breakfast/the breakfast

一般而论, 当 breakfast 泛指早餐时, 它的前面不带冠词。你上面提到的句子便属于这种情况。再如:

1. I never eat breakfast. (Chambers) 我从不吃早饭。

2. The boy had enough money to buy breakfast. 男孩有足够的钱买早饭。

但是, 当 breakfast 指某顿具体的早餐时, 则常常带冠词:

1. Have a good breakfast. (ALD) 早餐吃饱(或好)一点。

2. He had a quick breakfast and went to work. 他很快吃完了早餐去工作了。

3. Then she took up the task of getting the breakfast. (Dreiser) 然后她开始承担弄早餐的任务。

然而,实际使用情况却会出现一些比较错综复杂的情况。例如,当提到某一次具体的早餐、午餐或正餐时,有时候也省略冠词:

1. That day, breakfast was served on the terrace. 那天,早饭是在阳台上吃的。

2. Dinner's ready! 饭准备好了!

3. I'm busy cooking (the) dinner. 我正忙着做饭。

此外，当 breakfast 之前有 after, before, during, at, for 等介词时，通常也省略冠词，例如：After breakfast, I sent the children to school and then I went to market. (New Concept English, Book 2, L. 54) 早饭后，我送孩子们去上学，然后去市场。

这里所提到的规则也适用于 lunch, supper, dinner。