Article A, An & The
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
definite article and a/an the
indefinite article. The is definite
article and a/an is indefinite article
"Let's read the
book," I mean a specific book.
"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. 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. "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.
Remember, using a or an depends on the sound that
begins the next word.
1.
a + singular noun beginning with a consonant:
a boy; a car; a bike; a zoo; a dog
2.
an + singular noun beginning with a
vowel: an elephant; an egg; an apple; an idiot; an orphan
3.
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
4.
an + nouns starting with silent
"h": an hour
5.
a + nouns starting with a pronounced
"h": a horse
6.
In some cases where "h" is
pronounced, such as "historical," you can use an. However, a is more commonly used and preferred. “A historical”.
7.
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).
8.
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.)
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:
1. "The
dog that bit me ran away." Here, we're talking about a specific dog, the
dog that bit me.
2. "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.
Count and Countable Nouns
The can be used with countable nouns, or the article
can be omitted entirely.
1.
"I love to sail over the
water" (some specific body of water) or "I love to sail over
water" (any water).
2.
"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.
1. "I
need a bottle of water."
2. "I
need a new glass of milk."
Specific Rules:
Do
not use the before:
1.
Names of most countries/territories:
Italy, Mexico, Bolivia; however, the Netherlands, the Dominican Republic, the
Philippines, the United States
2.
Names of cities, towns, or states:
Seoul, Manitoba, Miami
3.
Names of streets: Washington Blvd.,
Main St.
4.
Names of lakes and bays: Lake
Titicaca, Lake Erie except with a group of lakes like the Great Lakes
5.
Names of mountains: Mount Everest,
Mount Fuji except with ranges of mountains like the Andes or the Rockies or
unusual names like the Matterhorn
6.
Names of continents (Asia, Europe)
7.
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:
1.
Names of rivers, oceans and seas:
the Nile, the Pacific
2.
Points on the globe: the Equator,
the North Pole
3.
Geographical areas: the Middle East,
the West
4.
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:
1.
Names of languages and
nationalities: Chinese, English, Spanish, and And Russian (unless you are
referring to the population of the nation: "The Spanish are known for
their warm hospitality.")
2.
Names of sports: volleyball, hockey,
baseball
3.
Names of academic subjects:
mathematics, biology, history, computer science.
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