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Erasmus Student Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

Please help

Greetings,

Can a kind native-English-speaking soul answer a few more questions about articles as I try to master this?

I found these in two texts:
1. I walked into a pub. The patrons were all chain-smoking. Tobacco smoke was everywhere.
2. He visited a bar. Everyone had a cigarette in his mouth. The room was drowning in tobacco smoke.

My question: There no definite article before 'tobacco smoke', but the fact that the patrons were smoking provides the context in both cases, does it not? Is it that for the author it's not that obvious - maybe because part of that tobacco smoke came from somewhere else (I am speculating)? Would it be correct to use the article?

The new airport is proving to be controversial. Neighbourhood residents are complaining about (the) noise produced by the air traffic.
My question: if no noise has been mentioned before, is either fine to either leave out the definite article or use it?

Thank you!!
  

Top answer

Erasmus Student 2. He visited a bar. Everyone had a cigarette in his mouth.

— Anonymous

  • Erasmus Student 2.
  • He visited a bar.
  • Everyone had a cigarette in his mouth.
  • The room was drowning in tobacco smoke.
  • You can use "his" if it's clear that only men were there.
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6 Answers
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Erasmus Student2. He visited a bar. Everyone had a cigarette in his mouth. The room was drowning in tobacco smoke.
You can use "his" if it's clear that only men were there. If not, it would make more sense to replace it with their.
Erasmus StudentWould it be correct to use the artic
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While I thank you for your response, I wish you had a name. I feel better when it's a trusted user.
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Erasmus StudentThere is no definite article before 'tobacco smoke' Tobacco smoke was everywhere.
The author is most likely thinking of this as the existential There was tobacco smoke everywhere. "the" is thus virtually impossible as existence claims almost never take the definite form.
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Thank you, CalifJim! I am printing all this for future reference.
CalifJimI'd say the noise produced by air traffic, allowing "the" at the beginning to suggest that the whole phrase is definite.It's surprising to some students how frequently we leave out an article after a preposition.
I had thought the same thing, but I thought it was just a coincidence (leavin
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Erasmus Studentpreferential rather than grammatical
Yes. You don't absolutely have to have "the noise".

CJ
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CalifJimYes. You don't absolutely have to have "the noise".
Thanks a lot. Everything is clear now.
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