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Dan.w Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Leaving out the definite article

I've learned that you HAVE to leave out the definite article in front of an abstract noun. But what exactly is this?

Examples are:
* Life is not easy.
* Nature is incredible.
* History has changed that day.
* Peace to the world.
* Most people can ready nowadays.
* I went to church yesterday.

What about "information" for example? It seems pretty abstract to me. But you can't leave out the article in the following sentence:

* The information in the newspaper was incorrect.
  

Top answer

All of the first set refer to ALL life, ALL nature, etc. Your final sentence refers only to some particular news: that in the newspaper at some past time.

— Mister Micawber

  • All of the first set refer to ALL life, ALL nature, etc.
  • Your final sentence refers only to some particular news: that in the newspaper at some past time.
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8 Answers
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All of the first set refer to ALL life, ALL nature, etc. Your final sentence refers only to some particular news: that in the newspaper at some past time.
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How about church? It is a particular church, right?
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I went to church yesterday.-- Of course it is a particular edifice for the speaker, but the meaning is not 'a particular church'; it means the experience, like 'I went golfing yesterday'.
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Same with hospital, prison, school, college, university? Sorry, but it is hard for me to comprehend this. But otherwise: Do I understand right, that you leave out the article if you collectivize?
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Same with hospital, prison, school, college, university? -- Yes. it is not a matter of 'collectivization' (whatever you might mean by that); these are idiomatic.
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Why can you say "The aim of the Open University is to provide degree courses for anyone." ?
To me "ALL aim of the Open University is to provide degree courses for anyone." would fit.

And can one say "All of THE personal contact between students and lecturers is established during summer courses." or does it have to be "All of personal contact ..." ?

I don't want to bother an
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Why can you say "The aim of the Open University is to provide degree courses for anyone." ?-- It is correct.

To me "ALL aim of the Open University is to provide degree courses for anyone." would fit.-- No. An aim is indivisible.

And can one say "All of THE personal contact between students and lecturers is established during summer courses."-- Yes.
or d
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Re-write it as:

Information in newspapers is not always correct.
...and you will be able to leave out the definite article
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