I love watching the stars at night.

Question

Hello.Which sentence below is correct?1) I love watching stars at night.2) I love watching the stars at night.The intended meaning is a general statement about stars seen in the sky, not any particular subset of them.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

ReegisWhich sentence...is correct?

They are both correct, but native speakers will use only #2.

Reegis · Answer

<p>Thanks:) </p>

AlpheccaStars · Answer

ReegisThe intended meaning is a general statement about stars seen in the sky, not any particular subset of them.

It is a particular subset: the set of stars that can be seen.

There are roughly a septillion stars in the observable universe. That's 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars. Which is, for lack of a more fitting description ... a lot of stars.

On a clear moonless night at the top of a remote desert mountain, a human with good eyesight can discern about 2500.

In my neighborhood, which is in a large city, on a clear moonless night, I can see maybe 25.

When the moon is out, I can see three or four; probably at least one of these is a planet.

Reegis1) I love watching stars at night.

They are on my favorite nightly TV shows.

Reegis · Answer

AlpheccaStarsIt is a particular subset: the set of stars that can be seen.

Ahh, okay... Now I get it:) Thanks!

I love watching the stars at night.

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