http://www.englishforums.com/English/EslGeneralEnglishGrammar-Questions/Forum12.htmAsk your questions on grammar and get your sentence checked. We answer lots of different types of general English grammar questions here. <font color=red>DO NOT post paragraphs and compositions here. Post them in our <a href="http://www.englishforums.com/English/EssayReportCompositionWriting/Forum9.htm"><b>Essay, Report and Composition Writing Forum</b></a>.</font>enXMOD (Build: 3607.32596)http://www.englishforums.com/English/NoArticlesCountalbeWords/gpbxp/post.htm#575605Sun, 22 Feb 2009 13:45:01 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:575605KateLee0http://www.englishforums.com/English/NoArticlesCountalbeWords/gpbxp/post.htm#575605http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-575605.xmlThank you very much!http://www.englishforums.com/English/NoArticlesCountalbeWords/gpbxp/post.htm#575421Sun, 22 Mar 2009 13:45:01 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:575421Huevos1http://www.englishforums.com/English/NoArticlesCountalbeWords/gpbxp/post.htm#575421http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-575421.xmlthe relationship between elephant and mahout is the key to successful training. In your sentence &quot; elephant &quot; and &quot; mahout &quot; are being used generically so the article is optional. If the sentence were refering to a particular elephant or mahout the article would be necessary. What if I change it into “between the elephant and its mahout”? It works grammatically but concept of the elephant possessing the man is peculiar.http://www.englishforums.com/English/NoArticlesCountalbeWords/gpbxp/post.htm#575409Fri, 22 May 2009 12:45:01 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:575409richard_s2http://www.englishforums.com/English/NoArticlesCountalbeWords/gpbxp/post.htm#575409http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-575409.xmlIt is probably more common to put the article before those two, but it can be omitted when talking about things in general under some circumstances.  I&#39;m pretty sure there is an explanation of this situation in &#39;Advanced Grammar in Use&#39; - a pretty popular book all over the world.  I don&#39;t have a copy of it on hand to check.  Maybe somebody else does, or knows the rules off the top of their head...http://www.englishforums.com/English/NoArticlesCountalbeWords/gpbxp/post.htmWed, 22 Apr 2009 12:45:01 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:575363KateLee3http://www.englishforums.com/English/NoArticlesCountalbeWords/gpbxp/post.htmhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-575363.xmlSuch extreme cases must probably be taken with a grain of sault, but they do underline the general principle that the relationship between elephant and mahout is the key to successful training. Why no articles before “elephant” and “mahout”? (What if I change it into “between the elephant and its mahout”?) Thanks in advance!