Tom-cat

Xinfu · #1 November 06, 2015, 03:14 AM

p.31 The whole of the lower regions of the British Museum reeks of tom-cat.

Usually you have to say a tomcat/the tomcat/tomcats. Is it correct to say that if the noun represents part of what is usually denoted by that noun, we don't use a/an/the?

**Rusty** · #2 November 06, 2015, 04:24 AM

The prepositional object in 'reeks of' phrases will usually be in the singular form, with no article.

Xinfu · #3 November 06, 2015, 10:07 PM

Excellent answer. Thank you.

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Tom-cat

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