* Dawn is a general concept, referring to the time when daylight first appears. It's not a specific instance or a unique entity.
* We use "the" to specify a particular thing. For example, we'd say "the dawn of a new era" because we are talking about a specific dawn that marks a significant change.
* We also use "the" when referring to a previously mentioned dawn. If we've already discussed a specific dawn, we can use "the" in subsequent sentences to refer back to it.
Here are some examples:
* No "the": "I woke up at dawn." (We're talking about the general time of sunrise)
* "The" used for specificity: "The dawn of the space age marked a new era in exploration." (We're talking about a specific historical dawn)
Let me know if you have any other questions!