This is not the first time the author <does not use> <has not used> "a" or "the." "On this were sure to be seated quite a group of home-coming peasants, the Cszeks with their white, and the Slovaks with their coloured, sheepskins, the latter carrying lance-fashion their long staves, with axe at end." This is a quote from "Dracula," by Bram Stoker. Notice the author writes "axe at end" instead of "an axe at the end." There are other sentences in this book where the author intentionally doesn't use "a" or "the." If I wanted to say that the above sentence is not the first sentence not using "a" or "the," which of the following would I have to use? 1. This is not the first time the author does not use "a" or "the." 2. This is not the first time the author has not used "a" or "the." If my sentences are unnatural, please let me know how I can correct them. One option I'm thinking of is: This is not the first time the author omits/has omitted "a" or "the."