Hello, 2006!
Thank you very much for your reply.
I think that your reply suggests that context decides whether the sentence is a general statement or referring to a particular instance.
What I noticed regarding the matter;
A. Only one type of determiner serves the two purposes (i.e. mentioned above). In this respect the word ‘rain’ is special.
B. The rain is the same as the sun, the world, the sky, etc. in its uniqueness. I remember I have ever read about this relation in some grammar books.
C. I haven’t yet known sentences containing such phrases as in rain, in a rain, in rains.
My questions are;
1. In B, why is the rain unique?
2. Does B have anything to do with A?
3. Please introduce some sentences using the phrases in C.
Thanks