English Language & Usage Asked on August 28, 2020
The back of my VIP card reads: Present this card before payment
Why is there no any article before ‘payment’? Shouldn’t we add ‘the’ before ‘payment’?
I understand in this case, maybe there is no article because ‘payment’ is uncountable, but are there any other reasons? (i.e. what if the word is countable, like ‘before lunch / bath’?)
This is known as telegraphic style. See this answer to a previous question.
To be sure, the other answers to this question are not wrong. However, the main reason for the lack of an article is that this is an example of telegraphic style, which omits the less important words, and is often found in signs and newspaper headlines. Your VIP card is a sort of a sign, so use of telegraphic style is not unusual.
Correct answer by Steven Littman on August 28, 2020
It seems you are deconstructing this sentence as:
Present this card before making a payment.
Which does leave you wondering about the article when they omit the word "making". However...
The way I deconstruct that sentence is:
Present this card before presenting us with payment.
Which is in need of no article.
Answered by candied_orange on August 28, 2020
"Before payment" means before any payment (if you ever make one). "Before the payment" refers to only one specific payment (that's why we use a "definite article"). For instance: before the Easter payment, or before the payment you will make on Monday, or before the next payment (meaning that it does not apply to any further payment).
Answered by alsa on August 28, 2020
Get help from others!
Recent Questions
Recent Answers
© 2024 TransWikia.com. All rights reserved. Sites we Love: PCI Database, UKBizDB, Menu Kuliner, Sharing RPP