'the' music or music?

Question

Hmm... should I say (or should I be saying?)

I always listen to music on the bus.
I always listen to THE music on the bus.
I always listen to muisc on A bus.
I always listen to THE music on A bus.

thanks in advance!

Cool Breeze · Accepted Answer

Hi FM

I would leave out the article unless the bus driver had the radio on and I was listening to the music on it.

CB

Forum_mail · Answer

cool, thanks mate,

what about 'the' or 'a' bus?

and... could I say 'I always listen to the music that is played in the/a bus' ? or again, it should be without the def. article?

CalifJim · Answer

For each of the four a context can be invented which makes the sentence appropriate.

I'm guessing that you are referring to any music in general, whatever is available at the time, and not to some particular music you were speaking of just before you said this. I'm also guessing that you are not attempting to make a contrast, for example a contrast between music and recorded speech.

I'm further guessing that you are referring to that bus which you usually take, that specific bus, and that you are not referring to all buses in general.

With these assumptions in mind, the sentence you want is:

I always listen to music on the bus.

Contrast this with a situation in which you are talking about various recordings you have. You have recordings of famous speeches, recordings of plays, and recordings of music. Further assume that the conversation introduces the idea of travel in general: travel by bus, travel by plane, travel by car. Now you can say things like these:

I always listen to the speeches on a train. (the speeches that I have recordings of -- when I am on any train)
I always listen to the music on a bus. (the music that I have recordings of -- when I am on any bus)
I always listen to the plays on a plane. (the plays that I have recordings of -- when I am on any plane)

CJ

Cool Breeze · Answer

Forum_mailwhat about 'the' or 'a' bus?

and... could I say 'I always listen to the music that is played in the/a bus' ? or again, it should be without the def. article?

You can say on a bus or on the bus without any real difference in meaning. People usually say on the bus if the reference is to the bus they usually take when they go downtown, for instance. If you want to make a point of listening to music on any bus, you might prefer on a bus. That would be logical. Sometimes actual English usage has little to do with logic, though.

CB

'the' music or music?

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