When a noun is generic or nonspecific
countable and plural
OR
uncountable,
we do not use an article.
There are many points that relate to ‘NO ARTICLE’ in the English Grammar Profile. Although there are overlapping examples across some of the levels, the main difference in regard to marking complexity relies on the level of the vocabulary used. For this reason, it is probably better to rely more on the English Vocabulary Profile as the ‘determiner‘ of the level. That means the A1 grammar is catching A1 vocabulary, the B1 grammar catches A2 vocabulary, and the B2 grammar catches B1 and higher levels. Still, it is problematic because many of these structures are clustered as phrases at different levels on the EVP. It just becomes too hard to analyze every possible piece of vocabulary too.
The main focus of this post will be locating examples of ‘no article + uncountable noun’ to find B2 complexity. To do this we must untangle the lower levels first.
Point 7 in DETERMINERS & articles at A1 is:
NO ARTICLE before a limited range of singular, plural and uncountable nouns when referring to things in general.
The only examples given for this limited range of uncountable nouns are:
- play_VV0 football_NN1
- at_II home_NN1
- watch_VV0 TV_NN1
- like_VV0 rice_NN1
Point 11 in DETERMINERS & articles at A1 is:
no article before a limited range of nouns in some fixed expressions with prepositions:
- at_II home_NN1
- by_II car_NN1
- to_II college_NN1
Point 46 in DETERMINERS & articles @ B1 is:
no article before an increasing range of singular and plural nouns when referring to things in general:
- Education_NN1,
- for_IF life_NN1,
Point 52 DETERMINERS & articles @ B1 is:
increasing range of nouns in some fixed expressions with prepositions.
- at_II night_NNT1,
- on_II television_NN1
Point 48 NOUNS & uncountable at B2 is:
NO ARTICLE uncountable nouns without a definite article to refer to an abstract thing in general.
- Television_NN1 is_VBZ
- Music_NN1 was_VBDZ
- in_II school_NN1
- Education_NN1 is_VBZ
- Language_NN1 can_VM
Sadly, I can’t find the code to avoid articles before singular nouns, so will try a number of other methods on iWeb.
_i _nn1
1 IN FACT 1478230
EVP: 
2 AS PART 872434
SBS3 AT HOME 842637
4 OF LIFE 817594
5 IN MIND 798868
EVP:
bear (sb/sth) in mind B2
keep sb/sth in mind B2
bear/keep sb/sth in mind B2
*Yet a search on google news for ‘in mind’ produces many other uses without ‘bear’ or ‘keep’.
Customer ThinkThe following is in order of ranking:
IN PLACE OF WATER OF WORK OF INFORMATION OF MONEY FOR USE OF BUSINESS IN ADVANCE OF INTEREST IN LOVE AT WORK OF EDUCATION OF HEALTH IN LIFE OF EXPERIENCE OF SERVICE IN TURN OF STATE FOR SALE TO LIFE OF ART OF FOOD ON EARTH OF SCIENCE OF MUSIC IN ORDER OF AGE OF ENERGY OF POWER TO WORK OF USE TO DATE OF VIEW ON TWITTER BY DEFAULT INTO ACCOUNT TO SCHOOL IN BUSINESS OF LOVE AT RISK OF WAR OF LAW OF DEATH OF LIGHT OF RESEARCH OF FAME OF MIND IN PERSON OF TECHNOLOGY ON TOP IN SCHOOL TO DEATH FROM HOME OF SPACE FOR HELP FOR INFORMATION OF ACTION ON HAND OF GOVERNMENT OF FUN ON CAMPUS OF CHOICE IN HISTORY FOR BUSINESS OF KNOWLEDGE ON AVERAGE IN USE WITH WATER IN QUESTION FOR LIFE TO POST OF CARE TO PRACTICE IN SIZE OF PAPER OF MEDICINE IN ENGLISH IN REALITY OF JUSTICE OF STUDY OF COLOR IN CONTRAST OF LAND OF CONTROL OF HISTORY BY LAW ON SALE OF SCHOOL OF NATURE IN COLLEGE IN NATURE OF SUPPORT OF BLOOD IN ACTION FOR WORK
. _nn1 _vv
*we have deleted those not meeting the definition.
2 . RESEARCH SHOWS 9228
The Mandarin6 . RESEARCH SUGGESTS 3024
8 . RESEARCH INDICATES 1850
10 . EVIDENCE SUGGESTS 1488
12 . CONSTRUCTION BEGAN 1403
15 . PRACTICE MAKES 1192
17 . PRICING STARTS 1157
25 . MANAGEMENT BELIEVES 900
31 . HISTORY SHOWS 809
advisorperspectives.com37 . REGISTRATION BEGINS 688
38 . TREATMENT INCLUDES 680
39 . LIFE GOES 679
40 . COVERAGE INCLUDES 677
41 . LEGEND SAYS 665
42 . EVIDENCE SHOWS 663
47 . CONTENT INCLUDES 606
48 . ACCOMMODATION COMPRISES 603
49 . WORK BEGAN 601
52 . PLAY CONTINUES 587
53 . POWER COMES 569
58 . HISTORY TELLS 529
60 . EXPERIENCE SHOWS 528
61 . LIFE HAPPENS 507
63 . TREATMENT INVOLVES 498
69 . GOODNESS KNOWS 445
71 . HEAVEN KNOWS 438
73 . COURSEWORK INCLUDES 429
76 . REGISTRATION OPENS 422
80 . MEMBERSHIP INCLUDES 413
87 . RENT INCLUDES 381
89 . MANAGEMENT RESERVES 376
90 . LIFE GETS 372
95 . SCRIPTURE SAYS 357
100 . TREATMENT DEPENDS 347
_v _nn1 grouped by Lemma:
1 [TAKE] [PLACE] 941059
2 [BE] [PART] 891249
3 [TAKE] [CARE] 506781
4 [TAKE] [ADVANTAGE] 462487
5 [MAKE] [SENSE] 456065
6 [HAVE] [ACCESS] 378579
THE WEEKIf you want to understand English then you must understand how these words come together to make meaning.
[TAKE PART] [PAY ATTENTION] [HAVE TROUBLE] [MAKE MONEY] [SAVE MONEY] [KEEP TRACK] [BE HOME] [MAKE USE] [NEED HELP] [HAVE SEX] [DO BUSINESS] [LOSE WEIGHT] [TAKE ACTION] [PROVIDE INFORMATION] [CONTINUE READING] [GIVE BIRTH] [HAVE EXPERIENCE] [TAKE CONTROL] [HAVE FUN] [BECOME PART] [RAISE MONEY] [RAISE AWARENESS] [PROVIDE SUPPORT] [HAVE DIFFICULTY] [BE WAY] [GAIN ACCESS] [GIVE RISE] [LET GO] [PROVIDE ACCESS] [TAKE EFFECT] [BE KIND] [MAKE LIFE] [GET ACCESS] [DRINK WATER] [BAKE SODA] [GET HELP] [BE EVIDENCE] [GIVE WAY] [TAKE RESPONSIBILITY] [TAKE NOTE] [BE PRESIDENT] [WALK DISTANCE] [ADD VALUE] [BE LIFE] [TAKE PRIDE] [FORM PART] [MAKE CONTACT] [PAY TRIBUTE] [MAKE FUN] [WATCH TV] [DRAW ATTENTION] [SPEND MONEY] [BE WATER] [SHARE INFORMATION] [MAKE PROGRESS] [HAVE CONTROL] [MAKE ROOM] [TAKE CHARGE] [SEE FIGURE] [SEE SECTION] [SAY GOOD-BYE] [TAKE HOLD] [BE WORTH] [BE MONEY] [PLAY MUSIC] [CONDUCT RESEARCH] [HAVE ROOM] [LOSE MONEY] [EARN MONEY] [USE TECHNOLOGY] [LOSE CONTROL] [HAVE POWER] [COMMIT SUICIDE] [HAVE MONEY] [FOLLOW SUIT] [INCLUDE INFORMATION] [CAUSE DAMAGE] [PROVIDE GUIDANCE] [GAIN WEIGHT] [BE KING] [COLLECT INFORMATION] [HAVE FAITH] [SUPPLY CHAIN] [CONTAIN INFORMATION] [PLAY FOOTBALL] [PROVIDE QUALITY] [FIND INFORMATION] [BE LOVE] [SEEK HELP] [TAKE NOTICE] [BE HAND] [BE ROOM] [MAKE MUSIC] [HAVE SUCCESS]
PELIC STUDENT:
My favorite food is chicken.
Korean, Female, level 2, writing class
*The complexity check says this is B1, but that all depends on ‘chicken’ being A2 vocabulary.
ADVANCED EXPERT EXAMPLES:
and it will be on show in Phillips next year in New York.
If pictures speak a thousand words, then these images do speak volumes.