Should "the" be omitted here?

Question

Howdy,1. One of my books gives some examples about 'the' in connection with 'centuries' Have a look at this example:in previous centuriesin centuries gone byfor centuriesThe book says that if 'centuries' are unspecific, then we can skip the definite article... but the second example seems to be a bit odd, I mean, don't we KNOW exactly and specifically which centuries we're talking about when saying in centuries gone by ?2. Is it OK to say:in the last century or does it sound unnatural? I know that last century is OK, but dunno if we can add 'in the'3. Why is it that we don't say the last century  but simply last century  ?Cheers!

Philip · Accepted Answer

anglista2008book says that if 'centuries' are unspecific, then we can skip the definite article... but the second example seems to be a bit odd, I mean, don't we KNOW exactly and specifically which centuries we're talking about when saying in centuries gone by ?

Maybe not. It may not include all the past centuries.

anglista20083. Why is it that we don't say the last century but simply last century ?

I would say "the last century."

Anglista2008 · Answer

the explanation given in the book is that 'last' without the definite article means previous while if we add 'the' then it means final

what do you think? is that so?

Tarirotari · Answer

anglista20081. One of my books gives some examples about 'the' in connection with 'centuries' Have a look at this example:

in previous centuries
in centuries gone by
for centuries

The book says that if 'centuries' are unspecific, then we can skip the definite article... but the second example seems to be a bit odd, I mean, don't we KNOW exactly and specifically which centuries we're talking about when saying in centuries gone by ?it's a way of refering back to a remote unspecified time.

2. Is it OK to say:in the last century or does it sound unnatural? I know that last century is OK, but dunno if we can add 'in the' it's ok. It means then=during the last century

3. Why is it that we don't say the last century but simply last century ?Cheers! Last doesn't take article or preposition in time expressions when it means "the previous (day, month, year, Sunday,etc) to now"

You say:
Last Sunday and not on the last Sunday or the last Sunday (The sunday previous to the present Sunday)

But:
I was in France the whole Summer last year, and I remember that on the last Sunday, we went to Disneyland (last = last in a past series of Sundays, not previous to the current Sunday)

CalifJim · Answer

anglista2008the second example seems to be a bit odd, I mean, don't we KNOW exactly and specifically which centuries we're talking about when saying in centuries gone by ?

Hopefully, we always know what we're talking about when we speak! But this is a different sort of thing.

the centuries gone by is a definite plural, which, as Philip already mentioned, implies "all". Such an expression might be used in contrast to the centuries yet to come. Thus, in diagram form, where X is the present moment:

............................X..........................
<---the centuries | the centuries --->

gone by yet to come

On the other hand centuries gone by is indefinite, which implies "some -- not necessarily all -- centuries". Such a time period can be represented in any of these ways:

..............................................X........................
[c. gone by]
[c. gone by]
[c. gone by]
...

so that in centuries gone by means something as vague, perhaps, as "a long time ago".
______________

The indefinite plural is used in an analogous way for other categories that might be called adverbial: place, manner, and reason. Note the absence of "the" in these examples:

in places far from here
in ways too compicated to explain

for reasons no one could have imagined

CJ

Anglista2008 · Answer

gosh! THANK YOU!!! so much! it's such a great answer

Should "the" be omitted here?

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