Names of Parts of the Day

To this group belong: day, night, morning, evening, noon, afternoon,
midnight, dawn, twilight, dusk, sunrise, sunset, daytimg, etc.

1. When a particular day, night, etc. is meant and it is often clear from the situation or context then the definite article is used.
e.g. The night was warm and beautiful.

The weather was very cold on the day of his arrival.

2.When there is u descriptive attribute the indefinite article is used.
e.g. On a hot September evening they strolled idly to the embankment.

3. Nouns denoting parts of the day have no article when they are used predicatively.
e.g. It was evening.

It was nearly midnight.
BUT: If we find a descriptive attribute the indefinite article is used.
e.g. It was a tine warm night.

The only exception is the adjectives early, late; in this case no article is used.
e.g. It was early morning.

It was late evening

4.No article is used with nouns denoting parts of the day when they are
modified by the names of the days of the week and the words tomorrow, yesterday.

e.g. She was here yesterday afternoon.

I went to Aunt Milly's house on Friday evening.

Set phrases.

in the evening before/after midnight

in the morning ail day long

in the afternoon day after day

in the night night after night

at night from morning till night

at dawn day and night

before/after sunset late at night (but: early in the morning) etc.

3. Names of Seasons.
To this group of nouns belong: winter, spring, summer, autumn (Am E fall).

Names of seasons are mostly used without any articles though the definite article may by found even in general statements. This is the case when these nouns are used as the subject, and the predicate is expressed by such commonly used verbs as to come, to approach, to set in. to be over and some others.

e.g. (The) Winter came and with it snowstorms and severe frosts.
"I hate (the) autumn. " Jane said.
In those parts (the) soring usually sets in early.

The definite article is used when a particular season is meant. It is
generally clear from the situation or a limiting attribute may also be used.

e.g. The winter was very fine that year.
The autumn of 1998 was very warm.

When names of seasons have a descriptive attribute the indefinite article is used.

e.g. We had a short summer.
It was a rainy autumn.

When names of seasons are used predicatively they have no article.
e.g. It was summer and the place broke up in red flowers.

However when we find a descriptive attribute the indefinite article is used.
e.g. "It was a remarkably fine autumn. "-- she added.

NOTE. No article is used with names of seasons if they are modified by the adjectives early, late,
e.g. It was early summer.

Дата добавления: 2017-01-14