VII kind of etc

We usually leave out a/an after kind of, sort of, type of and similar expressions.

E.g. What kind of (a) person is she?

Have you got a cheaper sort of radio?

They've developed a new variety of sheep.

VIII. Amount and number

The is dropped after the amount/number of.

E.g. I was surprised at the amount of money collected.

The number of unemployed is rising steadily.

IX. Man and woman

Unlike other singular countable nouns, man and woman can be used in a general sense without articles.

E.g. Man and woman were created equal.

But in modern English we more often use a woman and a man, or men and women.

E.g. A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle, (old feminist joke)

Men and women have similar abilities and needs.

Man is also commonly used to mean 'the human race', though many people regard this usage as sexist and prefer to avoid it.

How did Man first discover fire?

X. Days, months and seasons

We use articles with the names of days of the week and months when we are talking about particular days or months.

E.g. We met on a wet Monday in June.

She died on the Tuesday after the accident.

But articles are not used when the meaning is 'the day/month before or after this one'.

E.g. See you on Thursday. See you in April.

Where were you last Saturday? We're moving next September.

To talk about the seasons in general, we can say spring or the spring, summer or the summer, etc. There is little difference. The is always used in in the fall (US).

E.g. Rome is lovely in (the) spring.

I like (the) winter best.

When we are talking about particular springs, summers etc, we are more likely to use the.

E.g. I worked very hard in the summer that year.

XI. Musical instruments

We often use the + singular when we talk about musical instruments in general, or about playing musical instruments.

E.g. The violin is really difficult.

Who's that on the piano?

But the is often dropped when talking about jazz or pop, and sometimes when talking about classical music.

E.g. This recording was made with Miles Davis on trumpet.

She studied oboe and saxophone at the Royal Academy of Music.

XII. Television, (the) radio, (the) cinema and (the) theatre

When we talk about television as a form of entertainment, we do not use articles.

E.g. It's not easy to write plays for television.

Would you rather go out or watch TV?

But articles are used when television means 'a television set'. Compare:

E.g. What's on TV?

Look out! The cat's on the TV!

Articles are generally used with radio, cinema and theatre.

E.g. I always listen to the radio while I'm driving.

It was a great treat to go to the cinema or the theatre when I was a child.

But the article can be dropped when we talk about these institutions as art forms or professions.

E.g. Cinema is different from theatre in several ways.

He's worked in radio all his life.