Zero article

[Deepurple]

May I ask why no indefinite article is needed in the following sentences?

(1) Electrical home appliances like air conditioner, washing machine and refrigerator make our life comfortable.

(2) The artistic appeal of the play is enormous, with chief credit going to playwright, director and designer.

Thank you.

 

[riverkid]

May I ask why no indefinite article is needed in the following sentences?

(1) Electrical home appliances like air conditioner, washing machine and refrigerator make our life comfortable.

(2) The artistic appeal of the play is enormous, with chief credit going to playwright, director and designer.

Thank you.

Where did you come across these examples, Dee?

 

[Deepurple]

Where did you come across these examples, Dee?

A grammar book authored by a Chinese scholar.
According to his account, the indefinite article before objects/titles listed in a series can be omitted. I wondered if this was true or not. So, I would like to hear the views of native English teachers about that.

More examples are given by him as follows:
(1)His face was almost sculpturally masculine in its bold lines of brow, nose and jaw.
(2)To makes his acrobatic fighting more real, he went to Beijing Physical Culture Institute to learn how to use cudgel, spear, nine-section whip and broadsword.
(3)The little inn was really a combination of restaurant and dancing parlour and hotel.

 

[riverkid]

A grammar book authored by a Chinese scholar.
According to his account, the indefinite article before objects/titles listed in a series can be omitted. I wondered if this was true or not. So, I would like to hear the views of native English teachers about that.

More examples are given by him as follows:

(1)His face was almost sculpturally masculine in its bold lines of brow, nose and jaw.


(2)To makes his acrobatic fighting more real, he went to the Beijing Physical Culture Institute to learn how to use cudgel, spear, nine-section whip and broadsword.


(3)The little inn was really a combination of restaurant and dancing parlour and hotel.

May I ask why no indefinite article is needed in the following sentences?


(1) Electrical home appliances like air conditioner, washing machine and refrigerator make our life comfortable.


(2) The artistic appeal of the play is enormous, with chief credit going to playwright, director and designer.

Thank you.

It's not true for every situation, Dee. The ones that I've colored red are, to my mind, strange. The ones in blue are okay. More thought as to what the differences are is in order.

Catch ya later 'gator.