The generic reference of the zero article versus the specific reference of the definite article

Level: third year of lower secondary school

They should know:

• which articles are indefinite and which is definite

• when we use them

• when we use the zero article

• what a countable noun, an uncountable noun and an abstract noun are

1. Warm-up exercise: Fill the gaps in the sentences below with a, an, the or zero `-` and explain your choice.

1. Give it to … man wearing the red coat.

2. Sydney is … beautiful city.

3. … water boils at the temperature of 100 degrees Celsius.

4. Look at … moon.

5. Against her parents' wishes, she wants to be … journalist.

6. … books you ordered have arrived.

7. … music played an important role in his life.

8. Let's sit on … grass over there.

9. … money doesn't necessarily bring … happiness.

10. We must fight for … freedom.

11. Across … street from … office is Jane's restaurant.

2. Presentation

In great number of instances the zero article has generic meaning. This is the case with uncountable (2.1.) or plural nouns (2.2.) when we talk about things generally, general ideas and categories.

1. The generic use of the zero article with non-count nouns vs the specific use of the definite article with non-count nouns.

Let's look at our examples from the exercise we have done. In the sentences C, G, I, J we have the uncountable nouns: water, music, money, happiness, freedom and they are used in general sense. In G we don't think about particular kind of music but about music in general. In I and J we have abstract words, general ideas (happiness, freedom).

These nouns (uncountable, abstract) in certain contexts can be used with the definite article. For instance when we want to refer to a specific example of something. With “the” the meaning has changed from generic to specific.

GENERAL	SPECIFIC
Music played an important role in his life.	The music of Skalkattas is virtually unknown outside Greece.
We must fight for freedom.	I was allowed the freedom of the house and the garden.
Water boils at the temperature of 100 degrees Celsius.	The water in the bath is cold.
Money doesn't necessarily bring happiness.	The money I gave you was meant for paying the phone bill.

2. The generic use of the zero article with plural nouns vs the specific use of the definite article with plural nouns

The zero article + the plural noun also gives generic meaning.

When we want to refer to a whole group, when we want to characterize all members of a group one of the ways to do it is by using the plural noun with no article.

Seagulls are found close to the coast. (seagulls generally)

Gibbons keep together in families and line up in trees.

I like dogs.

Horses are my favourite animals.

Usually in specific use plural nouns take the definite article.

GENERIC	SPECIFIC
Horses are my favourite animals.	Come and look at the horses. (the horses that are in front of us)
I like dogs.	Will you walk the dogs. (our dogs)
Cigarettes are bad for your health.	The cigarettes are on the table. (my or your cigarettes/pack of cigarettes that are/is lying on the table)

3. Practice

Fill the gaps.

1. … computers have revolutionized the distribution of information.

2. … cars were parked illegally in the city centre.

3. … life of Marco Polo was full of bold and breathtaking adventures.

4. … bicycles standing on the porch belong to our children's friends.

5. According to the recently amended labour code, … noise is classified as a kind of pollution.

6. … death of Czesław Niemen is a great loss to Polish music.

7. … bicycles are environmentally-friendly.

8. … islands off the east coast of Malaysia are beautiful.

9. Andy will come tomorrow to fix … computers.

10. … noise coming from the engine was alarming.

11. Is there … life after … death?

12. … cars pose the main threat to clean air, so it is important to cut down on … pollution they make .

13. There are many ways to prevent and reduce … air pollution.

14. Around the world … islands are being threatened by rising sea levels.

Specify which reference is generic and which specific.

1. He shook with fear.

2. It was a film about the life of a polar explorer.

3. Have you fed the cats?

4. Have you met the boys from the neighbourhood?

5. Potatoes are native to South America.

6. The deep affection between the boy and his cat was obvious.

7. The problem escalated and intervention was necessary.

8. Blue whales are considered endangered.

9. William Wallace devoted his whole life to fighting for the freedom of the Scots.

10. I will take the children over to the park.

11. I have left the money I owe you on your desk.

12. Using the new software, parents will be able to monitor their children's use of the Internet.

13. Animals fear fire more than anything else.

Complete the sentences using one of these words (advice, coffee, food, French, history, magazines, teachers). Use `the' where necessary. Use the same word in both sentences in each pair.

1. … all over the world have published photos of the royal baby.

Emily left … we asked for on the table.

2. I've forgotten most of … I learnt at school.

I'm learning … at night school.

3. I'll always be grateful for … he gave me.

I asked my father for …about the problem.

4. Put … you bought straight into the fridge.

… at that new Indonesian restaurant was excellent.

5. I never did enjoy studying …

I'm reading a book about … of the New Zealand Maori.

6. The world price of … has reached a record high.

… we got last week from the Brazilian café was excellent.

7. In my opinion, … deserve to be better paid.

… need to have enormous patience.

(this exercise was taken from “Advanced grammar in use”, Martin Hewings, 2000)

Fill the gaps with `the' or `-`.

1. Have you watered … flowers in the garden?

2. My new shirt is made of … silk.

3. My hobby is making … candles.

4. Can you smell … gas?

5. … information you asked for is in this file of papers.

6. … boats are popular means of transport in Venice.

7. William Wallace devoted his whole life to fighting for … freedom of Scotland.

8. … gardening tools are in the shed.

9. They are buying … furniture for their new flat.

10. This tastes lovely. What's in … sauce?

11. … Children need to feel secure.

12. … flowers you bought me are beautiful.

13. The government has promised to spend more on … health and … education.

14. … weather on our holiday was awful.

15. … chimpanzees are so intelligent that they use … tools.

4. Homework

Specify which reference is generic and which specific.

1. I hope your children aren't scared of the dogs.

2. Women can retire at the age of 60.

3. The soup I had last night was too salty.

4. Our recent survey has shown that obesity among children has reached alarming levels.

5. I've forgot to buy the apples you asked for.

6. Boredom is the most common cause of pupils losing interest in school.

7. I can't drink milk. It makes me feel ill.

8. People usually kill sharks for their fins.

9. Follow the instructions carefully.

10. Algebra and geometry are branches of mathematics.

11. Assassinations, coups d'état, plots and revolutions have long been the lot of the Middle East.

12. I had bad luck yesterday. All the tyres were flat and I had to go to work by bus.

13. The firemen rescued a child from the fire and were awarded medals for bravery.

14. The cakes are delicious, Lucy. Will you give me the recipes?

15. We asked high school students to participate in an antidrugs campaign.

16. Although they were sure that Jim had stolen the money, they couldn't prove it.

17. Flies, ants, beetles and butterflies are all insects.

18. He must be crazy. He says he would like to live in a house with no electricity, no heating and no running water.

19. The frogs were so loud I couldn't sleep.

20. The sleeves of this shirt are a bit too short so I always roll them up.

21. I heard the news first and told it to a friend of mine.

22. As she had witnesses the crime, she was expected to give evidence in court.

Bibliography

Mark Hewings, Advanced Grammar in Use, Cambridge 2000 and 2005;

Piotr Kaczmarski, Stanisław P. Kaczmarski, Testy z języka angielskiego 2, Warszawa 1995;

Geoffrey Leech, Jan Svartvik, A Communicative Grammar of English, 2006;

Graham Lock, Functional English Grammar: an introduction for second language teachers, Cambridge 1997;

Richard Side, Guy Wellman, Grammar and Vocabulary for CAE and CPE, 2003;

Sylwia Wojciechowska- Bartkiewicz, Język angielski. Gramatyka i słownictwo, Poznań 2004.

Izabela Lewandowska, studia podyplomowe

6

---