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Articles Use Ex

The document discusses the use of articles (a/an, the, zero/no article) in English. It provides rules for when to use indefinite articles (a/an) with singular countable nouns, definite articles (the) with specific or previously mentioned nouns, and no article with plural, uncountable, or general reference nouns. It also lists exceptions when using articles with names of countries, cities, geographic features, and institutions.

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Emmanuel Canche
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43 views3 pages

Articles Use Ex

The document discusses the use of articles (a/an, the, zero/no article) in English. It provides rules for when to use indefinite articles (a/an) with singular countable nouns, definite articles (the) with specific or previously mentioned nouns, and no article with plural, uncountable, or general reference nouns. It also lists exceptions when using articles with names of countries, cities, geographic features, and institutions.

Uploaded by

Emmanuel Canche
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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ARTICLES: A/AN, THE AND ZERO

 A/an:
o Use a before words which begin with consonants.
o Use a before u when it sounds like the word ‘you’ and before eu.
o a university a European city
o Use an before words which begin with vowels.
o Use an before words that begin with a silent h. (an hour ; a house)

 Use the indefinite article …. a/an … before singular countable nouns

o to talk about a person or thing in general (I need to buy a new car)


o with a noun to talk about a person or thing when mentioned for the first time or when
we don`t know which one. (This morning I bought a newspaper on the way to work.)
o to say a person or thing is one of many (I think Tereshkova is a very interesting
astronaut.)

o to say what kind of thing or person something/somebody is. (That’s a nice table.)
o to say what somebody’s job is/what somebody does. (She is an accountant.)
o with prices, frequency and speeds.
 It costs $2.00 a litre. I drink three cups of coffee a day.
 You’re driving at ninety miles an hour. Go to the gym 3 times a week.
o use a/an before hundred, thousand, million.
 a hundred people a thousand dollars
______________________________________________________________________________________

 The definite article… the

 Use the with singular or plural nouns, and uncountable nouns


o the book the books the water is in the fridge.
 use the…to talk about specific people/things/ when we know which one….it is clear that the speaker is
talking about something specific or something we know. (The teacher gave us homework yesterday.
The dog in the next flat is really unhappy.)
 use the when we talk about the person or thing again/a second time. (I bought a newspaper on the way
to work this morning. The newspaper I bought was the New York Times.)
 use the when there is only one of something:
o May I turn on the TV the earth, the moon, the sun, the world The Queen of England.
o use the before a superlative adjective (That is the best meal I have ever eaten.)
o use the with musical instruments
o I play the guitar Jane plays the violin
o Use the with some time periods (the 90s, the 1400s, the 1930s))
o use the with plural names of people and someplaces:
o The Taylors The Smiths
o use the with inventions and species of animals
o the phone, the internet
o the giant panda
o use the with national groups: the British, the Russians, the Ancient Greeks, the Korean
 Zero/No article use with a plural countable noun or an uncountable noun

o to talk about people or things in a general way.


o Dogs don’t like cats.
o I like wine.
o I think teachers should be paid more.

o with plural nouns or with uncountable nouns when speaking in general/of a category.
o Meat is good for you.
o Jane loves children.
o Coffee is very expensive

o with the names of most cities streets/roads/squares/parks, etc. (5th Avenue, 1st Street, Central
Park, Hollywood Blvd.)

o with names of companies, airlines, etc. (unless says Company)


Fiat Kodak L.G. Mexican Airlines Mabe
The Ford Company

o with names of important public buildings and institutions (i.e., airports, stations, universities) if
the first word is the name of a place or person.

o Victoria Station Heathrow airport Kennedy (or J.F.K.) airport


o Buckingham Palace Sydney Harbor Mayab University

o with generally familial places (school, prison, university, hospital, college and church when
thinking of them in general)
o I went to church, school I want to go to college/university

o when we make generalizations with abstract nouns.


o poverty is widespread.
o Health and education are important areas needing improvement.

Definite Article (the) versus No Article:

Waters. Deserts, Moutains

 use the with names of rivers, canals, oceans, seas, deserts, mountain ranges
(the Rockies, the Andes, the Amazon, the Nile, the Sahara, the Panama Canal, the Atlantic
Ocean)
 use NO article with Lakes, individual mountains (Lake Michigan, Lake Titicaca, Mt. Everest,
Pike`s Peak)

Countries, Continents, Cities


 use the with names of countries with states, kingdom or republic, islands.
(The United States, The Dominican Republic, the Netherlands, The United Kingdom,
the Bahamas (group of islands), The Galapagos Islands)

 use NO article with countries, states, cities, continents (other than noted above)
(Nevada, Las Vegas, Cairo, Sicily, Bermuda, France, Africa, Europe)

A. Complete the gaps with a/an, the or – (no word).

1. I haven’t got ______ pet.


2. When I was _________ child I had _______ pet.
3. I cleaned ____________ car yesterday.
4. Did Paula get __________ job she applied for?
5. The teacher of this class loves ___________ animals.
6. I’d like to speak to ______ manager, please.
7. Is there ___________ bank near here?
8. I have to go to _________ bank today.
9. This house is very nice. Does it have ___________ garden?
10. My friends live in ___________ old house in ___________ small village.
11. This morning I bought __________ newspaper and ___________ magazine. __________ newspaper is
in my bag, but I can’t remember where I put ____________ magazine.
12. I’m not sure what she does, but I think she is ____________ doctor.
13. I want to buy ______ umbrella.
14. I was frightened of ___________ spiders when I was ___________ young child.
15. All the people in my family are _____________ animal lovers.
16. I can’t help you. I hate ____________ spiders.
17. It’s a beautiful day. Let’s sit in _____________ garden.
18. Are you going out this evening? Yes, after ___________ dinner.
19. Do you go to _______ cinema very often?
20. No, not very often. But I watch a lot of films on _____________ television.

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