Definite article

[nq:1]Is the definite article neccessary before winter in the sentence below? I learned that the definite article was optional in ... by a native-speaker friend that it had to included. Any second opinions? In winter, you can go skating and skiing.[/nq]
You are correct. Your native-speaker friend is probably basing his assessment on his own particular regional variety of English.

Rega

In general, when speaking of the seasons, educated native speakers avoid the definite article. The only time you absolutely must use a determiner is when you mean a specific winter.
the winter of '92, the Long Winter, this winter, next winter, my favorite winter, et hoc genus omne
Articles in speech, headlines and in any shorthand note form are often omitted on a wildly inconsistent basis.

[nq:1]In general, when speaking of the seasons, educated native speakers avoid the definite article.[/nq]
Speaking as an "educated" native speaker (whatever that is supposed to mean) and teacher of English as a foreign language, I find this "rule" absurd; and it has little in common with actual usage. I can think of several situations when I would use the definite article without any hesitatio

"Educated native speaker" means, in the way that I use it, someone who has finished secondary school. The term is popular here in Greece because Cambridge ESOL (formerly UCLES EFL) uses it to describe an A-level pass in the CPE examination. I did not intend to use it in a confusing manner.
Einde, I respect you and what you have done in this group to help people you don't know and I have no wis