Articles

There are only three articles in English: a, an and the.

There are two types of articles indefinite a and an or definite the.

Their proper use is complex especially when you get into the advanced use of English. Quite often you have to work by
what sounds right, which can be frustrating for a learner.

We usually use no article to talk about things in general - the doesn't mean all.

"Books are expensive." = (All books are expensive.)

For
"The books are expensive." = (Not all books are expensive, just the ones I'm talking about.)
example:

Indefinite articles - a and an (determiners)

A and an are the indefinite articles. They refer to something not specifically known to the person you are communicating
with.

A and an are used before nouns that introduce something or someone you have not mentioned before:-

"I saw an elephant this morning."

For
"I ate a banana for lunch."
example:

A and an are also used when talking about your profession

"I am an English teacher."

For
"I am a builder."
example:

You use a when the noun you are referring to begins with a consonant (b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t,
Note! v, w, x, y or z), for example, "a city" and "a factory"

You use an when the noun you are referring to begins with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u)

Pronunciation changes this rule.

If the next word begins with a consonant sound when we say it, for example, "university" then we use a. If the
next word begins with a vowel sound when we say it, for example "hour" then we use an.

We say "university" with a "y" sound at the beginning as though it were spelt "youniversity".

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 So, "a university" IS correct.

We say "hour" with a silent h as though it were spelt "our".

So, "an hour" IS correct.

Definite Article - the (determiners)

Strong pronunciation Weak pronunciation

You use the when you know that the listener knows or can work out what particular person/thing you are
talking about.

"The apple you ate was rotten."

For
"Did you lock the car?"
example:

You should also use the when you have already mentioned the thing you are talking about.

For "She's got two children; a girl and a boy. The girl's eight and the boy's fourteen."
example:

We use the to talk about geographical points on the globe.

For the North Pole, the equator

example:

We use the to talk about rivers, oceans and seas

For the Nile, the Pacific, the English channel

example:

We also use the before certain nouns when we know there is only one of a particular thing.

the rain, the sun, the wind, the world, the earth, the White House etc..
For
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example:

However if you want to describe a particular instance of these you should use a/an.

"I could hear the wind." / "There's a cold wind blowing."

For
example: "What are your plans for the future?" / "She has a promising future ahead of her."

The is also used to say that a particular person or thing being mentioned is the best, most famous, etc. In this use, 'the'
is usually given strong pronunciation:

"Harry's Bar is the place to go."

For
example: "You don't mean you met the Tony Blair, do you?"

No article

You do not use an article before nouns when talking in general terms.

Inflation is rising.
For
example: People are worried about rising crime. (Note! People generally, so no article)

You do not use an article when talking about sports.

My son plays football.

For
example: Tennis is expensive.

You do not use an article before uncountable nouns when talking about them generally.

Information is important to any organisation.

For
example: Coffee is bad for you.

You do not use an article before the names of countries except where they indicate multiple areas or contain the
words (state(s), kindom, republic, union). Kingdom, state, republic and union are nouns, so they need an
article.

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 No article - Italy, Mexico, Bolivia, England

For Use the - the UK (United Kingdom), the USA (United States of America), the Irish Republic
example:
Multiple areas! the Netherlands, the Philippines, the British Isles

1. The Definite Article

Many students are confused by the use of articles in English, particularly by the definite article "the";

The basic rules:

Basically, the rules are quite simple:
* The definite article shows that a noun is being used in a "defined" or restricted context.
* When a noun is used in a non-defined or "generalizing" context, a definite article is not needed.

Two sorts of noun.

Use of the definite article therefore depends on the nature or type of noun that is being used.
As in other languages, nouns in English can be divided into two distinct categories, called:
count nouns and non-count nouns.
* Count nouns are nouns referring to items that can be counted, for example:
One car, two pencils, three people, four guitarists, five hotels etc.
Count nouns can be used in the plural.

* Non-count nouns are nouns referring to abstractions, substances or generalizations, for example:
Oxygen, health, money, heat, astronomy
Non-count nouns can NOT usually be used in the plural.

* Some nouns can be used either in a "count" context, or in a "non-count" context. This is particularly
true with plural uses of count nouns.

Compare:
Count forms:Look at the birds in that tree.
The books you gave me yesterday are interesting
The men left the women in the bus.
In each of these cases, the plural nouns refer to clearly defined groups of birds, books, men or women,
not to generalizations.

Non-count forms:Birds can fly

Books are printed on paper.
Men and women sometimes have different ideas.
In each of these cases, the plural nouns refer to generalizations, i.e. all birds, books, men or women

Some singular nouns can also have defined and non defined uses: for example:
I like whisky, but I don't like the whisky you bought.
Air is essential for humans, but the air in this city is polluted.
In both of these examples, the same noun is first used as a generalization, then used in a defined
context.

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Thus, we can draw a few simple but precise guidelines:

Count-nouns in the singular must have an article (or other determiner).

The boy, the cat, the pencil, (a cat, this cat, etc.)
Non-count nouns in the singular (abstractions etc.) only require an article if they are being used
restrictively:
The music of Bach....
Count nouns in the plural have an article when referring to defined cases, no article when implying
generalisations.
Plural forms of non-count nouns do not usually exist.

THE BIG QUESTION:

Sometimes it is not easy to decide if a plural noun is being used as a generalization, or in a restrictive
context: often the speaker or writer can choose. Look at these two sentences:
a) London buses are red
b) The London buses are red.
In example (a), the writer is clearly implying a generalisation on the noun group "London buses": All
London buses are red.
In example (b), he is referring to a restricted or defined category of the noun "buses", London buses are
red, but other buses may be of other colours.
In cases like these, one therefore has a choice; but the choice is not always completely free, as it often
depends on context. Is it more important or more logical to imply a generalization, or a limitation?
Deciding whether it is best to use an article in such cases is a skill that has to be mastered!

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Definition of articles

English has two types of articles: definite (the) and indefinite (a, an.) The use of these articles depends
mainly on whether you are referring to any member of a group, or to a specific member of a group:

1. Indefinite Articles: a and an

A and an signal that the noun modified is indefinite, referring to any member of a group. These indefinite
articles are used with singular nouns when the noun is general; the corresponding indefinite quantity word
some is used for plural general nouns. The rule is:

 a + singular noun beginning with a consonant: a boy

 an + singular noun beginning with a vowel: an elephant
 a + singular noun beginning with a consonant sound: a user (sounds like 'yoo-zer,'
i.e. begins with a consonant 'y' sound, so 'a' is used)
 some + plural noun: some girls

If the noun is modified by an adjective, the choice between a and an depends on the initial sound of the
adjective that immedately follows the article:

 a broken egg
 an unusual problem
 a European country (sounds like 'yer-o-pi-an,' i.e. begins with consonant 'y' sound)
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Note also that in English, the indefinite articles are used to indicate membership in a profession, nation, or
religion.

 I am a teacher.
 Brian is an Irishman.
 Seiko is a practicing Buddhist.

2. Definite Article: the

The definite article is used before singular and plural nouns when the noun is particular or specific. The
signals that the noun is definite, that it refers to a particular member of a group. Compare the indefinite
and definite articles in the following examples:

Indefinite (a or an) Definite (the)

a dog (any dog) the dog (that specific dog)
Singular
an apple (any apple) the apple (that specific apple)
some dogs (any dogs) the dogs (those specific dogs)
Plural
some apples (any apples) the apples (those specific apples)

The is not used with noncountable nouns referring to something in a general sense:

[no article] Coffee is a popular drink.

[no article] Japanese was his native language.
[no article] Intelligence is difficult to quantify.

The is used with noncountable nouns that are made more specific by a limiting modifying phrase or
clause:

The coffee in my cup is too hot to drink.

The Japanese he speaks is often heard in the countryside.
The intelligence of animals is variable but undeniable.

The is also used when a noun refers to something unique:

the White House

the theory of relativity
the 1999 federal budget

Note: Geographical uses of the

Do not use the before:

 names of countries (Italy, Mexico, Bolivia) except the Netherlands and the US
 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
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  names of mountains (Mount Everest, Mount Fuji) except with ranges of mountains
like the Andes or the Rockies or unusual names like the Matterhorn
 names of continents (Asia, Europe)
 names of islands (Easter Island, Maui, Key West) except with island chains like the
Aleutians, the Hebrides, or the Canary Islands

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)

Further Uses of Articles

In addition, use of a, an, and the also depends on whether the noun following the article possesses one of
these paired qualities:

 Countable vs. noncountable

 First vs. subsequent mention
 General vs. specific

1. Countable vs. Noncountable

A and an are used if the noun can be counted.

I stepped in a puddle. (How many puddles did you step in?

Just one. Therefore, use a.)

I drank a glass of milk. (Glasses of milk can be counted)

I saw an apple tree. (Apple trees can be counted)

The must be used when the noun cannot be counted.

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I dove into the water. (How many waters did you dive into?
The question doesn't make any sense because water is
noncountable. Therefore, use the.)

I saw the milk spill. (How many milks? Milk cannot be

counted)

I admired the foliage. (How many foliages? Foliage cannot be

counted)

2. First vs. Subsequent Mention

A or an is used to introduce a noun when it is mentioned for the first time in a piece of writing. The is
used afterward each time you mention that same noun.

An awards ceremony at the Kremlin would not normally have attracted so much
attention. But when it was leaked that Soviet President Konstantin Chernenko
would be presenting medals to three cosmonauts, interest in the ceremony
intensified. Time, Sept. 17, 1984.

Note: There is and there are can be used to introduce an indefinite noun at the beginning of a paragraph
or essay.

There is a robin in the tree outside my window. When my cat jumps up on the
desk, the robin flies away.

3. General vs. Specific

A, an, and the can all be used to indicate that a noun refers to the whole class to which individual
countable nouns belong. This use of articles is called generic, from the Latin word meaning "class."

A tiger is a dangerous animal. (any individual tiger)

The tiger is a dangerous animal. (all tigers: tiger as a generic category)

The difference between the indefinite a and an and the generic a and an is that the former means any
one member of a class while the latter means all of the members of a class.

The omission of articles also expresses a generic (or general) meaning:

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 no article with a plural noun: Tigers are dangerous animals. (all tigers)
no article with a noncountable noun: Anger is a destructive emotion. (any kind
of anger)

Omission of Articles

While some nouns combine with one article or the other based on whether they are countable or
noncountable, others simply never take either article. Some common types of nouns that don't take an
article are:

1. Names of languages and nationalities

a. Chinese
b. English
c. Spanish
d. Russian

2. Names of sports

a. volleyball
b. hockey
c. baseball

3. Names of academic subjects

a. mathematics
b. biology
c. history
d. computer science

A Short Article on Articles

For better or for worse, English is blessed with articles. This causes a considerable amount of confusion for speakers of most
of the world's other languages, who seem to get on rather well without them. The good news is that English began dropping
the complex case systems and grammatical genders still prevalent in other European languages a very long time ago. Now we
are left with just two forms of the indefinite article (a & an) and one form of the definite article (the). Perhaps more than
anything it is the transition from being a language with synthetic structure to one which is more analytic that has helped gain
English the kind of unrivalled worldwide acceptance it enjoys today.

Although greatly simplified, English article usage still poses a number of challenges to speakers of other European languages.
Let's compare the German sentence "Da er Botaniker ist, liebt er die Natur" with the corresponding English one "Being a
botanist, he is fond of nature". You'll see that English puts an indefinite article in front of a profession but German doesn't.
Conversely, English manages without articles in front of abstract nouns like nature, where German needs a definite article.

Even between British and American usage one finds subtle differences
in nuance or emphasis. For example, Americans usually say someone
is in the hospital, much as they could be at the bank or in the park. To
the British this sounds like there is only one hospital in town or that
the American is thinking of one hospital in particular that he or she
patronizes. The Brits say an ailing person is in hospital, just as they
would say a child is at school or a criminal is in prison. This is
because they are thinking more of the primary activities that take

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place within those institutions rather than the buildings in which they
are housed. If, however, you are merely visiting one of these places,
you are at the hospital, at the school or at the prison — both British
and Americans agree here that what we have in mind is the building
itself.

These few examples serve to illustrate that there is more to articles than at first meets the eye. From whatever perspective you are viewing
this page, we hope you'll discover that articles are actually precision tools that greatly contribute to the unique accuracy of expression
afforded by the English language. Most article usage does in fact have a reasonably logical explanation. If this can be properly grasped then
non-native English can be made a lot less conspicuous and many misunderstandings avoided.

a, an The Indefinite Article

To facilitate pronunciation, a is used in front of any word that begins  Our town has a theatre, a university,
with a consonant or consonant-like vowel sound. a large park and a conference hall.
 Many Chinese still believe an Englishman
Conversely, an is put in front of any word that begins with a always carries an umbrella.
pure vowel sound or a mute 'h'.
 It's an old custom.
It's a strange old custom.
Note that spelling is not a reliable indicator of when  The coastguard received an SOS.
to use a or an!
 He spent an hour standing in line.
The indefinite article a/an is placed in front of a countable noun that  I have two cars: a Ford and an Audi.
is being mentioned for the very first time. Once introduced, all further The Ford is white and the Audi is silver.
references to it can be preceded by the definite article the.
In English, an indefinite article is needed in front of professions.  She is an architect and he is a doctor.
The indefinite article can also be used instead of per when giving the  He earns $200 a day.
rate or pace of something.  She swims twice a week.

 He drove at 60 miles an hour.

Note too that little and few become a whole lot more positive when  She has a little money and a few friends,
preceded by the indefinite article! so she'll probably get by.

Compare:

 She has little money and few friends,

so I doubt if she'll get by.

the The Definite Article

The definite article the is used in front of any noun the listener or  I have two cars: a Ford and an Audi.
reader already knows about. The Ford is white and the Audi is silver.
The is also used when the existence of something is common  Last week a fighter plane crashed into a field
knowledge or comes as no surprise because of the context in which it but the pilot managed to eject safely.
is mentioned.
 Yesterday I spent the afternoon at home.

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 I put my clothes into the washing machine and went
outside to sit in the garden.
The definite article is used in front of things generally regarded as  The sun, the moon, the sea, the sky, the Arctic Circle, the
unique. environment, the capital, the air, the ground, etc.
Because nouns preceded by superlative adjectives and ordinal  It was the worst day of my life!
numbers are by their very nature unique, they too require the definite  The captain was the first person to leave
article. the burning tanker.

Irregularity: Spoken American English drops the in dates.  AmE June twenty-first.

 BrE June the twenty-first.

The twenty-first (day) of June.
The definite article is used in front of countable nouns representing a  The computer has changed our lives.
whole class or category of something.  It is left up to the consumer to decide
which one to buy.
 We all have a responsibility to look after
the old and infirm.

 The whale is the largest mammal.

The is used in front of oceans, seas, rivers, island and mountain  The Pacific, the Mediterranean, the Amazon,
chains, deserts, countries with plural names, and noun forms of points the West Indies, the Rockies, the Sahara,
of the compass. the Netherlands, the Far East, etc.
The is used in place names and titles including of.  It is unlikely the Queen of Denmark has
ever swum in the Bay of Bengal.

In the case of official job titles, the is usually dropped if there is  Margrethe II is (the) Queen of Denmark.
only one such incumbent at any given time.
 Donald was elected chairman of the board.
The is also used in proper names consisting of noun(s) and/or  The Empire State Building, the English Channel, the White
adjective(s) + noun. House, the Festival Hall, the Rolling Stones, the Berlin
Philharmonic Orchestra, the British Museum, etc.
The is used in hotel names.  The Hilton Hotel, the Savoy, the Sheraton
The is used for newspapers.  The Times, the Baltimore Sun, the Daily Mail
The is used for many larger organizations and  The Commonwealth, the Fed, the EU, the WHO, the BBC,
institutions (not commercial enterprises), including those with initials the FDA, the IAEA, etc.
that are normally spelled out.
Compare:
Acronyms (initials read as whole words) are treated in the
same way as regular names (proper nouns) and so do not  OPEC, NATO, ICANN, etc.
require any article. If you are uncertain, please monitor usage
in the media or consult a dictionary.
The is used for currencies.  The U.S. dollar has risen against the yen but fallen against
the euro.
In front of people's names, however, the is only used to avoid  I'm the David Appleyard that lives in Japan.
confusion.
The is used with the names of musical instruments.  Richard Clayderman plays the piano.
The can be used instead of a possessive form when referring to parts  She was hit on the head by a snowball
of the body and items of clothing. (=a snowball hit her head).

 Joe grabbed the youth by the collar

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 (=Joe grabbed the youth's collar).
Many forms of entertainment are preceded by the definite article the,  I go to the cinema/movies, the theatre,
but not the medium of television. the circus, the ballet and the opera.

 In the daytime I listen to the radio, but in the evenings I

like to watch television.

— The Zero Article

No article is needed before abstract nouns used in a general sense.  Love is all you need.

 Crime is a growing problem in the inner cities.

No article is needed for most places consisting of just the name of a  Harrods, Macys, McDonald's, Lloyds Bank, St. Paul's
person, or the name of a person/place followed by a noun. Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, Kennedy Airport, Waterloo
Station, Cambridge University, etc.
No article is usually needed in front of company names.  Cisco Systems, Microsoft, CBS, EMI, Hitachi, Lufthansa,
etc
An article is unnecessary in official job titles, if there is only one  Gordon Brown is (the) Chancellor of
person holding this position at any given time. the Exchequer.

Compare:

 Gordon Brown is a cabinet minister.

No article is needed in front of most roads, streets, parks, squares or  Queen's Road, Oxford Street, Central Park, Times Square,
bridges. Tower Bridge, etc.
No article is needed in the names of single mountains.  While in New Zealand I climbed Mount Cook.
No article is needed before the names of meals, unless it is a formal  Roger had breakfast in his hotel room.
occasion.
Compare:

 I attended a dinner at the Rotary Club.

No article is needed for the names of games or sports.  Anna Kournikova plays tennis to keep in shape.
No article is needed before bed, church, court, hospital, prison,  She stayed in bed on Sunday instead of
school, college, university, etc. when these are used for their primary going to church.
purpose.  The dissatisfied customer threatened to
take him to court.
 The dissident was released from prison.
 After graduating from high school he went
to university.

Compare:

 She sat on the bed while she changed her socks.

If, however, they are used for any other purposes,
the is required.  He entered the church to photograph its interior.

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  The decorators forgot a ladder in the prison and the place
was empty when they came back for it.
Articles are not needed in more abstract expressions of situation like  My uncle first went to sea at the age of 15. He used to
to/at sea, to/at/out of work, in/out of town, in/out of office, etc. spend months at sea.
 I go to work every day. I was at work yesterday.
 Jack's been out of work for almost a year.
 What's on in town (=my local town) this weekend?
 Julie's out of town (=the town she lives in) until Thursday.
 This government has been in office for about a year now.
The opposition parties would dearly love to vote them out
of office.

Compare:

 I went to the sea/seaside to swim.

I stayed by the sea/seaside all day.
If, however, you start talking about somewhere concrete or  What's on in the town (=a particular town, not necessarily
some place in particular, then the definite article the is my own) this weekend?
required.  How do I get out of the town?

 Sally spent all day in the office (=her workplace). She

didn't get out of the office much before 7 o'clock.
No article is needed before television as a medium,  Carol saw her brother on television.
only as an appliance.
Compare:

 She had an indoor antenna on the television.

There is no article before a noun followed by a categorizing letter or  The students have just read section C.
number.  The Chicago train is about to depart
from track 5.
 Her flight leaves from gate 32.
 He fell asleep on page 816 of
"War and Peace".

 She is staying in room 689.

To give added punch, articles are often dropped in the titles of books,  "Journey into Hell" sounds even more exciting than "The
movies, music and other works of art. Journey into Hell".

Even if an article exists in the original title, as in  "Have you read 'Lord of the Rings'?"
J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings', people tend to omit
this when making reference to it in everyday speech or writing.
In order to save space, articles are usually dropped in headlines.  "Iraqi Head Seeks Arms"
 "Stolen Painting Found by Tree"

 "Police Confirm Shotgun Attack

on Bullet Train"

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