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Anonymous Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

I want to know the reason why "a" or "the" or non-article is used in these

0A: In those days, African people suffered "the lack of rain".02br
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00B: In those days, African people suffered "a lack of rain".02br
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00C: In those days, African people suffered "lack of rain".02br
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00①I wonder why in A "the lack of rain" is used.02br
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00Is it because "the lack of rain" has inside it the structure that 'They lacked rain' and it is a specific occurrence?02br
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00②I wonder why in B "a lack of rain" is used.02br
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00Is it because "a lack of rain" has no such structure as A has, and expresses one-time unspecified occurrence?02br
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00I think it means one of the occurrences.02br
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00③I wonder why in C "lack of rain" is used (why it has no article).02br
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00Is it because "lack of rain" has no such structure as A has, and is conceptual and idiomatic?0-
  

Top answer

0Yes, I think you understand it very well. Though the phrase 'in those days' makes A unlikely as a specific occurence, it could refer to a previously mentioned drought. 0-

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1 Answers
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0Yes, I think you understand it very well. Though the phrase 'in those days' makes A unlikely as a specific occurence, it could refer to a previously mentioned drought. B is a more generic occurrence, and C posits 'lack' as a non-count noun.0-
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