CARROTTA
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🚫 Compendium
Grammar
EN
English — Zero article
In many general statements English uses no article at all. Plural and uncountable nouns spoken about in general, plus meals, languages, sports and abstract nouns, normally stand bare: Dogs bark and Water is wet.
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How it works
✓ Rule
Use no article when a plural or uncountable noun means people or things in general: Dogs bark, Water is wet, I like coffee. The same zero article applies to meals (before breakfast), languages (She speaks Spanish), sports (We play tennis) and abstract nouns (Happiness matters).
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Examples
| Category | Example |
|---|---|
| Plural, general | Dogs bark at night. |
| Uncountable, general | Water is wet. |
| Meals | We have breakfast at seven. |
| Languages | She speaks Spanish and French. |
| Sports | They play tennis on Sundays. |
| Abstract nouns | Happiness comes from within. |
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Good to know
⚠ Note
The zero article disappears as soon as the noun becomes specific. Compare general Dogs bark with specific The dogs next door bark all night, and I like coffee with This coffee is cold. Adding the or a/an signals a particular thing, not the class as a whole.