gammer

listening to music (why + to ) :
其實listening music 都得


going to the movies (why + the)
talking on the telephone (why + the)
watching television
playing the piano(why + the)
playing tennis (why didn't add the)

而上面呢d +the 係因為慣性定律,,,
有d英文係冇得解

除左piano & tennis,,
tennis 係數唔到既,,
上面個個tennis 係項活動
係數唔到,,
永遠數唔到既野係唔須要都唔會+ articles 架

而piano
係可以+同唔+

視乎性質
i like playing piano.
既係話一項喜好,,
用pressent tense...
但,,
i was playing the piano yesterday when you called me.
呢句係指當時你彈更既個部
有指名的
so 要+the

其他唔知你想問d咩

listening to music (why + to )
Listen is an intransitive verb. It can not take a direct object.

going to the movies (why + the)
With 'the' it means 'some specified movies'.
I can also say 'we go to movies on Saturdays.' It means ' Generally we go out to watch movies on Saturdays.', without any particular movie or Saturday in my mind.

talking on the telephone (why + the)
Talking on "that special kind of communication instrucment called telephone"

watching television
= watching television programmes
Once again this is the (informal) use of a plural noun with no article to make a generalisation. Just like 'We go to movies on Saturdays.'

playing the piano(why + the)
We use 'the' with all musical instrucments.
e.g. Play the guitar.

playing tennis (why didn't add the)
We do not use any article with sports.

playing football
We do not use any article with sports.
But if we are talking about a ball or balls, not the sports, then we can put an article there.
e.g. I have a football.
He shot the football right into the goalkeeper's hands.

playing golf
We do not use any article with sports.

playing basketball
We do not use any article with sports. But if we are talking about a ball or balls, not the sports, then we can put an article there.

Note :
- Some verbs + preposition = Preposition idiom, which has a special meaning.
- There is no definition for the prepositional idiom. It has long been used by people from the old days and carry on till now.
- When we are using “the” in front of a noun, we are talking about one specific noun, not a generic one. For example : I am going to the school – here “the” school is my school, not any other school.
listening to music (why + to ) – prepositional idiom

going to the movies (why + the) – specific movie, not any movie

talking on the telephone (why + the) – the telephone here is referring to the one (someone) is talking on, not any other telephone.

watching television – This is just a simple continuous tense or gerund(verb+ing)

playing the piano(why + the) – It should be playing ‘with” the piano. “Play with” is a prepositional idiom. “the” here is referring to that piano (someone) is playing with.

playing tennis (why didn't add the) – This is just a simple continuous tense or gerund(verb+ing)

playing football – This is just a simple continuous tense or gerund(verb+ing)

playing golf – This is just a simple continuous tense or gerund(verb+ing)


playing basketball - This is just a simple continuous tense or gerund(verb+ing)