Употребление артиклей ling.

[alex.k]

Despite the persistent shortage of rubles in the banking system, market participants were reluctant to sell long-dated foreign currency instruments.

Какой здесь нужен артикль: a, the, или без артикля?

[d.]

zero or the, imHo

[gogolesque]

THE

[Стив Батькович]

я бы оставил the

[KM]

zero

[gogolesque]

KM
please dont argue, you need an article here, and the article is THE

the only way to not use an article is to make shortage plural and say "despite persistent shortageS"

[мilitary]

ну по правилам то the.

d.,KM, а почему Вы считаете что и с нулевым будет правильно? именно правильно, а не можно.

[Slava]

THE, конечно. О конкретном, определенном shortage идет речь. Опустить артикль можно было бы, если бы это был заголовок.

[kath]

the

[ms801]

The

[alex.k]

А вот мнение по этому вопросу native speaker (англичанина, по должности - редактора): он ставит "а". И объясняет это следующим образом:

I think the answer is that “shortage” is an abstract noun that is always used in a concrete sense: I can’t think of an example when the word would be used without an article.

A shortage of something concrete is perceived by sight; a shortage of rubles in the banking system is by definition perceived not by the senses, but by the mind. I guess this blurs the meaning of abstract noun, but I can’t come up with any other reason.

[d.]

вы редактору контекст дали? у вас ведь шортиджь с определением, а не просто "a shortage of smth"
про нулевой артикль я погорячился, пожалуй

[gogolesque]

alex. k
but this is a concrete and specific shortage - not a generalization - so i would use "the"
you can probably use either one. just need to decide "how concrete" the shortage is maybe?

[alex.k]

Не ясен ни смысл артикля "a", ни смысл артикля "the", ни нулевого артикля. Кто-нибудь четко может изложить, объяснить в соответствии с правилами?

[gogolesque]

alex. k
в соответствии с правилами? you're funny... even if there is a rule i bet this will be an exception of some kind (we all know english is that kind of lady)

i still say "the" becasue we are talking about a specific shortage. it would be the same if you said "this" if the shortage was spoken of right before this sentence. it is a definite thing and is one of kind in its own context. holding firm - THE

[ms801]

I don't particularly feel like arguing with a fellow native speaker (especially an editor), but "the" still sounds better to me here. I am sure there may be hypothetical situations when "a" is justified, but in this context, I vote for "the".

[gogolesque]

ms801
i am with you on this one too. as a native speaker it just seems more like this is the way it should be... dont know why, just a sense in the back of my brain somewhere.:) i hate when i cant explain why though :(