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Aren't some articles missing in the following sentence?

... when traditional pattern of landscape became established.

Or is it something else that is wrong with this sentence?

Context.

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There isn't anything wrong... Where would you put the articles? – b.roth Nov 14 '10 at 22:03
2  
@Bruno Rothgiesser: the sentence does not read well. Perhaps "when the traditional pattern of the landscape became established." – Peter Mortensen Nov 14 '10 at 22:05
@Bruno Rothgiesser: or perhaps "when traditional patterns of the landscape became established.". – Peter Mortensen Nov 14 '10 at 22:08
1  
I think I would have written "when traditional patterns of landscape became established". – b.roth Nov 14 '10 at 22:16

2 Answers

up vote 2 down vote accepted

Yes, there is a missing article, or more likely a missing plural.

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up vote 5 down vote

When you write "the traditional patterns", you're referring to specific patterns. There was no article in that case because the author meant traditional patterns in general. But I think I would have written "traditional patterns" (plural) instead of "traditional pattern".

Compare the following:

I like cats.

(I like cats in general.)

I like the cats that I have at home.

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