零冠词
复数泛指、抽象、三餐球类学科前面不加冠词。
play basketball/have lunch/by car
要点
  1. 复数名词表示泛指时不加冠词。
  2. 三餐、球类、学科、语言前面不加冠词。
  3. by + 交通工具(by bus、by car)中间不加冠词。
  4. 季节、星期、月份前面一般不加。
  5. 表"去干这件事的本分"用零冠词:go to school(上学)、go to bed / in bed(睡觉)、at work(上班)、in hospital(英式,住院);加了 the 就变成说那个地方:go to the school(去学校那儿,未必是上学)。
  6. 抽象、泛指的名词不带冠词,被 of 或后置定语锁住才带:Life is hard(泛指人生)/ The life of a sailor is hard(说定了水手的一生)。
  7. 头衔、职位顶在名字前面时不带冠词:President Lincoln、Captain Smith;作主语补足语时也省:He was elected chairman(他当选为主席)。
例句
We have lunch at twelve.
我们十二点吃午餐。
She goes to school by car.
她坐车去学校。
Do you play chess?
你下国际象棋吗?
We usually have breakfast at seven.
我们通常七点吃早餐。
We go to school by bike every day.
我们每天骑车上学。
He is in hospital, and his mother went to the hospital after work.
他住院了,他母亲下班后去医院看他。
易错提示
  • 乐器要加 the(play the piano),球类不加(play basketball)—— 记住这一对。
  • 特指某一餐时要加 the:The lunch today was good.
  • 学科与语言前不带冠词(I like maths / she speaks English),但特指某一阶段的语言要加 the:the English of the 16th century —— 判据还是那句:泛指零冠词,锁定才加 the。
  • 缺冠词是规矩还是漏写,先问名词这一层换没换意思:I like coffee(饮料,泛指)/ a coffee 是"一杯",He is a teacher(职业单数必须带 a)。