§ 46. To this group of nouns belong: winter, spring, summer and autumn (AmE: fall). The use of articles with these nouns pre- sents great difficulty because we find a good deal of fluctuation here.

1) The definite article is used with these nouns when reference is made to a particular winter, spring, summer or autumn present, past or future, or to a season of a particular year. As a general rule, this limitation is clear from the situation or context, but it may also be expressed by a limiting attribute. The nouns usually have the function of subject in this case.

e.g. The summer was exceptionally trying in the town.

The winter was very fine that year and we were very happy. The summer wore on. He was still working hard. The autumn of 1914 was very warm.

But when these nouns are used as the subject to such com- monly used verbs as to approach, to be over, to come, to come to an end, to pass, to set in and some others, either the definite arti- cle or no article is found. In this case reference may be made to a particular season or to the kind of season in general.

e.g. (The) winter came early and unexpectedly with a heavy fall

of snow.

(The) summer was over but we had not heard from him yet. In those parts (the) spring usually sets in early.

The same fluctuation is observed when names of seasons are used in general statements as a subject to a nominal predicate.

e.g. (The) winter is very long here.

(The) summer is a rainy season on the island.

2) The definite article is generally found when names of sea- sons serve as an object in the sentence. This is usually found after the verbs to hate, to like, to love, to spend, to talk about, to wait for and some others. In this case reference may be made to a par- ticular season or to the kind of season in general, e.g. He looks like somebody who spent the summer at the sea.

Dave loves the winter.

I liked the summer there, on account of the bathing, I think.

Sole. Although the use of the definite article is the norm in this case, occa- sionally no article is found.

3) When names of seasons have a descriptive attribute and are the centre of communication they are used with the indefinite ar- ticle (in its aspective function).

e.g. We had a short summer.

He had passed a sluggish winter and a lazy summer.

4) When names of seasons are used as predicatives they have no article.

e.g. It was summer and the place broke up in red flowers.

However, when these nouns in their predicative function are modified by a descriptive attribute, the indefinite article is used (see also point 3 above), e.g. "It has been a terrible summer," he said.

"It was a remarkably fine autumn," she added.

But the article is not used with names of seasons if they are modified by the adjectives early and late which do not describe the season but serve to indicate the time of the year with more precision. {Early summer means the first month of summer; late autumn means the last month of autumn.)

e.g. It was early summer. It was late autumn.

5) There is a great deal of fluctuation in the use of articles with names of seasons when they are used as adverbial modifiers in prepositional phrases. After the prepositions in, till, until, before

and after names of seasons may be used either with the definite article or without any article. Reference again may be made to a particular season or to the kind of season in general.

e.g. The sun in (the) summer warms the skin, but in (the) winter when it appears it warms the heart. In (the) autumn young Ben was to go to a preparatory school. "Can't you wait until (the) winter?" Sam asked. I don't think they'll be able to get through with the work be- fore (the) winter. But after the prepositions through, for and during the definite article is to be used. . Through the autumn, a busy time for me, I was often uneasy. "Are you going to stay here for the winter?" Jack asked af- ter a while. He stayed in Paris during the summer and worked without a break till autumn was well advanced. 6) In attributive of-phrases names of seasons usually have no article, as in: the warmth of spring, the dust of summer, three months of winter, the colours of autumn.

Note. Note the following set phrases used adverbially: (to work) winter and summer, early (late) in the autumn (summer, etc.), all the winter (spring, etc.).

Names of Meals