ARTICLES

Indefinite article (a / an). Its main uses are:

1. To refer to something or someone for the first time: I’ve got a dog.
2. To refer to a person or thing (but not a specific person or thing) The
speaker or writer can’t or doesn’t want to say which person or thing they
are referring to, or it doesn’t matter: Can I have a drink please? Tea,
coffee, beer, I don’t mind.
3. To classify – to say what something or someone is, or what someone
does, i.e., to refer to a person’s job: Alan is an engineer.
4. With numbers: a thousand; a million.

Definite article(the)Three of the main uses of the definite article are to refer to:

1. Something which has been mentioned before: Bill: I’ve got a dog. Ben:
What’s the dog’s name?
2. Something there is only one of in a particular context: The Queen spent
three days in Balmoral; Soon after we’d taken off, the pilot welcomed us
on board.
3. Something the speaker and listener both know about: The film was
really good – thanks for recommending it.

It is also used in these ways:

● In a superlative expression: She’s the fastest runner in Europe.

● With adjectives used as nouns referring to groups of people: There’s one

law for the rich and another for the poor.
● With names of oceans, seas, rivers, mountain ranges: the Atlantic; the
Thames; the Alps.
● With the names of some countries and groups of islands: the United
States; the United Kingdom; the Seychelles.

Zero article. These are the main contexts in which no article is used:

1. With plural countable nouns (when we are speaking generally):

Professional footballers are paid too much money.
2. With uncountable nouns (when we are speaking generally): He used to
drink a lot of coffee, but now he drinks only tea; They fell in love while
they were in Spain.
3. With names of towns, cities, states, and most countries: New York;
Texas; Greece.
 4. With nouns for certain places or situations: She went into hospital
yesterday; on deck; at home; on holiday; to church; at school: at
university.

Exercises

Complete the sentences with a, an or the. If no article is required, put a dash (-).

1. I think there’s _________ chemist open in ________ main road

somewhere.
2. One of ________ people who I met at _______ lecture ______ last night
is ________ architect for quite _______ well-known firm.
3. THE quality screwdriver is AN essential part of any toolbox.
4. Who designed _________ invitations for ________ wedding?
5. THE poor and THE elderly are often left behind when it comes to
__________ modern technology.
6. When I was at - school, we had to wear __________ shorts until we were
_________ 11 and then we were allowed to wear A pair of long trousers.
7. I met THE writer - Catherine Hawkins _________ other day. She signed
________ copy of her ________ latest book for me.
8. I honestly believe that ________ car is one of ________ worst inventions
in ________ history of _________ world.
9. Is that ________ ewe or _______ elk?
10. What’s THE difference between A unicorn and A postbox? You don’t
know? Then, I’m not going to ask you to post A letter for me!

Complete this text with the articles a, an, the, or zero where no article is
needed.

At sixty-three, I was unexpectedly made redundant from my job of forty years.

Not wanting to retire yet, I decided to look for A new job to take me up to THE
retirement age and to prevent me from just sitting at - home all day. Finding
one, however, turned out to be THE most difficult task I’ve ever faced, since
THE elderly are often viewed negatively by - employers. After a year and nearly
________ hundred applications, I was invited to AN interview in - Scotland. I
was nervous but I needn’t have been. THE interview was very relaxed, and
______ interviewer was impressed by my experience and took me on. I couldn’t
believe my luck. It’s A brilliant job. I’m working as ________ activity organizer
on ________ cruise ship for older people in - West Indies. Sailing round
_________ Caribbean is not my idea of - work at all!
SO and SUCH

They are used to add emphasis to adjectives and adverbs.

SO

1. so + adjective or adverb (without a noun): Modelling had always looked

so glamorous on TV; Don’t speak so quickly! I can’t understand you.
2. so + much (+ adjective) + uncountable noun: Top models earn so much
money nowadays that they can choose who they work for; I can’t eat so
much food.
3. so + many (+ adjective) + plural countable noun: So many young girls
don’t make it to the top; I don’t know why you have so many clothes.

SUCH

1. such + adjective + uncountable noun: I had no idea that modelling was

such hard work; This is such good coffee.
2. such + adjective + countable plural noun: I had no idea that I’d have to
work such long hours; You have such lovely eyes!
3. such + a / an + adjective + singular countable noun: It really is such a
difficult career to break into; We had such a good holiday.

So / Such + that clause: We can express the result or consequence of one

action or situation in a so / such + that clause.

(situation) Top models earn a lot of money nowadays.

(consequence) They can choose who they work for.

Top models earn so much money nowadays that they can choose who
they work for.

(situation) She was very tired.

(consequence) She went straight to bed.

She was so tired that she went straight to bed.

Exercises

Match the sentence beginnings 1-6 with their endings a-f.

1. She ate so little that …D

2. She is so well-known that …B
3. She put on so much weight that …F
4. She is such a good model that … A
5. She works so hard that …C
6. She has such an outgoing personality that …E
a. she can demand very high fees.
b. she is recognized everywhere she goes.
c. she has no time for a social life.
d. she lost weight very quickly.
e. everyone enjoys working with her.
f. her clothes were too tight.

Circle the correct phrase. If both are correct, circle both.

1. Dave doesn’t really trust Ian, and I have to say that neither I do / do I.
2. Such a valuable painting it is / is it that the public are not allowed to get
close to it.
3. So, we could / could we watch TV while we ate, we moved the
television onto the balcony.
4. My dad’s never been abroad, and nor my mum has / has my mum.
5. Such the media interest was / was the media interest in the wedding
that there were over a dozen photographers.
6. It’s been a hard season for the team, as last season was / was last
season.
7. Russia is a country with vast natural resources, and so China is / is
China.
8. We in this country spend more per person on fuel than the French do /
do the French.
9. The Minister was forced to resign, such the pressure was / was the
pressure on her.
10. So nervous he was / was he that I was almost certain he was lying.

2,5,9,10 START A CLAUSE

Write so, such, too or enough in each gap.

1. At one show the heels I had to wear were _______ high that I fell over.
2. The jacket was _____ good bargain that I didn’t give it a second thought.
 3. It was SO good a meal that we left the waiter quite a large tip.
4. It’s becoming increasingly clear that there just aren’t ENOUGH people
willing to buy our products online.
5. I’m quite enjoying my Maths degree, but I just find statistics SO boring!
6. Angela seemed to be having SUCH a good time at the party that I
decided not to tell her how late it was.
7. We’ve all been working SO hard on the latest project the manager gave
us a couple of extra days off.
8. I worry about my grandparents because they have SUCH a lot of health
problems.
9. It’s _______ early to tell whether the business is going to succeed or not.
10. Set the alarm or we’ll never wake up early ENOUGH to catch the first
train.
11. I never knew that Andrew had SO few friends.
12. Everyone was surprised when Dan failed because he’s _____ a good
student.
13. A year after losing my job, I had TOO many debts that I was really
beginning to panic.
14. I was hoping to have a word with Alan before he left, but it seems to be
TOO late now.

SOURCES:

Haines, S. and B. Stewart 2000. Landmark. Intermediate Student’s Book.

Oxford.

Haines, S. and B. Stewart 2014. Cambridge English First Masterclass. Oxford.

Mann, M. and S. Taylore-Knowles 2008. Destination C1 & C2. Grammar and

Vocabulary. Macmillan.