was fabulous.
I had
a quick lunch
at Wendy's.
That was
the most delicious dinner
I've had in a while.
The zero article with names of days, months, seasons, holidays and parts of the day
Names of days, months, seasons and holidays are normally not preceded by an article:
on Monday
in March
in summer
at Christmas
The same is true for certain parts of the day (with the exception of in the morning/afternoon/evening):
at noon
at night
at midnight
before dusk
after sunset
at sunrise
But if there is an adjective before the noun or a phrase or clause after it, the noun usually takes an article:
on
the Monday
of that week
the summer
I met my future husband
the best Christmas
I've ever had
it was
a beautiful sunset
Quotes:
Christmas is a time when you get homesick - even when you're home. - Carol Nelson
To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring. - George Santayana
April is a promise that May is bound to keep. - Hal Borland
In summer, the song sings itself. - William Carlos Williams
The zero article with names of pubs, restaurants etc. ending in 'S
Names of pubs, restaurants etc. that use the possessive 's construction do not take an article:
We went to
Maggie's
last night.
Let's meet at
Jack's Diner
.
The zero article with names of sports, games and activities
Names of sports, games and activities are not preceded by an article:
I love
swimming
.
Rummy
is definitely much more difficult than
solitaire
.
She suggested playing
Activity
.
The zero article with geographical names
Certain geographical names do not take an article:
Continents
Africa
Antarctica
Asia
Australia
Europe
North America
South America
But:
the Americas
(North and South America)
the Antarctic
the Arctic
Names of countries
Most country names do not take an article:
Chile
France
Kazakhstan
Namibia
New Zealand
But:
the Czech Republic
the Netherlands
the People's Republic of China
the Philippines
the United Kingdom (UK)
the United States of America (USA)
Lakes
Lake Geneva
Lake Lopnor
Lake Michigan
Lake Victoria
Loch Ness
Mountain peaks
Mawson Peak
Mont Blanc
(Mount) Everest
Mount Kenya
Mount Washington
But:
the Matterhorn
Cities
Beijing
Bucharest
New York
Reykjavík
Rio de Janeiro
But:
the Hague
the Vatican
Streets and roads
Downing Street
Michigan Avenue
But:
the High Street
the Mall
the E5
Related topics:
The definite article with geographical names
The zero article with places
Nouns that refer to certain places and institutions do not take an article when we are talking about the purpose they are used for:
The children are at
school
.
(studying)
What time do you usually go to
bed
?
(to sleep)
The murderer was sentenced to 10 years in
prison
.
(as a punishment)
Other examples are:
church
class
college
court
hospital
market
town
university
But if we mean the place (usually the building) itself, the definite article the is used:
He went to
the bed
to check if the children were sleeping.
In 1985, there was a fire in
the school
.
The prison