What is race?/What is a race?

[Rachel Adams]

Why is the article omitted in the question: "what is race?" And when answering it should I omit it too? Should I use "the time when" with the article, "you do" or "you are doing" and "the best way" instead of "in the best way"?



"For me, a race is (the) time when you want to win and do/are doing everything in the best way that you can."

Conversation Questions for the ESL/EFL Classroom (I-TESL-J)

Interesting questions for discussions in Engish lessons.

iteslj.org

 

[5jj]

Why is the article omitted in the question: "what is race?"

Without the article we have the non-count noun that has to do with physical characteristics.

It has nothing to do with a running competition.

 

[Ostap]

Then they have a mistake there and I should use "a race"

Not a teacher

No they don't. The question is not at the link you gave, so I tried "what is race" site:iteslj.org/ and it led me to a page with that question, and the "race" is used there in the uncountable meaning. No article is needed.

 

[Tarheel]

Not a teacher

No they didn't. The question is not at the link you gave, so I tried "what is race" site:iteslj.org/ and it led me to a page with that question, and the "race" is used there in the uncountable meaning. No article is needed.

As noted previously, "What is race?" is a different question than "What is a race?"

 

[5jj]

Rachel, why are you still answering the question 'what is a race? when the question is 'What is race?''

 

[emsr2d2]

I have moved that follow-up question to its own thread because it had nothing to do with "What is race?" It was a question about a comment on a sentence in post #1 in the other thread (which also had nothing to do with the original question).