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Basic Rules For Using Articles

The document discusses the usage of articles (a/an, the) in English. It explains that "the" is the definite article and is used to refer to specific or particular nouns, while "a/an" is the indefinite article and is used for non-specific nouns. It provides examples of when to use "a/an" versus "the" and discusses countable vs. uncountable nouns. The document also covers some geographical uses of the definite article.

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Dorotea Scopich
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© © All Rights Reserved
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75 views

Basic Rules For Using Articles

The document discusses the usage of articles (a/an, the) in English. It explains that "the" is the definite article and is used to refer to specific or particular nouns, while "a/an" is the indefinite article and is used for non-specific nouns. It provides examples of when to use "a/an" versus "the" and discusses countable vs. uncountable nouns. The document also covers some geographical uses of the definite article.

Uploaded by

Dorotea Scopich
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Articles: a/an/the

Using articles

English has two articles: the and a/an.

The is used to refer to specific or particular nouns; a/an is used to modify non-specific or
non- particular nouns. We call the the definite article and a/an the indefinite article.

 The = definite article


 a/an = indefinite article

For example, if I say, ''Let's read the book'', I mean a specific book. If I say, ''Let's read a
book,'' I mean any book rather than a specific book.

The is used to refer to a specific or particular member of a group.

"I just saw the most popular movie of the year.“

There are many movies, but only one particular movie is the most popular. Therefore, we
use the.

A/an is used to refer to a non-specific or non-particular member of the group.

"I would like to go see a movie."

Here, we're not talking about a specific movie. We're talking about any movie. There are
many movies, and I want to see any movie. I don't have a specific one in mind.

Normally, we use a/an to refer to something for the first time.

“We went to a museum in Paris.”

Indefinite Articles: a and an

‘’A’’ and ‘’an’’ signal that the noun modified is indefinite, referring to any member of a
group. For example:

‘’My daughter really wants a dog for Christmas.’’

This refers to any dog. We don’t know which dog because we haven’t found the dog yet.

‘’Somebody call a policeman!’’

This refers to any policeman. We don’t need a specific policeman; we need any policeman
who is available.
WHEN TO USE “AN”

a + singular noun beginning with a consonant: a boy; a car; a bike; a zoo; a dog

an + singular noun beginning with a vowel: an elephant; an egg; an apple; an idiot; an


orphan

a + singular noun beginning with a consonant sound: a user, a university; a uniform

The indefinite articles are used to indicate membership in a group:

• I am a teacher. (I am a member of a large group known as teachers.)

• Brian is an Irishman. (Brian is a member of the people known as Irish.)

• Seiko is a practicing Buddhist. (Seiko is a member of the group of people known as


Buddhists.)

Definite Article: the

The definite article is used before singular and plural nouns when the noun is specific or
particular. The signals that the noun is definite, that it refers to a particular member of a
group. For example:

"The dog that bit me ran away." Here, we're talking about a specific dog, the dog that bit me.

"I was happy to see the policeman who saved my cat!“ Here, we're talking about a particular
policeman. Even if we don't know the policeman's name, it's still a particular policeman
because it is the one who saved the cat.

Countable and Nocountable Nouns

The can be used with noncountable nouns, or the article can be omitted entirely.

“I love to sail over the water” (some specific body of water) or “I love sail over  water”
(any water)

A/an can be used with countable nouns.

“I need a bottle of water.”

Most of the time, you can’t say, “She wants a water,” unless you’re implying, say, a bottle of
water.
Geographical use of the

Do not use the before:

• names of most countries/territories: Italy, Mexico, Bolivia; however, the Netherlands,


the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, the United States, the United Kigdom

• names of cities, towns, or states: Seoul, Manitoba, Miami

• names of streets: Washington Blvd., Main St.

• names of lakes and bays: Lake Titicaca, Lake Erie except with a group of lakes like the
Great Lakes

• names of mountains: Mount Everest, Mount Fuji except with ranges of mountains like
the Andes or the Rockies

• names of continents (Asia, Europe)

• names of islands (Easter Island, Maui, Key West) except with island chains like the
Aleutians, the Hebrides, or Canary Island

Do use the before:

• names of rivers, oceans and seas: the Nile, the Pacific

• points on the globe: the Equator, the North Pole

• geographical areas: the Middle East, the West

• deserts, forests, gulfs, and peninsulas: the Sahara, the Persian Gulf, the Black Forest,
the Iberian Peninsula
Don’t forget the:

• The center, the top, the middle, the bottom, the left, the right, the end of, the
beginning of…

• The same, the best, the worst…

• The sun, the moon, the world, the sky, the sea, the ground, the country…

• The police, the fire brigade, the army…

• The piano, the guitar, the trumpet, the flute…

• The radio (but television, without the)

• The doctor, the toilet, the bank, the theater, the post office, the dentist, the cinema…

Don’t use the:

• Breakfast, lunch, dinner

• Go to work, get to work, be at work, start work, finish work…

• Got to school, be at school, start school, leave school…

• Go to university, be at university…

• Go to church, be in church

• Go to bed, be in bed

• Go to hospital, be in hospital

• Go to prison, be in prison

• Go home, get home, arrive home, come home, walk home, leave home, be at home,
stay at home

….because you have a good boyfriend….you have a good boyfriend.”

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