Location via proxy:   [ UP ]  
[Report a bug]   [Manage cookies]                
Scribd
Upload
22 views

Using Articles

Uploaded by

Manuel Dnte Josue
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
22 views

Using Articles

Uploaded by

Manuel Dnte Josue
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 6

Using Articles

What is an article? Basically, an article is an adjective. Like adjectives, articles


modify nouns.

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.
Here's another way to explain it: The is used to refer to
a specific or particular member of a group. For example, "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. For
example, "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.
Let's look at each kind of article a little more closely.

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 I was at the zoo, I saw an elephant!" Here, we're talking about a
single, non-specific thing, in this case an elephant. There are probably
several elephants at the zoo, but there's only one we're talking about here.

Remember, using a or an depends on the sound


that begins the next word. So...

 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 (sounds like
'yoo-zer,' i.e. begins with a consonant 'y' sound, so 'a' is
used); a university; a unicycle
 an + nouns starting with silent "h": an hour
 a + nouns starting with a pronounced "h": a horse

o In some cases where "h" is pronounced, such as "historical," you can


use an. However, a is more commonly used and preferred.

A historical event is worth recording.

Remember that these rules also apply when you use acronyms:
Introductory Composition at Purdue (ICaP) handles first-year writing at the
University. Therefore, an ICaP memo generally discusses issues concerning English
106 instructors.
Another case where this rule applies is when acronyms or initialisms start with
consonant letters but have vowel sounds:
An MSDS (material safety data sheet) was used to record the data. An SPCC plan
(Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures plan) will help us prepare for the
worst.
If the noun is modified by an adjective, the choice between a and an depends on
the initial sound of the adjective that immediately 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)

Remember, too, that in English, 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.
"I saw the elephant at the zoo." Here, we're talking about a specific noun. Probably
there is only one elephant at the zoo.

Count and Noncount Nouns

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

 "I love to sail over the water" (some specific body of water) or "I love to sail
over water" (any water).
 "He spilled the milk all over the floor" (some specific milk, perhaps the milk
you bought earlier that day) or "He spilled milk all over the floor" (any milk).

"A/an" can be used only with count nouns.

 "I need a bottle of water."


 "I need a new glass of milk."

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

There are some specific rules for using the with geographical nouns.


Do not use the before:

 names of most countries/territories: Italy, Mexico, Bolivia;


however, the Netherlands, the Dominican
Republic, the Philippines, the United States
 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 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

Omission of Articles

Some common types of nouns that don't take an article are:

 Names of languages and nationalities: Chinese, English, Spanish,


Russian (unless you are referring to the population of the nation:
"The Spanish are known for their warm hospitality.")
 Names of sports: volleyball, hockey, baseball
 Names of academic subjects: mathematics, biology, history, computer
science

You might also like