grammatical number - Question about Generic Statements for Plural Nouns


Sentences are:


"The rainforests are in danger." "Rainforests are in danger."


So in this case, I think that they are both correct sentences...but:


"Guitars are musical instruments." "The guitars are musical instruments."


In this case, we are still making generic statements about a plural noun, but the second one sounds bizarre. This for a student. I'm not sure WHY it's awkward. Why do we opt for "The guitar is a musical instrument."


Thanks in advance :)




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