Articles - All - in general

Articles
All - in general	Framed \| Unframed

Read & Observe

When speaking in general, referring to "all", no marker is used.

Count nouns are used in their plural forms and non-count nouns have no change. Example:

"People are funny. In cafés, have you ever noticed how people walk up to chairs but don't sit down directly? They have to move their chairs a little before sitting down. I've never understood this. Those chairs may be perfectly placed for people to sit in, but for some reason people have to move chairs anyway. They dislike chairs fixed to the ground. Perhaps, people do it to claim territory. You wouldn't think that moving a chair an inch would make a difference, but apparently it does."

Generalizations use:

no identifying modifiers
adverbs of frequency: always, often, generally, frequently, or usually, never
simple present tense
implied meaning - "most"

GENERALIZATION (unspecific and unidentified)	THE - (specific and identified)
Salami is very salty. (non-count noun) Crackers are salty. (count noun) Classes always fill up quickly. People head for beaches in the summer. Most people prefer to drive their own cars.	The salami on the left is very salty. The crackers on the left are very salty. The classes at my college always fill up quickly. The people on vacation head for beaches in the summer. Most of the people that I know prefer to drive their own cars.

Practice

All (unspecific) or The (specific)?

The following sentences are all part of one paragraph. Decide whether an article is needed in each of the sentences below. (Is the writer referring to a specific noun or is the writer making generalizations?) Select a button. An asterisk *indicates an incorrect answer.

#	FEEDBACK	YOUR RESPONSE
1.	graffiti is a form of art. ( * indicates an incorrect response) WHY 1?	The - (no marker) * = incorrect response
2.	Unlike other art, graffiti is "illegal art". WHY 2?	the - (no marker)
3.	graffiti artists usually work under the cover of darkness. WHY 3?	The - (no marker)
4.	Most of graffiti artists are under twenty-five. WHY 4?	the - (no marker)
5.	Most artists use spray-paint. WHY 5?	the - (no marker)
6.	Graffiti is often found by freeways. WHY 6?	the - (no marker)
7.	freeway walls of Los Angeles have several amazing works. WHY 7?	The - (no marker)
8.	highway cleaning crews paint over the works of art regularly. WHY 8?	The - (no marker)
9.	works of art can be destroyed in only a few roller strokes of gray paint. WHY 9?	The - (no marker)
10.	photographs are kept in portfolios to preserve the image. WHY 10?	The - (no marker)
11.	photographs can be used to copyright the artists "work of art". WHY 11?	The - (no marker)

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Julie Sevastopoulos - College of San Mateo - San Mateo, CA 94402 USA