zero article

Definition:

An occasion in speech or writing where a noun or noun phrase is not preceded by an article (a, an, or the). In general, the zero article is used with proper nouns, mass nouns where the reference is indefinite, and plural count nouns where the reference is indefinite. Also, the zero article is generally used with means of transport ("by plane") and common expressions of time and place ("at midnight," "in jail"). See also: block language.

Examples and Observations:

• "Every mile is two in winter."
  (George Herbert)



• I studied Latin in high school.



• "If we were to wake up some morning and find that everyone was the same race, creed and color, we would find some other cause for prejudice by noon."
  (George Aiken)



• "If you meet at dinner a man who has spent his life in educating himself you rise from the table richer."
  (Oscar Wilde)



• Zero article . . . is also used with school, college, class, prison and camp when these are used in their 'institutional' sense. . . . [C]ertain nouns that are never used with zero article in American English do occur with zero article in British English when used in their institutional sense: hospital, university, and government."
  (Ron Cowan, The Teacher's Grammar of English. Cambridge Univ. Press, 2008)



• The loosest and therefore most frequent type of generic statement is that expressed by the zero article with plural count nouns or with mass nouns:
  • Kangaroos are common in Australia.
  • Wine is one of this country's major exports.
  Zero article with plural count nouns may have generic or indefinite reference according to the predication:
  • Frogs have long hind legs. (generic = all frogs)
  • He catches frogs. (indefinite = an indefinite number of frogs)
  A mass noun with zero article can be considered generic even if it is modified: Colombian coffee is said to be the best.
  (Angela Downing, English Grammar. Routledge, 2006)

Also Known As: zero determiner