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GrzegorzK Posted 6 years ago
Grammar

Definite articles

How would you explain why in the following sentence: "Australians must become aware of their water usage" there is no definite article in "Australians" but in the sentence: "People in the Philippines and the Maldives do not have this problem, but t h e British in particular always like their rose gardens"? definite article is used in "the British"? Also, why " They distributed thousands of questionnaires, to see what people thought about t h e waterproblems." but "This mud is bad for water life and causes difficulties for water dwellers."?
  

Top answer

Australians must become aware of their water usage. - No article is used before Australians because there are millions of them and no specific small group of Australians is referred to. We would also say: Teenagers must become aware of this.

— Cool Breeze

  • Australians must become aware of their water usage.
  • - No article is used before Australians because there are millions of them and no specific small group of Australians is referred to.
  • We would also say: Teenagers must become aware of this.
  • ) However, some Americans do say the Americans when there really is no need for the article.
  • It's their privilege!
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3 Answers
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Australians must become aware of their water usage. - No article is used before Australians because there are millions of them and no specific small group of Australians is referred to. We would also say: Teenagers must become aware of this. (Not: *The teenagers must...) However, some Americans do say the Americans when there really is no need for the article. It's

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GrzegorzKHow would you explain why in the following sentence: "Australians must become aware of their water usage" there is no definite article in "Australians" but in the sentence: "People in the Philippines and the Maldives do not have this problem, but t h e British in particular always like their rose gardens"? definite article is used in "the British"?
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GrzegorzKThey distributed thousands of questionnaires, to see what people thought about the water problems (which had already been mentioned earlier, so the people who got the questionnaires already knew which water problems were being referred to).
GrzegorzKThis mud is bad for water life and
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