Bare plural noun pattern

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The bare plural noun pattern is a semantic-grammatical pattern with a simple noun phrase that is not marked with a delimiter (a/an/the). In traditional grammatical parlance, it is referred to as a zero-article (Ø) noun (lacking a so-called definite article the or indefinite article a/an). Bare plurals contrast with the bare singular noun pattern, and they contrast with marked nouns, especially plural marked nouns.

Examples of bare plurals include:

  • They love apples.
  • I depend on chocolate bars to survive my long study sessions.
  • The structure consists of pipes, steel bars, and plastic supports.


This analysis below is sketched out in Lee (2017)[1]


1 Basic pattern

The basic, default meaning is a set or group of things -- a set, group, collection, or mass of objects, items or entities. It is also indefinite, so it also conveys the meaning of being new, unknown, or unfamiliar to the reader or listener.

  • Bare plural pattern: A set or group of items, which is assumed to be new, unfamiliar, or unknown to the listener/reader.

For example:

  1. I need to buy apples. (bare plural pattern for set of items; unfamiliar to listener)
  2. I bought fried chicken. (bare singular pattern for material nouns)
  3. Here are the apples. (definite plural for a set of items known/familiar to the listener)


2 Advanced patterns: Specialized extensions

3 Summary=

4 See also


5 References

  1. Lee, Kent. (2017). A “the” or the “a”? L2 learner problems and patterns. Korea TESOL Journal 13(2), 25-48.