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I'm doing the Pimsleur method. I can't figure out the difference between the three forms: l'essence vs. d'essence vs. de l'essence

When does one use which, and how can one apply these rules more broadly to other words?

(I know that de l'essence is supposed to be "some gas" and l'essence is supposed to be just "gas" ... but in the examples in Pimsleur, there seem to be some exceptions where it's not so strict. I think it has to do with how the French say "de" even when they don't explicitly mean "some".)

Thanks.

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  • Welcome to French Language. Please look at this question this and its answers, They should answer your question. If they don't then you should rephrase your questio, giving the examples that confuse you and saying what is not clear to you in these examples. – None Jul 16 '14 at 6:08
  • "but in the examples in Pimsleur, there seem to be some exceptions where it's not so strict" -> Care to give some examples? We can explain in detail in a few examples. – Jhyn Jul 16 '14 at 7:48
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Some examples:

« L'essence coûte cher. »

« Nous n'avons plus d'essence. »

« Nous devons acheter de l'essence. »

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