Confusion about using the definite article with adjective + noun

@Mrchuffie posted:

One thing that always confuses me about using (or not using the definite article) is when to omitt it before an adjective and the noun it modifies.

For example:

1 The education system (here we are describing what type of system= the education system.)

2. simple tools (here we describe what type of tools) but no article is used).

Both 1 and 2 above use the same adjective + noun structure, but I don't understand what the rule is here and hope you can it explain it to me.

Hi, Mrchuffie,

The rules that determine whether the definite or the zero article should be used before a singular or plural noun do not change if the noun is modified by an adjective.

For example, "simple tools" is a plural noun phrase referring to all simple tools in general (that's why the zero article is needed). If you refer to some simple tools in particular, then the definite article will be required.

"System" in the singular always takes an article, irrespective of whether it has an adjective or not.

Thank you . Always so eay after you have explained it.