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Hi guys, I would like to ask someone who is familiar with articles usage to explain me what is the correct form of this sentence and why:

We are preparing the leadership training which will be offered to all managers.

My question is "the leadership training" - I'm voting for "a leadership training" as we are talking for the first time about that and nothing concrete has been done so far. Your opinion?

Second question is related to "to all managers". artcile "The" is not used why? because we are talking in general (about all managers)? Or because there is an adjective used?

Thanks and if you know some good site describing articles, it would be great to share the link here. You can read tons of definitons, but such kind of real explanations is great, I appreciate your help.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

AnonymousMy question is "the leadership training" - I'm voting for "a leadership training" as we are talking for the first time about that and nothing concrete has been done so far. Your opinion?

Use 'the'. In the first place, 'training' is an uncountable noun, and in the second place, it is defined by the restrictive clause which follows the word.

AnonymousSecond question is related to "to all managers". artcile "The" is not used why?

Because it refers to all of them.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Here is a good article on determiners, quantifiers and articles.
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/determiners/determiners.htm

I would like to ask someone who is familiar with the ~~articles~~ usage of articles to explain to me what is the correct form of this sentence is and why:

We are preparing the leadership training which will be offered to all managers.

My question is "the leadership training" - I'm voting for "a leadership training" as we are talking for the first time about that and nothing concrete has been done so far. Your opinion?

If one of the roles of your department is preparing courses, then "the" would be appropriate, even if you have not mentioned it before. "The" indicates a specific, rather than general, type of training. Mister Micawber gives further reasons; that is, the defining relative clause.

My second question is related to "to all managers". The article "The" is not used. Why? Because we are talking in general (about all managers)? Or because there is an adjective used?

In this case, with a pre-determiner "all," the article is optional. You can say "all the managers," "all managers" and even "all of the managers." In business contexts, the shortest is usually chosen.

Anonymous · Answer

Thanks a lot!

So, the key here is that the whole expression is "the leadership training which blabla".
Without which clause the sentence probably doesn't make any sense as we are probably don't preparing all trainings in the world, right?

If we mean training as a course (which is countable) is "We are preparing a leadership training" correct?

The last thing, is there or not any rule like "You don't need an article if you already have an adjective." I found that but I'm not sure how valid it's. thanks!

Mister Micawber · Answer

AnonymousIf we mean training as a course (which is countable) is "We are preparing a leadership training" correct?

You need more than 'meaning' a course; you need to say it:

We are preparing leadership training.
We are preparinga leadership training course.

Anonymouss there or not any rule like "You don't need an article if you already have an adjective." I found that but I'm not sure how valid it is.

No you have it backward. By the process termed 'reclassication', uncountable nouns can be converted to countable nouns—and thus require 'a'—by the inclusion of a modifying adjective:

This is wine.
This is a fine French wine.

Anonymous · Answer

thanks a lot! Really appreciate that.

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