Unit 74
Plural and uncountable nouns with and without the
(a) Определенный артикль the обычно не
используется перед существительным, когда
имеем в виду что-то в целом, вообще:
- Scientists are so clever I'm afraid to speak to them.
(учёные вообще, а не отдельная группа учёных)
- I don't like cats.
- I like handball and chess.
- Life means everything to me.
- My favourite subject at school is literature.
Запомните:most people, most things.
(а не the most ...)
- Most people like to watch TV.
(b) The потребляется, когда мы имеем в виду
что-то конкретное:
- We went into the garden. The flowers were wonderful.
(not flowers in general but the flowers in this garden)
- Children like playing. (Children in general)
- Tom took the children to the Zoo. (not children in general but his
own children)
- I like all cars.
- The cars we saw were the latest model.
Разница между чем-то в обобщающем значении
и чем-то конкретным не всегда чётко ясна.
Например:
- Does he like tea?
- Does he like strong tea?
- Does he like the tea? (конкретный вид чая)