What is a general statement?
A general statement concerns a category, species or phenomenon, rather than identified items in a particular situation. It can describe a typical characteristic without applying to every member without exception.
Compare Bees pollinate flowers, about bees as a species, with The bees from that hive pollinate our garden, about particular, identifiable insects.
This rule focuses on the first case: when the subject or object represents an entire class, use no article before a plural or uncountable noun.
Bicycles are a cheap way to travel around a city.
Bicycles are a cheap way to travel around a city.
Bicycles means bicycles generally as a means of transport, not particular bicycles.
Curiosity drives scientific progress.
Curiosity drives scientific progress.
Curiosity is an uncountable noun used in its broad, general sense.
The pattern
This is called the zero article: the position where an article could appear is left empty.
The pattern works with plural countable nouns (museums, ideas) and nouns in an uncountable sense (electricity, oil, honesty). If a word takes on a countable meaning, check the pattern again.
Singular countable nouns are not included: museum, teacher and idea cannot stand alone without an article as the subject of an ordinary general statement. The section on the singular-noun trap explains this further.
Ø + plural noun (general meaning) OR Ø + uncountable noun (general meaning)
- noun —
- A word naming a person, thing or idea: student, book, happiness.
Museums attract millions of visitors every year.
Museums attract millions of visitors every year.
Museums is plural and general, without the.
Electricity powers almost every modern device.
Electricity powers almost every modern device.
Electricity is uncountable and general, without the or a.
The contrast with the: when a definite article appears
The same noun can acquire a specific reference as soon as speaker and listener understand exactly which item or people are meant.
Then the definite article the appears. Identifiable, specific reference belongs to another rule, but practising the boundary between the two meanings matters.
Compare Artists often see the world differently (artists in general) with The artists who painted this mural worked for six months (particular, identified artists).
Artists often see the world differently.
Artists often see the world differently.
Artists has a general meaning, referring to artists as a category, without the.
The artists who painted this mural worked for six months.
The artists who painted this mural worked for six months.
The appears because the sentence refers to particular, identified artists.
The singular-noun trap: why a bare singular does not work here
In an ordinary complete sentence, singular countable nouns such as museum, idea and teacher need a determiner, for example a/an or the. Using the plural is a convenient way to make a simple generalisation.
There are two straightforward ways to generalise: use the plural without an article (Ideas spread quickly), or keep the singular with a/an (An idea can change everything). The second pattern also generalises, through any one possible member of the class.
For an ordinary statement about ideas, choose Ideas can change everything or An idea can change everything. Abbreviated headlines and proper names follow other rules.
Ideas spread faster than ever through social media.
Ideas spread faster than ever through social media.
Plural ideas without an article is a correct generalisation.
An idea can change an entire industry.
An idea can change an entire industry.
An idea generalises through one possible example. Use an before the vowel sound at the beginning of idea.
Groups of people and professions in general
When discussing a profession, role or category of people generally, rather than a particular group, use a plural noun without the.
This includes professions (nurses, engineers), roles (parents, volunteers) and broader social categories (adults, teenagers).
Adding a description does not by itself require the: Teachers in small schools often know every pupil can still be a generalisation. The teachers in this school identifies a particular group that the speaker has in mind.
Volunteers give their free time to help others.
Volunteers give their free time to help others.
Volunteers refers to a role or category of people generally, without the.
Teenagers often value independence more than comfort.
Teenagers often value independence more than comfort.
Teenagers refers to a social category in general.
Abstract concepts and substances
Many abstract concepts have uncountable uses: freedom, curiosity, respect. In a general sense, they normally appear without an article; other senses of the same words may be countable.
Similarly, physical substances and materials such as cotton, copper and sugar take no article when referring to the substance itself rather than a particular quantity or product.
The is possible for an identified instance or material: the freedom she felt that day, the cotton in this shirt. The choice depends on meaning and context, not simply on whether a description is present.
Freedom means different things to different people.
Freedom means different things to different people.
Freedom is an abstract concept in general, without an article.
Cotton is a natural, breathable fabric.
Cotton is a natural, breathable fabric.
Cotton refers to the material generally, without an article.
Quantifiers without the
Quantity words combine with the appropriate noun type: many/few + countable plural, a little + uncountable, and most/some/a lot of with both types. Do not add the before an indefinite group or amount: many books, some water.
Most students means the majority of students in the relevant context, while most of the students means the majority of an identified group. Most of can also precede my students or them: most of my students, most of them.
The same principle applies to many, some, a few and a little before a noun with general reference: do not insert the between the quantifier and noun.
Some people prefer working from home.
Some people prefer working from home.
Some + plural noun with general reference, without the.
A little patience goes a long way in teaching.
A little patience goes a long way in teaching.
A little + uncountable noun with general reference, without the.
Using the contrast in speech and writing
In a conversation, essay or business letter, a general statement can naturally introduce an idea, followed by specific examples using the.
Practising this movement from general to specific helps avoid two common errors: adding the while still generalising, and omitting the after the discussion has moved to an identifiable example.
A useful check when writing or speaking is: am I talking about the whole class, or about the particular thing that my listener and I have already identified?
In general, technology makes life easier, but the app my company built last year still has bugs.
In general, technology makes life easier, but the app my company built last year still has bugs.
The first part is general: technology and life have no the. The second part is specific: the app is identified by my company built last year.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:Referring to books in general: The books are important for building strong reading habits.
Correct:Books are important for building strong reading habits.
The intended meaning concerns books as a category, not particular books already mentioned, so the is unnecessary here. The sentence with the can be correct in another context referring to identified items or material.
Incorrect:Referring to music in general: I love the music, especially on long trips.
Correct:I love music, especially on long trips.
Music means music as a phenomenon generally. The would make it refer to particular, already identifiable music or a recording. The sentence with the can be correct in another context with specific reference.
Incorrect:Bird is a fascinating creature to study.
Correct:Birds are fascinating creatures to study.
The bare singular countable noun bird cannot by itself express this general statement about the species. Use a plural without an article, or singular a bird.
Incorrect:Referring to information in general: The information is useful for making better decisions.
Correct:Information is useful for making better decisions.
Information is an uncountable noun used generally; the narrows the reference to particular, identifiable information. The sentence with the can be correct in a different, specific context.
Incorrect:Referring to teachers as a profession in general: The teachers deserve more respect in society.
Correct:Teachers deserve more respect in society.
This generalises about teachers as a profession in society, rather than an identified group of teachers. The sentence with the can be correct in another context referring to a particular group.
Incorrect:Referring to copper as a material in general: The copper is a better conductor of electricity than aluminum.
Correct:Copper is a better conductor of electricity than aluminum.
Copper and aluminum are compared as substances generally, so neither needs the. Adding the before copper changes the intended general comparison into a reference to an identified sample. That version can be correct in a different, specific context.