Omission of Articles

Articles should be used carefully. People are wont to use them where they are not needed. Let us know where they are not to be used :

1.If you use determiners, you don't have to use Articles; for example :

This is an apple. This is my apple.

A dog was running in the field. His dog was running in the field.

2. Before most of the Proper Nouns; for example : Kunal, Salma, Joginder, Jallandhar, Hyderabad, Mount Everest, Andaman, India, China etc.

3. Before 'man' when used in general sense :

Man doesn’t live for bread alone.

Man likes to live in company.

4. Before names of days and months; for example : Sunday, Monday, January, February.

5. Before names of languages; for example : Hindi, Punjabi, Kashmiri, Italian.

6. Before Abstract and Material Nouns; for example :

Laziness is a crime when India is reeling under poverty.

Corruption must be rooted out from the country.

Jewellery is made from gold and silver.

Cotton grows on trees.

However, when Abstract and Material Nouns refer to some specific place or person, Article 'the' is used with them :

The cotton of this area is fine.

The gold in this ring does not appear to be genuine.

7. Before the name of a thing or place when used for its primary purpose; such as, bed for sleeping, temple for worshipping, hospital for treatment, prison for lodging criminals etc. When these things or places are not used for their primary purpose, article will be used; for example :

I go to school daily. (to study)

The police entered the school to pacify the students. (not to study)

Go to bed now, sweet dreams! (to sleep)

Go to the bed and look if it is damaged. (not to sleep)

7. Article is not used in several proverbial phrases; for example :

at home           in hand            at sunrise         at sunset

by bus              by day             by land            by night

by train             catch fire         give ear            in debt

in demand          in hand             in town           leave home     

on demand         on foot             send word        set sail

strike root                    take breath       lose heart     take offence

Examples :

Send him word that we are in town.

Can you supply the goods on demand?

You can come by air, but tell me before you leave home.

The building caught fire, but the fire department did not pay heed.

8.Article is not used with the names of games :

Tennis is a fine game, but I love chess.

Do you know how to play cricket?

1.Look at this example : "This is a cricket bat." In this sentence, Article 'a' has been used for 'bat' and not for 'cricket'; here, 'cricket' functions like an Adjective, and not a Noun.

2.Look at this example : "I saw a football under the table." Here the speaker refers to the ball by which the game of football is played, and not the game, so Article has been used with it.