service

Question

When do we use the word 'service' with an article and when do not? service or a service? I tried to look up the dictionary and also tried find some example sentences, but found it to be confusing.

For example:

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Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

It's really the usual matters of general versus specific references, countable versus noncountable usage.

For further information on how to make a search using our Search Service, please go to ... Because you have capitalized it, it seems like a proper name, which would suggest no article. On the other hand, you have said 'our' and you wouldn't want to use an article as well as saying 'our'. Really, the sentence sounds OK the way you have written it. We allow ourselves a fair bit of flexibility in this kind of usage.

I prefer not to discuss this in generalities, but I'd be happy to comment on whether specific examples sound OK, if you want to post some.

Best wishes, Clive

CalifJim · Answer

When do we use the word 'service' with an article and when do not?

Use a determiner (which could be an article) when you're talking about something countable -- when the thought in your head is of something countable; otherwise don't use a determiner. Only you know what you're talking about. Only you know what's in your head.

Of course whatever you choose has to be consistent with the rest of the context.

Typically, a service is something institutional. It provides professional help of some kind. Service is usually helpfulness.

The carpet has gotten too dirty. We'll have to call a professional cleaning service to take care of it.
Susan is so helpful. She always renders service with a smile.

CJ

Believer · Answer

Thank you, Clive and of course, CalifJim.

I looked up the Collins Cobuild Advanced Learner's Dictionary and it had many definitional entries. Among them are these:

N-COUNT A service is somthing that the public needs, such as transport, communications facilities, hospitals, or energy supplies, which is provided in a planned and organized way by the government or an official body.

N-UNCOUNT The level or standard of service provided by an organization or company is the amount of quality of work it cando for you.

There were others too, and would you say all the entries, given here and otherwise listed in the dictionary, lends themselves to a general versus specific reference distinction? I think the word 'experience' has some entries, although not many as the word 'service', in the above-mentioned dictionary. For that , would you stand by with the same general versue specification reference distinction for it too? Then why a dictionary would go about listing a number of defintional entries with some usage examples?

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