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fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M14.234 10.162L22.977 0h-2.072l-7.591 8.824L7.251 0H.258l9.168 13.343L.258 24H2.33l8.016-9.318L16.749 24h6.993zm-2.837 3.299l-.929-1.329L3.076 1.56h3.182l5.965 8.532l.929 1.329l7.754 11.09h-3.182z\"\u002F>",{"id":47,"title":48,"author":49,"body":50,"cefrLevel":960,"date":49,"description":961,"exercises":962,"extension":1069,"faqs":1070,"gcseTier":49,"intro":49,"language":1083,"lastUpdated":49,"meta":1084,"navigation":1085,"path":1086,"seo":1087,"stem":1088,"verbSlugs":49,"__hash__":1089},"pages\u002Fenglish\u002Fgrammar\u002Farticles-advanced.md","Advanced articles in English: the zero article, the with names and places, and go to school vs go to the school",null,{"type":51,"value":52,"toc":946},"minimark",[53,96,99,104,107,147,160,178,182,185,191,233,239,277,291,310,314,319,324,350,354,357,370,483,507,531,535,538,543,548,556,561,564,601,605,608,625,628,632,647,651,812,816,819,883,887,893,934],[54,55,56,57,62,63,66,67,70,71,74,75,78,79,82,83,78,86,82,89,78,92,95],"p",{},"The ",[58,59,61],"a",{"href":60},"\u002Fenglish\u002Fgrammar\u002Farticles","articles"," page gives you the working system:\n",[64,65,58],"em",{}," and ",[64,68,69],{},"an"," for one non-specific thing, ",[64,72,73],{},"the"," for something both speakers can\nidentify, and nothing at all for general plurals and uncountable nouns. That\ncovers most of a conversation. It does not cover the cases that make learners\nsound slightly off years after they have stopped making beginner mistakes:\n",[64,76,77],{},"the Netherlands"," but ",[64,80,81],{},"France",", ",[64,84,85],{},"go to school",[64,87,88],{},"go to the school",[64,90,91],{},"in\nbed",[64,93,94],{},"in the morning",". This page is the second half.",[54,97,98],{},"Everything here is genuinely harder, and a fair amount of it is arbitrary. The\nhonest framing is that these are conventions rather than logic, so where a\npattern exists I will give it, and where there is only a list I will say so.",[100,101,103],"h2",{"id":102},"three-ways-to-talk-about-things-in-general","Three ways to talk about things in general",[54,105,106],{},"English gives you three grammatical routes to a general statement, and they\nare not interchangeable.",[108,109,110,121,133],"ul",{},[111,112,113,117,118],"li",{},[114,115,116],"strong",{},"Plural, no article."," ",[64,119,120],{},"Dogs are loyal. Cars pollute. Children learn fast.",[111,122,123,117,129,132],{},[114,124,125,128],{},[64,126,127],{},"A"," plus singular.",[64,130,131],{},"A dog is loyal."," This means \"any single example of\nthe class\". It is common in definitions and explanations.",[111,134,135,117,140,143,144],{},[114,136,137,128],{},[64,138,139],{},"The",[64,141,142],{},"The dog is a loyal animal."," This treats the whole\nspecies as one thing. It is correct, and it is formal: scientific writing,\ninventions and instruments use it. ",[64,145,146],{},"The telephone changed everything. The\ncomputer arrived late in his life.",[54,148,149,150,155,156,159],{},"For everyday speech, the bare plural is the default and the one to reach for.\nThe trap is the fourth option that learners produce instead: ",[114,151,152,154],{},[64,153,73],{}," plus\nplural",", which is not general at all. ",[64,157,158],{},"The dogs are loyal"," means those\nspecific dogs, over there, that we can both see. If you meant dogs as a class,\nyou have just said something else.",[54,161,162,163,166,167,169,170,173,174,177],{},"Uncountable nouns follow the plural pattern and take no article for general\nstatements: ",[64,164,165],{},"Money talks. Water is free. Music helps me work."," Add ",[64,168,73],{}," and\nyou have narrowed it to a particular lot: ",[64,171,172],{},"the water"," in this glass, ",[64,175,176],{},"the\nmusic"," playing right now.",[100,179,181],{"id":180},"the-with-names-and-places","The with names and places",[54,183,184],{},"There is a genuine pattern here, but it is small and it is surrounded by\nmemorised cases.",[54,186,187,190],{},[114,188,189],{},"No article"," with:",[108,192,193,199,205,211,221,227],{},[111,194,195,196],{},"most countries: ",[64,197,198],{},"France, Spain, Japan, Brazil",[111,200,201,202],{},"cities and towns: ",[64,203,204],{},"Tokyo, Leeds, Cairo",[111,206,207,208],{},"single mountains: ",[64,209,210],{},"Everest, Ben Nevis",[111,212,213,214,217,218],{},"lakes with ",[64,215,216],{},"Lake"," in the name: ",[64,219,220],{},"Lake Como, Lake Victoria",[111,222,223,224],{},"streets, parks, stations and airports: ",[64,225,226],{},"Oxford Street, Hyde Park, Kings\nCross, Heathrow",[111,228,229,230],{},"languages and nationalities as languages: ",[64,231,232],{},"French, Mandarin, Arabic",[54,234,235,190],{},[114,236,237],{},[64,238,139],{},[108,240,241,247,253,259,265,271],{},[111,242,243,244],{},"rivers, seas, oceans and canals: ",[64,245,246],{},"the Thames, the Atlantic, the Suez Canal",[111,248,249,250],{},"deserts: ",[64,251,252],{},"the Sahara, the Gobi",[111,254,255,256],{},"mountain ranges and island groups: ",[64,257,258],{},"the Alps, the Andes, the Canaries",[111,260,261,262],{},"country names that are plural or contain a common noun: ",[64,263,264],{},"the Netherlands,\nthe Philippines, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic",[111,266,267,268],{},"hotels, cinemas, theatres, museums and newspapers: ",[64,269,270],{},"the Ritz, the Odeon, the\nBritish Museum, the Guardian",[111,272,273,274],{},"family names in the plural: ",[64,275,276],{},"the Smiths came for dinner",[54,278,279,280,282,283,286,287,290],{},"There is one small piece of logic worth having. Place names built out of a\ncommon noun, or naming a group of things, tend to take ",[64,281,73],{},": the United\n",[64,284,285],{},"Kingdom"," contains the word kingdom, the ",[64,288,289],{},"Netherlands"," is plural, the Alps are\nmany mountains. Names that are just a name do not: France, Everest, Tokyo.",[54,292,293,294,297,298,301,302,305,306,309],{},"The exception inside the exception: buildings and shops named after a ",[114,295,296],{},"person","\ndrop the article. ",[64,299,300],{},"Harrods, Luigi's, Mcdonald's, Buckingham Palace."," Compare\n",[64,303,304],{},"the Ritz"," with ",[64,307,308],{},"Claridge's"," and you can see the split doing its work.",[100,311,313],{"id":312},"the-plus-adjective-for-a-whole-group","The plus adjective for a whole group",[54,315,316,318],{},[64,317,139],{}," in front of an adjective, with no noun after it, means the whole class of\npeople with that quality. It is always plural in meaning and always takes a\nplural verb.",[54,320,321],{},[64,322,323],{},"The rich get richer. The young do not remember it. The poor were hit hardest.\nBraille was designed for the blind.",[54,325,326,327,330,331,334,335,338,339,345,346,349],{},"You cannot use it for one person. ",[64,328,329],{},"A rich"," is not a noun; say ",[64,332,333],{},"a rich man"," or\n",[64,336,337],{},"a rich person",". And note the verb: ",[64,340,341,342],{},"the poor ",[114,343,344],{},"are",", never ",[64,347,348],{},"the poor is",".",[100,351,353],{"id":352},"institutions-school-vs-the-school","Institutions: school vs the school",[54,355,356],{},"This is the pattern most worth the effort, because it applies to a set of very\ncommon nouns and the difference is real.",[54,358,359,360,363,364,366,367,349],{},"Drop the article when you are there ",[114,361,362],{},"for the purpose the place exists for",".\nKeep ",[64,365,73],{}," when you mean ",[114,368,369],{},"the building or the specific place",[371,372,373,386],"table",{},[374,375,376],"thead",{},[377,378,379,383],"tr",{},[380,381,382],"th",{},"No article (purpose)",[380,384,385],{},"The (the place itself)",[387,388,389,404,418,431,444,457,470],"tbody",{},[377,390,391,398],{},[392,393,394,397],"td",{},[64,395,396],{},"My daughter is at school."," (she is a pupil)",[392,399,400,403],{},[64,401,402],{},"I parked at the school."," (the building)",[377,405,406,412],{},[392,407,408,411],{},[64,409,410],{},"He is in hospital."," (he is a patient)",[392,413,414,417],{},[64,415,416],{},"She works at the hospital."," (her job)",[377,419,420,426],{},[392,421,422,425],{},[64,423,424],{},"He went to prison for it."," (as a prisoner)",[392,427,428,403],{},[64,429,430],{},"We drove past the prison.",[377,432,433,439],{},[392,434,435,438],{},[64,436,437],{},"They go to church on Sunday."," (to worship)",[392,440,441],{},[64,442,443],{},"The church is being repaired.",[377,445,446,452],{},[392,447,448,451],{},[64,449,450],{},"She is in court today."," (as part of a case)",[392,453,454],{},[64,455,456],{},"The court is on the high street.",[377,458,459,465],{},[392,460,461,464],{},[64,462,463],{},"I went to bed."," (to sleep)",[392,466,467],{},[64,468,469],{},"He sat on the bed.",[377,471,472,478],{},[392,473,474,477],{},[64,475,476],{},"We were at sea for a week."," (sailing)",[392,479,480],{},[64,481,482],{},"The sea was cold.",[54,484,485,486,488,489,66,492,495,496,499,500,503,504,349],{},"Two nouns take this further and never take ",[64,487,73],{}," in the purpose sense at all:\n",[64,490,491],{},"work",[64,493,494],{},"home",". It is ",[64,497,498],{},"go to work, be at work, leave work",", and for home the\npreposition disappears too: ",[64,501,502],{},"go home",", not ",[64,505,506],{},"go to home",[54,508,509,512,513,515,516,66,519,522,523,526,527,530],{},[114,510,511],{},"The one place British and American English part company."," The\n",[58,514,61],{"href":60}," page says there is no variety difference\nworth flagging, and at that level there is not. Here there is. British English\nsays ",[64,517,518],{},"in hospital",[64,520,521],{},"at university","; American English says ",[64,524,525],{},"in the hospital","\nand ",[64,528,529],{},"in college",". Both are right in their own variety. This site writes\nBritish English, so the article stays out.",[100,532,534],{"id":533},"fixed-expressions","Fixed expressions",[54,536,537],{},"A large group of very common phrases has a fixed article, or a fixed absence of\none, and no reasoning will get you there. Learn them as whole units.",[54,539,540],{},[114,541,542],{},"No article:",[54,544,545],{},[64,546,547],{},"by car, by bus, by train, by plane, on foot, at home, at work, at school, in\nbed, at night, in town, on holiday, at war, by hand, in fact, at first, at\nlast, on time, in time, day by day, hand in hand.",[54,549,550],{},[114,551,552,553,555],{},"With ",[64,554,73],{},":",[54,557,558],{},[64,559,560],{},"in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, in the end, at the moment,\nat the end, all the time, on the whole, on the other hand.",[54,562,563],{},"The pairs are where it hurts, because they look symmetrical and are not:",[108,565,566,573,581,591],{},[111,567,568,78,571],{},[64,569,570],{},"at night",[64,572,94],{},[111,574,575,78,578],{},[64,576,577],{},"at first",[64,579,580],{},"in the end",[111,582,583,586,587,590],{},[64,584,585],{},"at last"," (finally, with relief) but ",[64,588,589],{},"at the end"," (of a thing, in position)",[111,592,593,596,597,600],{},[64,594,595],{},"in time"," (early enough) but ",[64,598,599],{},"on time"," (exactly at the right moment)",[100,602,604],{"id":603},"instruments-and-games","Instruments and games",[54,606,607],{},"Two more small conventions that pull in opposite directions.",[108,609,610,619],{},[111,611,612,613,615,616],{},"Musical instruments take ",[64,614,73],{},": ",[64,617,618],{},"she plays the guitar, he plays the piano.",[111,620,621,622],{},"Sports and games take no article: ",[64,623,624],{},"they play football, we played cards.",[54,626,627],{},"Nobody can tell you why. Both are worth memorising because both come up in\nordinary conversation about hobbies.",[100,629,631],{"id":630},"where-articles-disappear-altogether","Where articles disappear altogether",[54,633,634,635,638,639,642,643,646],{},"You will see article-free English in headlines (",[64,636,637],{},"Man bites dog","), signs\n(",[64,640,641],{},"Bridge closed","), notes (",[64,644,645],{},"Gone to shop","), labels and recipe instructions.\nThis is a compressed register, not a licence to drop articles in normal\nwriting. Copying it into a sentence of your own is one of the quickest ways to\nsound wrong.",[100,648,650],{"id":649},"summary-table","Summary table",[371,652,653,666],{},[374,654,655],{},[377,656,657,660,663],{},[380,658,659],{},"Situation",[380,661,662],{},"Article",[380,664,665],{},"Example",[387,667,668,681,693,706,718,732,746,760,772,786,800],{},[377,669,670,673,676],{},[392,671,672],{},"General statement, plural noun",[392,674,675],{},"none",[392,677,678],{},[64,679,680],{},"Dogs are loyal.",[377,682,683,686,688],{},[392,684,685],{},"General statement, uncountable",[392,687,675],{},[392,689,690],{},[64,691,692],{},"Money talks.",[377,694,695,698,702],{},[392,696,697],{},"The species as one thing",[392,699,700],{},[64,701,73],{},[392,703,704],{},[64,705,142],{},[377,707,708,711,713],{},[392,709,710],{},"Ordinary country, city, street",[392,712,675],{},[392,714,715],{},[64,716,717],{},"France, Tokyo, Oxford Street",[377,719,720,723,727],{},[392,721,722],{},"River, sea, desert, range",[392,724,725],{},[64,726,73],{},[392,728,729],{},[64,730,731],{},"the Thames, the Alps",[377,733,734,737,741],{},[392,735,736],{},"Plural or common-noun country",[392,738,739],{},[64,740,73],{},[392,742,743],{},[64,744,745],{},"the Netherlands, the UK",[377,747,748,751,755],{},[392,749,750],{},"A whole group of people",[392,752,753],{},[64,754,73],{},[392,756,757],{},[64,758,759],{},"the young, the poor",[377,761,762,765,767],{},[392,763,764],{},"Institution, for its purpose",[392,766,675],{},[392,768,769],{},[64,770,771],{},"in hospital, at school",[377,773,774,777,781],{},[392,775,776],{},"Institution, the building",[392,778,779],{},[64,780,73],{},[392,782,783],{},[64,784,785],{},"at the hospital",[377,787,788,791,795],{},[392,789,790],{},"Musical instrument",[392,792,793],{},[64,794,73],{},[392,796,797],{},[64,798,799],{},"play the guitar",[377,801,802,805,807],{},[392,803,804],{},"Sport or game",[392,806,675],{},[392,808,809],{},[64,810,811],{},"play football",[100,813,815],{"id":814},"common-mistakes","Common mistakes",[54,817,818],{},"Ranked by how often they turn up in real writing.",[820,821,822,833,847,860,874],"ol",{},[111,823,824,117,829,832],{},[114,825,826,828],{},[64,827,139],{}," plus plural for a general statement.",[64,830,831],{},"The dogs are loyal, the\npeople are strange, the books are expensive."," If you mean the whole class,\ndrop the article.",[111,834,835,117,840,843,844,349],{},[114,836,837,839],{},[64,838,139],{}," in front of an ordinary country or city.",[64,841,842],{},"The France, the\nJapan, the London."," Only plural or common-noun names take it: ",[64,845,846],{},"the\nNetherlands, the United Kingdom",[111,848,849,117,852,855,856,859],{},[114,850,851],{},"Keeping the article in a purpose phrase.",[64,853,854],{},"He goes to the school every\nday"," when you mean he is a pupil, or ",[64,857,858],{},"she is in the hospital"," in British\nEnglish. Drop it.",[111,861,862,117,868,871,872,349],{},[114,863,864,867],{},[64,865,866],{},"To"," before home.",[64,869,870],{},"I want to go to home."," Home takes no preposition and\nno article: ",[64,873,502],{},[111,875,876,117,879,882],{},[114,877,878],{},"Breaking a fixed expression.",[64,880,881],{},"In the bed, by the car, at the night, in\nthe fact."," These are set phrases and there is nothing to work out; the\narticle is either there or it is not.",[100,884,886],{"id":885},"practice","Practice",[54,888,889,890,892],{},"Add ",[64,891,73],{}," or leave the gap empty. Answers are below.",[820,894,895,905,911,916,925],{},[111,896,897,901,902,904],{},[898,899,900],"code",{},"___"," Netherlands is smaller than ",[898,903,900],{}," France.",[111,906,907,908,910],{},"She has been in ",[898,909,900],{}," hospital since Tuesday.",[111,912,913,915],{},[898,914,900],{}," rich never notice the price.",[111,917,918,919,921,922,924],{},"We crossed ",[898,920,900],{}," Thames near ",[898,923,900],{}," Tower Bridge.",[111,926,927,928,930,931,933],{},"He plays ",[898,929,900],{}," guitar, and at the weekend he plays ",[898,932,900],{}," football.",[54,935,936,939,940,942,943,945],{},[114,937,938],{},"Answers:"," 1. The Netherlands (plural name), - France (ordinary country\nname) 2. - hospital (British English, she is there as a patient) 3. The rich\n(",[64,941,73],{}," plus adjective for a whole group, and the verb is plural) 4. the Thames\n(a river), - Tower Bridge (an ordinary place name) 5. the guitar (instruments\ntake ",[64,944,73],{},"), - football (sports do not)",{"title":947,"searchDepth":948,"depth":948,"links":949},"",2,[950,951,952,953,954,955,956,957,958,959],{"id":102,"depth":948,"text":103},{"id":180,"depth":948,"text":181},{"id":312,"depth":948,"text":313},{"id":352,"depth":948,"text":353},{"id":533,"depth":948,"text":534},{"id":603,"depth":948,"text":604},{"id":630,"depth":948,"text":631},{"id":649,"depth":948,"text":650},{"id":814,"depth":948,"text":815},{"id":885,"depth":948,"text":886},"B1-B2","The harder half of a, an and the: three ways of speaking in general, when the goes in front of a name, the school vs school, and the fixed expressions that take no article at all.",[963,985,1006,1046],{"type":964,"instructions":965,"options":966,"items":968},"which-one","Choose the or no article for each sentence.",[73,967],"(nothing)",[969,971,973,975,977,979,981,983],{"prompt":970,"answer":967},"My son goes to ___ school every morning.",{"prompt":972,"answer":73},"I drove to ___ school to find him.",{"prompt":974,"answer":967},"___ dogs need a long walk every day.",{"prompt":976,"answer":73},"___ sun came out at last.",{"prompt":978,"answer":73},"She works hard to help ___ poor.",{"prompt":980,"answer":967},"He speaks ___ French at home.",{"prompt":982,"answer":73},"We swam in ___ sea all afternoon.",{"prompt":984,"answer":967},"They live in ___ France now.",{"type":986,"instructions":987,"items":988},"fill-blank","Write the or leave the gap empty with a dash if no article is needed.",[989,992,994,996,998,1000,1002,1004],{"prompt":990,"answer":991},"He went to ___ bed early.","-",{"prompt":993,"answer":991},"She is in ___ hospital after the fall.",{"prompt":995,"answer":73},"I saw him at ___ station.",{"prompt":997,"answer":991},"We go to ___ work by car.",{"prompt":999,"answer":73},"___ moon was very low.",{"prompt":1001,"answer":73},"I met ___ Smiths last night.",{"prompt":1003,"answer":991},"They walked home on ___ foot.",{"prompt":1005,"answer":73},"Call me in ___ morning.",{"type":964,"instructions":1007,"items":1008},"Choose the version that a native speaker would say.",[1009,1014,1019,1024,1029,1033,1037,1042],{"prompt":1010,"answer":1011,"options":1012},"We travelled ___.","by car",[1011,1013],"by the car",{"prompt":1015,"answer":1016,"options":1017},"I read it ___.","in the paper",[1016,1018],"in paper",{"prompt":1020,"answer":1021,"options":1022},"He is ___ at the moment.","at work",[1021,1023],"at the work",{"prompt":1025,"answer":1026,"options":1027},"She was tired, so she stayed ___.","in bed",[1026,1028],"in the bed",{"prompt":1030,"answer":570,"options":1031},"The film starts ___.",[570,1032],"at the night",{"prompt":1034,"answer":580,"options":1035},"I will do it ___.",[580,1036],"in end",{"prompt":1038,"answer":1039,"options":1040},"We eat ___ at eight.","dinner",[1039,1041],"the dinner",{"prompt":1043,"answer":494,"options":1044},"She went ___ after the lesson.",[494,1045],"to home",{"type":1047,"instructions":1048,"pairs":1049},"match","Match each name to the kind of thing it is, and note which ones took the.",[1050,1053,1056,1059,1061,1063,1066],{"left":1051,"right":1052},"the Thames","a river",{"left":1054,"right":1055},"the Atlantic","a sea",{"left":1057,"right":1058},"Everest","one mountain",{"left":77,"right":1060},"a country with a plural name",{"left":81,"right":1062},"a normal country name",{"left":1064,"right":1065},"the Smiths","a whole family",{"left":1067,"right":1068},"the young","a group of people","md",[1071,1074,1077,1080],{"q":1072,"a":1073},"What is the difference between go to school and go to the school?","Go to school means go there for its purpose, as a pupil. Go to the school means go to that particular building, for any reason at all, such as collecting your child or fixing a window. The same split runs through hospital, church, prison, court, university and bed: no article when you are there for the purpose of the place, the when you simply mean the building.",{"q":1075,"a":1076},"Why do British speakers say in hospital and Americans say in the hospital?","This is a genuine difference between the two varieties, not a mistake in either. British English drops the article for a patient (she is in hospital, he was at university); American English keeps it (she is in the hospital, he was in college). Both varieties agree on in prison, at school, at home and at work, so the split is narrower than it looks. Pick one variety and be consistent.",{"q":1078,"a":1079},"Should I say Dogs are loyal or The dogs are loyal?","For a general statement, use the plural with no article: dogs are loyal. The dogs are loyal points at particular dogs that you and your listener can both identify. There is a third option, the dog is a loyal animal, which is correct but formal and scientific in tone, so the bare plural is the safe default for everyday speech.",{"q":1081,"a":1082},"When does the go in front of a place name?","Use the with rivers, seas and oceans, deserts, mountain ranges, island groups, and any country name that is plural or contains a common noun: the Thames, the Atlantic, the Sahara, the Alps, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom. Use no article with single mountains, lakes, most countries, cities, streets, parks and stations: Everest, Lake Como, France, Tokyo, Oxford Street.","english",{},true,"\u002Fenglish\u002Fgrammar\u002Farticles-advanced",{"title":48,"description":961},"english\u002Fgrammar\u002Farticles-advanced","QxflHFBzTHot42dg9-7CWjvs7eQuN7BdbwoB1RV3tBU",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":1091},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M13 21h8M15 5l4 4m2.174-2.188a1 1 0 0 0-3.986-3.987L3.842 16.174a2 2 0 0 0-.5.83l-1.321 4.352a.5.5 0 0 0 .623.622l4.353-1.32a2 2 0 0 0 .83-.497z\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":1093},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M11 4.702a.705.705 0 0 0-1.203-.498L6.413 7.587A1.4 1.4 0 0 1 5.416 8H3a1 1 0 0 0-1 1v6a1 1 0 0 0 1 1h2.416a1.4 1.4 0 0 1 .997.413l3.383 3.384A.705.705 0 0 0 11 19.298zM16 9a5 5 0 0 1 0 6m3.364 3.364a9 9 0 0 0 0-12.728\"\u002F>"]