Grammar: Word classes: Determiners: Making general statements

Leaving out the determiner

Making general statements without a determiner

We often omit a determiner, specifically the definite article the, when making a general statement with a plural noun:

Miss Lee said that       tigers      are struggling for survival.
                          countable noun (plural)

In formal contexts, especially in scientific, academic or technical writing, the alternative pattern of definite article the + singular noun is more common:  

The text book states that       the tiger       is struggling for survival.
                                      countable noun (singular)

When making a general statement with uncountable nouns we never use a determiner:

    Pollution      is a problem in all industrial societies.
uncountable noun 

However, if we want to refer to a specific instance of pollution, we use a determiner even with an uncountable noun:

The     pollution      is especially bad in Hong Kong today.
      uncountable noun 

We also often omit a determiner (the, these, those) when referring or pointing outwards to specific persons, animals etc. For more information, see Grammar: Word Classes: Determiners: Referring to specific people, things, etc: Definite article (the)

For a summary of the relationship between the forms and functions of general statements without determiners, click here.