Grammar
Zero article: when English uses no article
We usually say Music helps me focus, not The music helps me focus, when we mean music in general. English can leave the article out. This choice is called the zero article.
Choose no article before a noun when English refers to a general meaning, a routine activity, a meal, a language, a school subject, or an ordinary place in its main purpose.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
I usually have breakfast at home before work. /aɪ ˈjuːʒuəli hæv ˈbrekfəst æt həʊm bɪˈfɔː wɜːk/
The short answer
Use no article when you mean things or substances in general, as in Dogs need exercise and Water freezes at 0°C. Also use no article in common expressions such as have breakfast, speak English, study history, go to school, be at home, and go to bed.
I usually drink tea after lunch.
Why it works: Tea and lunch have general everyday meanings here, so neither noun needs an article.
5 more examples
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Cars need regular maintenance.
Cars means cars in general, so the plural noun has no article.
Not this:
The carsin the garage need regular maintenance. What changes: The extra phrase identifies a particular group of cars. -
Coffee keeps him awake.
Coffee means the drink in general, so the uncountable noun has no article.
Not this:
The coffeeon the table is cold. What changes: The coffee is a particular amount that the listener can identify. -
We had dinner at seven.
Dinner names the ordinary meal, so it usually has no article.
Not this:
The dinnerwe had at the hotel was excellent. What changes: The phrase we had at the hotel identifies one particular dinner. -
Rina speaks Spanish and studies chemistry.
Languages and school subjects usually take no article when named as subjects of speaking or study.
Not this:
The Spanishin this letter is difficult for me. What changes: The Spanish is the particular language used in the letter. -
The children go to school by bus.
School means the ordinary activity of attending classes, so it has no article.
Not this:Their mother went to
the schoolto meet the principal. What changes: The school means the building or institution as a particular place to visit.
Read the full guide
First ask whether the noun means something in general or a particular person, thing, place, or amount. General plural and uncountable nouns often take no article. Then check whether the phrase is one of the ordinary everyday patterns in this lesson. The changes are small, but the meaning can change when you add the.
Start with a general meaning
Use no article with a plural noun when you mean all things of that type, not a known group. Use no article with an uncountable noun when you mean a substance, idea, or activity in general. This is one of the most useful zero-article choices.
Phones can be useful for learning.
Phones means phones in general. No particular phones have been identified.
Patience takes practice.
Patience is an uncountable idea here, so it has no article.
Choose the general sentence: The books are useful or Books are useful?
Use Books are useful when you mean books in general. Use the books when a listener knows which books you mean.
Add the for a particular group or amount
The can change a general noun into a particular one. Look for words that identify the noun, such as on the desk, from yesterday, or that we discussed. The situation can identify it too.
Advice can be helpful when you are making a decision.
Advice has a general uncountable meaning, so it takes no article.
The advice from my manager was helpful.
From my manager identifies one particular advice or set of advice.
Which article fits a particular group of students in this room?
Use the: The students in this room. The extra phrase tells the listener which students you mean.
Use no article with ordinary meals
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner usually have no article when you mean the regular meal or a meal in an ordinary routine. Use the when you mean a particular meal that has been identified.
We often eat lunch outside on Fridays.
Lunch is the usual meal, not a particular event already known to the listener.
The lunch after the meeting lasted two hours.
After the meeting identifies a particular lunch.
Complete the routine: I make coffee before _____.
Use breakfast with no article when you mean the ordinary morning meal.
Name languages and school subjects directly
Do not usually use an article before the name of a language or school subject. Say speak Arabic, learn English, study history, and enjoy physics. Use the when a phrase narrows the meaning to a particular example or use of the language.
They are learning English for work.
English is the name of a language, so it has no article.
History was my favorite subject at school.
History names the subject generally, so it has no article.
Choose the natural phrase: study the biology or study biology?
Use study biology. Biology is a school subject in this sentence.
Notice places used for their ordinary purpose
Some common place nouns take no article when the usual purpose is important. Go to school means attend classes. Go to bed means go to sleep. Be at work means do your job. Be at home means be in your home. The article returns when you mean a particular building or location.
Leila is still at work.
At work describes Leila's usual work activity or state.
Leila is waiting at the office on King Street.
The office identifies a particular place, not the general idea of being at work.
Which phrase means that a child is attending classes: at school or at the school?
Use at school for the ordinary activity. Use at the school when you mean the building as a location.
Use the context to make the final choice
Do not choose an article from the noun alone. Ask what the speaker wants to point to. Music, travel, and education can be general. The music from the café, the travel plans for June, and the education described in the report are particular.
Travel teaches you to adapt.
Travel means the activity in general, so it has no article.
The travel in this job can be tiring.
In this job identifies a particular kind of travel.
Ask yourself: am I talking about a general idea, or about one identified thing?
Choose no article for the general idea. Choose the when the listener can identify the noun from the words or situation.
Before you go
Remember this
Use no article with general plural and uncountable nouns. Use it with ordinary meals, languages, and school subjects. In common place expressions, use no article when the usual purpose matters: go to school, be at home, go to bed, and be at work. Add the when you identify a particular group, amount, event, or building.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Zero article: when English uses no article"
What is the zero article in English?
The zero article means that no article appears before a noun. English often uses it with general plural nouns and uncountable nouns, as in Cats need care and Water is essential.
Cars need regular maintenance.
When do plural nouns take no article?
Use no article when a plural noun means things in general. Cars can be expensive refers to cars as a type. Use the for an identified group, as in The cars outside are expensive.
The cars in the garage need regular maintenance.
Why do meals often have no article?
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner usually take no article when they name an ordinary meal or part of a routine. Add the when you identify one particular meal, such as the dinner after the meeting.
Coffee keeps him awake.
Do languages and school subjects use articles?
Usually, no. Say speak English, learn Arabic, study history, and enjoy chemistry. The can appear when you mean a particular use or example, such as the English in a document.
The coffee on the table is cold.
What is the difference between go to school and go to the school?
Go to school usually means attend classes. Go to the school usually means go to a particular school building or location. The article changes the focus from the ordinary purpose to the place itself.
We had dinner at seven.