Reply to Articles are completely useless in the English language, grammar police where are you to weigh in?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Look at this even: On the long journey, we drank a lot.
Or: On long journey, we drank a lot.
Makes no difference, at all. Sure, it sounds wrong, but the meaning is the same.[/quote]

The first is referencing a particular, unique long journey.  The recerent would be apparent from the previous conversation for pragmatically appropriate English.

The second sentence is totally ambiguous - all long journeys? Some long journeys? A particular long jouney?

Languages which don’t use definite and indefinite articles mark this distinction in other ways.[/quote]
No, it doesn't. You are just so used to saying it "proper." If I said: On long journeys, we drink lots... that would mean on any or many long journeys we do this. This one uses singular and the meaning of it is very specific.
Of course, other languages have different markings, but in this case useless. That is why I am asking dcum grammar police to find (an) example of where it is absolutely needed.[/quote]

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