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Anonymous Posted 9 years ago
Grammar
you can stay on top of things
I will send you e-mail updates so that you can stay on top of things.
In an above sentence, why doeen't "top" have "the"?
A : You can stay on top of things.
B : You can stay on the top of things.
Please tell the reason and tell me when I should add "the" before top and should not add " the".
In an above sentence, why doeen't "top" have "the"?
A : You can stay on top of things.
B : You can stay on the top of things.
Please tell the reason and tell me when I should add "the" before top and should not add " the".
Top answer
"on top of things" is a set phrase. It might be viewed as incorporating the set phrase "on top". In any case, it is not possible to predict from grammatical principles that "the" is omitted.
- "on top of things" is a set phrase.
- It might be viewed as incorporating the set phrase "on top".
- In any case, it is not possible to predict from grammatical principles that "the" is omitted.
- You just have to learn it.
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1 Answers
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"on top of things" is a set phrase. It might be viewed as incorporating the set phrase "on top". In any case, it is not possible to predict from grammatical principles that "the" is omitted. You just have to learn it.
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