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When do we omit the definite article THE at the beginning of a phrase and for what reason? Removal of skin or the removal of skin. Could someone give some examples?

darkbluecherry
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  • I'll start the ball rolling by saying that titles (The Nawab of Pataudi) and set phrases (the back of beyond) are rarely used without the definite article, especially in formal registers. With non-collocational strings, the situation seems more idiosyncratic. 'The taking of hostages' seems the preferred form; perhaps this is true for most/all gerunds. 'The' would probably be preferred when the phrase introduced a non-follow-on statement ... – Edwin Ashworth Aug 11 '14 at 10:52
  • I am inclined to say it depends on where you place the phrase in a sentence. Like: "Removal of skin tags is a relatively easy procedure" vs "Mohs micrographic surgery is an advanced technique for the removal of skin cancer". Source for the second example – Dust_In_The_Wind Aug 11 '14 at 10:57
  • But if we have a very specific situation? Is it obligatory to use some article? For example, the removal of skin tags is a must.. or would I have to say a removal of skin tags? – darkbluecherry Aug 11 '14 at 11:02
  • @LasciviousGrace I think ... technique for removal of skin cancer would be equally acceptable. – Barmar Aug 12 '14 at 16:38

1 Answers1

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I would fall back to the general rule for the usage of definite articles. It doesn't really matter whether the article appears at the start of a sentence or not. Just keep in mind whether you are referring to a particular instance of a class or not:

Removal of skin is painful.

Here, we are referring to the act of removing skin, in the general.

The removal of skin had Jack crying in pain for days.

Here, we are referring to a specific instance of a class – the removal of Jack's skin.

Hope this helps.

Azurewaters
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