Articles with Names of Seasons and Parts of the Day

The Use of Articles with Some Semantic Groups of Nouns

Nouns in set expressions used without an article

Nouns in set expressions used with the definite article

Nouns in set expressions used with the indefinite article

The Use of Articles in Some Set Expressions

 

to be at a loss	растеряться, быть в замешательстве
to be / get in a fury (in a rage)	быть, прийти в бешенство
to fly into a passion	прийти в бешенство
to have a good time	хорошо провести время
it is a pleasure	приятно
it is a shame	стыдно
all of a sudden	неожиданно
a great / good deal of (with non-count nouns)	много
a great many (with count nouns)	много
to take a fancy to	увлечься, проникнуть симпатией
to take an interest in	интересоваться
in a low / loud voice	низко, громко
to have a mind to do something	склоняться что-л. сделать
to put an end to	положить конец
to come to an end	закончиться

to keep the house	сидеть дома
to keep the bed	соблюдать постельный режим
to tell / speak the truth	говорить правду, по правде говоря
in the original	в оригинале (подлиннике)
on the whole	в целом
to play the piano / the violin	играть на рояле / на скрипке
the other day (referring to the past)	на днях
on the one hand	с одной стороны
on the other hand	с другой стороны
to take the trouble to do smth	потрудиться
to be on the safe side	на всякий случай, для верности
at the beginning	в начале
at the end of smth.	в конце чего-либо
in the singular	в единственном числе
in the plural	во множественном числе
in the distance	вдали
to be on the point of	собирать что-л. сделать
to be in the habit of	иметь привычку
it is out of the question	об этом не может быть и речи

 

 

at night	ночью
at sunrise	на рассвете
at sunset	за закате
at peace	в мире
at work	за работой
at hand	близко, под рукой
at first sight	с первого взгляда
to keep house	вести хозяйство
to make haste	торопиться
to make use of	использовать
from time to time	время от времени
from head to foot	с ног до головы
from morning till night	с утра до ночи
to give (get, ask for) permission	дать / получить / просить разрешение
to take notice of	замечать
to catch sight of	увидеть
by name	по имени
by mistake	по ошибке
by chance	случайно
by land	сушей, по суше
by sea	морем
by air	по воздуху
to go to sea	стать моряком
on deck	на палубе
to take offence	обидеться
to take care of	заботиться

 

1. Names of seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter) and parts of the day (day, night, morning, evening, noon, afternoon, dawn, sunrise, sunset and the like) take no article when used predicatively: It was summer / autumn/ morning/ evening/ night.

No article is used when such nouns are modified by the adjectives early, late, broad, high which do not describe any season or part of the day but indicate the time more precisely:

It was early morning / spring.

It was late evening / autumn.

It was broad day.

2. When the names of seasons and parts of the day are modified by a descriptive attribute, they are used with the indefinite article:

It was a fine clear morning.

It was a foggy evening in November.

He returned on a bright January morning.

3. The definite article is found with names of seasons and parts of the day in specific use, i.e. when some particular day, high summer or spring is meant. Identification is achieved by means of:

a) Linguistic context:

I shall not forget the evening I spent with him.

By the summer of 1943 Penny felt as though the war had been going on for ever.

In all these sentences the nouns in question have a limiting modifier.

b) Situation of utterance:

The day was hot and muggy.

The night was warm and beautifully still.

She went to Scotland for the summer.

4. The use of articles with names of seasons seems to be optional in combination with such verbs as: to come, to approach, to fall, to set in, to break and some other phrases. In such instances reference can be made to particular season (specific use) or to any season in general (generic use):

Night / morning came at last.

Day / dawn was breaking when we set out.

Night / twilight was falling quickly.

5. Note the use of articles in some prepositional phrases:in the morning, in the evening, in the daytime, in the afternoon, in the night, at night, at dawn, before dawn, after sunset, from morning to night, early in the morning, late in night, all through the day, day after day, night after night, through the autumn, for the winter, during the summer.