Like when it can be said
"Police arrest a drug dealer"
Although a newspaper headline might say
"Police arrest drug dealer"
"Police arrest a drug dealer"
Although a newspaper headline might say
"Police arrest drug dealer"
When is it okay to drop articles?
You can drop articles in the so-called "abbreviated style".
As you noticed, this occurs in newspaper/TV headlines. However, you can also drop articles e.g. when making notes in limited time (when you don't have the time to use proper articles) or space (when you only have a very small piece of paper).
For example, if you were a bespectacled science nerd trying to save the world from a mutant tentacle and if that task required locating the plans for a super-battery designed by a crazy inventor by the name of Fred, you might write the following to-do note to yourself:
Step 1: Find plans.
Step 2: Save world.
Step 3: Throw party.
If you were a detective, you could take quick notes after an interrogation in this way:
"Witness saw perp on bus. Must contact driver."
If you were writing a report, however, you would write:
"The witness saw the perpetrator on a bus. I must contact the driver."
As you noticed, this occurs in newspaper/TV headlines. However, you can also drop articles e.g. when making notes in limited time (when you don't have the time to use proper articles) or space (when you only have a very small piece of paper).
For example, if you were a bespectacled science nerd trying to save the world from a mutant tentacle and if that task required locating the plans for a super-battery designed by a crazy inventor by the name of Fred, you might write the following to-do note to yourself:
Step 1: Find plans.
Step 2: Save world.
Step 3: Throw party.
If you were a detective, you could take quick notes after an interrogation in this way:
"Witness saw perp on bus. Must contact driver."
If you were writing a report, however, you would write:
"The witness saw the perpetrator on a bus. I must contact the driver."
Or, if you're from Yorkshire, you hardly ever use the word 'the'. It's replaced with a sort-of glottal stop.
<<"Police arrest drug dealer" >>
Even this sounds a bit too verbose for a newspaper headline (maybe it's what you'd see in the New York times). More likely, you'd see something like:
"Cops Nab Dealer [Pusher]"
Even this sounds a bit too verbose for a newspaper headline (maybe it's what you'd see in the New York times). More likely, you'd see something like:
"Cops Nab Dealer [Pusher]"
Not only missing articles, headlines also often without verbs. In fact, headlines with a verb that not double as noun, very rare. For instance, "Cops collar dealer". "Collar" usually noun, but verb here. It's like: rule against pure verbs. Gerunds, past participles, okay, but not actual verbs. Result: abbreviated in terms of number of letters, but actually longer in terms of comprehension time. Intentional?
<< Result: abbreviated in terms of number of letters, but actually longer in terms of comprehension time. Intentional? >>
I think the main goal is just to reduce the number of letters, so the headline can be in the largest possible font.
Headline seen today: "Isaiah OD's", in really big letters. In this case, you probably have to be aware of the story, before this headline makes much sense.
I think the main goal is just to reduce the number of letters, so the headline can be in the largest possible font.
Headline seen today: "Isaiah OD's", in really big letters. In this case, you probably have to be aware of the story, before this headline makes much sense.