf
6. Before parts of the body and articles of clothing as these normally prefer a possessive adjective
Raise your right hand He took off his coat But notice that sentences of the type
She seized the child’s collar
I patted his shoulder
The brick hit John s face could be expressed
She seized the child by the collar
I patted him on the shoulder
The brick hit John in the face Similarly in the passive
He was hit on the head He was cut in the hand
B. Note that in some European languages the definite article is used before indefinite plural nouns but that in English the is never used m this way Women are expected to like babies (i e women in general) Big hotels all over the world are very much the same If we put the before women m the first example, it would mean that we were referring to a particular group of women
C. nature where it means the spirit creating and motivating the world of plants and animals etc is used without the
If you interfere with nature you will suffer for it
8. Omission of the before home, before church, hospital, prison, school etc and before work, sea and town
A. home
When home is used alone i e is not preceded or followed by a descriptive word or phrase, the is omitted He is at home
home used alone can be placed directly after a verb of motion or verb of motion + object, i.e. it can be treated as an adverb
He went home I arrived home after dark I sent him home But when home is preceded or followed by a descriptive word or phrase it is treated like any other noun:
They went to their new home.
We arrived at the bride’s home.
For some years this was the home of your queen.
A mud hut was the only home he had ever known.
B. bed, church, court, hospital, prison, school/college/university
the is not used before the nouns listed above when these places are
visited or used for their primary purpose. We go:
to bed to sleep or as invalids to hospital as patients to church to pray to prison as prisoners
to court as litigants etc. to school/college/university to study
Similarly we can be:
in bed, sleeping or resting in hospital as patients at church as worshippers at school etc. as students
in court as witnesses etc.
We can be/get back (or be/get home) from school/college/university.
We can leave school, leave hospital, be released from pnson.
When these places are visited or used for other reasons the is
necessary:
/ went to the church to see the stained glass. He goes to the pnson sometimes to give lectures.
C. sea
We go to sea as sailors. To be at sea = to be on a voyage (as passengers or crew). But to go to or be at the sea = to go to or be at the seaside. We can also live by/near the sea.
D. work and office
work (= place of work) is used without the:
He’s on his way to work. He is at work.
He isn ‘t back from work yet
Note that at work can also mean ‘working’; hard at work = working hard:
He’s hard at work on a new picture, office (= place of work) needs the: He is at/in the office. To be in office (without the) means to hold an official (usually political) position. To be out of office = to be no longer in power.
E. town
the can be omitted when speaking of the subject’s or speaker’s own town:
We go to town sometimes to buy clothes.
We were in town last Monday.
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