(the) information

Question

Hello everyone!!Could someone please help me with this?According to information that was sent by the spokesman, all issues had been resolved.Assuming that this is the 1st time this information has been mentioned, I know that it is better not to put the definite article before "information".What if I write to someone named John:I am also going to send William additional information that he requested.Assuming that I have not mentioned this additional information to John before and I mean "some additional information", is it OK to omit the definite article? Or should it be "the additional information" at all times?Could someone please explain? I received some contradictory advice about this elsewhere.A lot of thanks!Vic

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

According to (the) information (that was) sent by the spokesman, all issues had been resolved.

the is optional. that was is also optional, by the way.

I am also going to send William the additional information that he requested.

In this case you need the. some is also fine.

victork please explain?

I can't really explain why the is optional in one case but not in the other.

I suspect it has to do with the difference between something sent and something requested.

What is sent can be something that was specifically asked for, or something that just appeared in your inbox.
What is requested, it seems to me, would always be specific.

Also, in the first case, the implies all the information that was sent. Without the the reference may be to any part of the total amount of the information sent, as if to say some of the information.

Also, in the first case, information occurs after a preposition. according to information ... is a common combination.

Others may have different opinions.

CJ

Victork · Answer

CJ, thank you a lot!!!! This is a very informative response!!! I think I got it, more or less!!!

Only one question: omitting the definite article before "additional information" in my second example would be an error?

CalifJim · Answer

victorkOnly one question: omitting the definite article before "additional information" in my second example would be an error?

Strictly speaking, no, not an error. However, it does sound very strange to my ear to omit "the", and I suspect it sounds strange to many other native speakers as well. We find ourselves in the position of trying to figure out what that combination of words might mean. It's not specific because there's no "the", but it is specific because it was expressly requested. How can it be both?

CJ

Victork · Answer

Got it! Thanks a lot, CJ, I appreciate your taking the time. Thank you for all the good work.
Vic

AlpheccaStars · Answer

victorkAssuming that this is the 1st time this information has been mentioned, I know that it is better not to put the definite article before "information".

A noun followed by a defining (restrictive) clause or phrase is equivalent to it being mentioned before.

I am also going to send William the additional information that he requested.
According to the information that was sent by the spokesman, all issues had been resolved.

"The" is optional in both sentences.

Victork · Answer

AlpheccaStarsA noun followed by a defining (restrictive) clause or phrase is equivalent to it being mentioned before.

That was my feeling as well!!

AlpheccaStars"The" is optional in both sentences.

So we have here some disagreement between two very knowledgable native speakers, CJ and AlpheccaStars!!! I have always known that English is devilish like that!!

)))

Thank you for the response!!!

CalifJim · Answer

What did I tell you?

"Others may have different opinions."

CJ

Victork · Answer

Yes, sir, you did!!!

(the) information

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions