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Articles a, an the

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23 views

Articles a, an the

Uploaded by

saman
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Spoken English with Grammar- by Saman Perera

Articles- A/An /The


Indefinite and Definite Articles

The words a, an, and the are special adjectives called articles.

Indefinite Articles—a, an

an—used before singular count nouns beginning with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) or vowel
sound:

• an apple, an elephant, an issue, an orange

a—used before singular count nouns beginning with consonants.

(other than a, e, i, o, u):

• a stamp, a desk, a TV, a cup, a book

Definite Article—the

Can be used before singular and plural, count and non-count nouns.
(The moon. The sun, The sky).

1. Indefinite Article (a, an)

Used before singular nouns that are unspecified:

• a pencil
• an orange

Used before number collectives and some numbers:

• a dozen
• a gallon

Used before a singular noun followed by a restrictive modifier:

• a girl who was wearing a yellow hat

Used with nouns to form adverbial phrases of quantity, amount, or degree:

• I felt a bit embarrassed.


Spoken English with Grammar- by Saman Perera

2. Definite Article (the)

Used to indicate a noun that is definite or has been previously specified in the
context:

• Please close the door.


• I like the clothes you gave me.

Used to indicate a noun that is unique:

• Praise the Lord!


• The Columbia River is near here.

Used to designate a natural phenomenon:

• The nights get shorter in the summer.


• The wind is blowing so hard.

Used to refer to a time period:

• I was very naïve in the past.


• This song was very popular in the 1980s.

Used to indicate all the members of a family:

• I invited the Bakers for dinner.


• This medicine was invented by the Smiths.

[Quiz]

Choose the correct article in each sentence.

1)Did you bring (a, an, the) umbrella?


2)Are you looking for (a, an, the) shampoo?
3)I checked (a, an, the) mailbox again.
4)Can I have (a, an, the) spoon please?
5)I was born into (a, an, the) poor family.
6)She will come back in (a, an, the) hour.
7)Have you been to (a, an, the) Space Needle Tower in Seattle?
8)I would love to talk to one of (a, an, the) managers.
9)What (a, an, the) amazing view!
10)The helicopter landed on (a, an, the) roof of a building.
Spoken English with Grammar- by Saman Perera

English Grammar: When NOT to Use “the”!

Here are some situations in which you don’t need to use the.

1. Things in general

You don’t need an article when you talk about things in general.

The does NOT = all.

Use plural count nouns:

Cats are great pets!


You’re not talking about one specific cat or one specific pet. You’re talking about all
cats and all pets in general.

I love reading books.

Children love it when parents send them gifts!

Houses are expensive in that neighborhood.

Americans drive big cars.

Use non-count nouns:

I love listening to music.


You enjoy music in general, not any specific song or kind of music.

She’s afraid of heights, so we couldn’t go to the top of the Eiffel Tower.

I love chocolate!

Have you eaten lunch yet?

She’s a vegetarian. She doesn’t eat meat.

NOTE: Count nouns (or countable nouns) are nouns that have a singular and plural
form because you can count them, for example one cat, two cats, three cats. Non-
count (or uncountable nouns) are nouns that do not have a plural form. You cannot
count non-count nouns. For example, you can’t say one music, two musics, three
musics.
Spoken English with Grammar- by Saman Perera

2. Names

Names of holidays, countries, companies, languages, etc. are all proper nouns. You
don’t need to use an article with a proper noun.

a. Holidays

I got a beautiful new dress for Christmas.

I got my mom a necklace for Mother’s Day.

Everybody wears green on St. Patrick’s Day.

What are you doing on Valentine’s Day?

b. Geography
Articles are not used before countries, states, cities, towns, continents, single lakes,
or single mountains.

I live in Canada. We live in Colombo.

I’m going to Europe next month on vacation.

Lake Ontario and Lake Huron are 2 of the Great Lakes.


The Great Lakes are a group of lakes on the border between Canada and the US.

Mt. Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan.

NOTE: There is an exception to every rule in English. The is part of the names of
these countries:
the United States
the Czech Republic
the Philippines
Spoken English with Grammar- by Saman Perera

c. Companies

I use Twitter and Facebook every day.

Bill Gates founded Microsoft.

Wal-Mart is the largest employer in the U.S.

McDonald’s has restaurants in 119 countries.

d. Universities

Her son graduated from Harvard. I graduated from Colombo University.

She goes to Oxford.

He applied to Cambridge, Yale, and Stanford.

However, if the name of the university begins with University, then you must use the:

He has a master’s degree from the University of Toronto.

e. Languages

I am studying Russian.

I speak French.

In Canada, people speak English.

I teach people how to speak Tamil.

3. Places, locations, streets

Streets, some locations, and some places do not need an article:

I left my book at home.

I have to go to work early tomorrow.


Spoken English with Grammar- by Saman Perera

He was found guilty of murder and sent to jail for life.

My office is located on Main Street.

I usually go to church on Sundays.

Good night everyone! I’m going to bed.

Did you go to school today?

When I was in high school, everyone had to study French.

She’s studying business at university.

NOTE: You don’t need an article for subjects you study at school: math, geography,
business, history, science.

Places where you DO need to use an article:

I need to go to the bank.

Let’s go to the movies.

My dad is in the hospital.

She works at the post office.

What time do you have to be at the airport?

Please drop me off at the bus stop.

She doesn’t like to go to the doctor or the dentist.

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