grammar · neutral
The students like football.
speakingtask2
Avoid using 'the' before plural or uncountable nouns when you talk about things in general.
Examples
“Students like football.”
“Cars pollute the environment (when referring to particular cars).”
“The cars in my street are noisy.”
Band 8 sentence
“While students in general benefit from extracurricular activities, the students who participate regularly tend to perform better academically.”
Collocations
- students in general
- environmental pollution
Word family
article noundefinite article phraseindefinite article phrase
Common mistakes
The people are friendly.→People are friendly.
The water is important for life.→Water is important for life.
Say it for a higher band
5omit articles→6overuse 'the'→7+article
Synonyms
general plural without article
Easily confused
the students
“The students in my class are hardworking.”
students
“Students often use social media.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In Articles
Learn it with its set