[Grammar] already applied

[kadioguy]

(On a CPU cooler web site)

Thermal grease - (already applied)

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If I had to lengthen the blue part into a complete sentence, what would it be?

a. The thermal grease is already applied.
b. The thermal grease was already applied.
c. The thermal grease has already been applied.

I prefer (b) or (c). What do you think?

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(Source)
https://www.bequiet.com/en/cpucooler/688

 

[emsr2d2]

You can read it as "Thermal grease has already been applied" or "Thermal grease will already have been applied (when you get the product)".

 

[kadioguy]

You can read it as "Thermal grease has already been applied" or "Thermal grease will already have been applied (when you get the product)".

Thank you, emsr2d2.

I notice that there isn't "the" before "Thermal grease" in your two sentences. Is this because it refers to any (i.e., not specific) thermal grease rather than specific thermal grease?

 

[emsr2d2]

Not really, no. It's because in lists of contents, ingredients, instructions etc, space is usually at a premium so things like articles are dispensed with.

 

[kadioguy]

Not really, no. It's because in lists of contents, ingredients, instructions etc, space is usually at a premium so things like articles are dispensed with.

Thank you for the reply.

If we had enough space, would you grammatically add "the" there?

 

[emsr2d2]

No, I wouldn't.

 

[kadioguy]

No, I wouldn't.

Thank you for your patience with this thread.

You said that you wouldn't. Is this for the reason in post #3? If not, could you tell me your opinion?

 

[GoesStation]

I notice that there isn't a "the" before "Thermal grease" in your two sentences. Is this because it refers to any (i.e., not specific) thermal grease rather than specific thermal grease?

Yes.

 

[emsr2d2]

I wouldn't add it because "thermal grease" is being used as an uncountable noun. In fact, "grease" is an uncountable noun. To use an indefinite article, I'd have to say "A layer of thermal grease ...".

 

[jutfrank]

I notice that there isn't "the" before "Thermal grease" in your two sentences. Is this because it refers to any (i.e., not specific) thermal grease rather than specific thermal grease?

Your question here is not very clear and it's hard to understand what exactly you're thinking. I think emsr2d2 misunderstood what you mean.

As far as I understand you, the answer is yes.

 

[jutfrank]

I wouldn't add it because "thermal grease" is being used as an uncountable noun. In fact, "grease" is an uncountable noun. To use an indefinite article, I'd have to say "A layer of thermal grease ...".

The fact that there's no article is not related to whether thermal grease is an uncountable noun phrase. As you know, definite articles are used with both countable and uncountable nouns.

 

[emsr2d2]

The fact that there's no article is not related to whether thermal grease is an uncountable noun phrase. As you know, definite articles are used with both countable and uncountable nouns.

That's why I gave an example using only the indefinite article. I wasn't suggesting that "The thermal grease ..." is impossible. It's entirely possible if that thermal grease has already been mentioned.

 

[jutfrank]

That's why I gave an example using only the indefinite article. I wasn't suggesting that "The thermal grease ..." is impossible. It's entirely possible if that thermal grease has already been mentioned.

This thread is a little confused I think, because thermal grease has not already been mentioned. It's simply listed under 'Accessories'.

The confusion comes again partly from kadioguy's need to expand phrases such as Thermal grease (already applied) to fully grammatical ones. It might be better for him to do this as follows:

Thermal grease - [which will have been] already applied [on receipt of the item]

 

[kadioguy]

Thank you all.

To clarify, please let me explain it again:

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"Thermal grease has already been applied" or "Thermal grease will already have been applied (when you get the product)".
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If we had enough space, would you grammatically add a determiner there? (For me, I would choose "the", so I used "the" in post #5)

Having read emsr2d2's replies, I learn that emsr2d2 would say "A layer of thermal grease ...", but that s/he thinks that "The thermal grease ..." is entirely possible if that thermal grease has already been mentioned.

GoesStation agrees with my opinion that no determiner before "thermal grease" is OK, because it refers to any (i.e., not specific) thermal grease rather than specific thermal grease.

jutfrank thinks that this discussion is a little confused, because "thermal grease" has not already been mentioned and it's simply listed under 'Accessories'. There is an easy and better way to say it:

Thermal grease - [which will have been] already applied [on receipt of the item]

 

[emsr2d2]

Thermal grease - [which will have been] already applied [on receipt of the item]

That's roughly what I said in post #2. I think the thread got muddled because some of us were talking about the "full" version of what was shown in the picture in post #1 and some of us were talking about general everyday usage.

In the context solely of what was shown in post #1, I would say that it "means" (and I use that loosely): "The appropriate amount of thermal grease will already have been applied when you get the item".