Advanced Article Usage in English A useful set of rules for using articles ‘You can determine which article to place in front of almost any noun by answering the following three questions: Is the noun countable or uncountable? Is it singular or plural? Is it definite or indefinite? 1, A noun is countable if you can have more than one instance of it. The word exam is countable because you can have, say, four exams scheduled at the end of the year. The word concentration, however, is uncountable, because it would not make sense to speak of having four concentrations, even though you will need a lot of concentration to study for all four exams. (The exceptions to this would be in academics where it is used to talk about the choices for foci within a specific academic major and in science when you talk about concentrations of solutions, then the word is countable.) Many words have both countable and uncountable meanings, depending on the sentence. Knowing whether the particular use of a noun is singular or plural is quite straightforward. Just ask the question, Am I referring to more than one instance of something? A noun is definite when it is clear to your reader which specific instance or instances of an entity you are referring to; otherwise it is indefinite. Often the first use of a noun is indefinite and subsequent uses are definite, When I started university, I had a phobia about exams. I conquered the phobia by writing lots of them. Here, the first sentence establishes for the reader the existence of the writer’s former phobia. By the second sentence, the reader knows exactly which phobia the writer is talking about—the one about exams just referred to in the previous sentence. The first use of a noun can be definite if the reader can figure out from context or some other clue just which instance of an entity the writer is referring to, The point of my professor's exams was to make sure we understood the course material. Note that the prepositional phrase following point narrows down its meaning to something very specific, while the course material can refer only to the material in this particular professor’s course. Both nouns are therefore definite. ‘Once you have answered all three questions, you can use the following chart to help you choose the correct article. (The symbol @ means no article.)countable: Definite Indefinite singular The an @1g. |have an exam to write this €.9. I need to study hardest for the aftemoon, and then my summer holiday ‘exam that | write next Wednesday. finally begins. plural The 2 €.9. The exams that | wrote lastyear e.g. Exams are an inescapable fact of were much easier. life for most university students. uncountable: Definite indefinite singular The @ e.g. Do not attach importance to ¢.g. The importance of studying hard memorizing facts, cannot be exaggerated, Observe the following: If the noun is definite, it alwa indefinite it never takes the article the. If you don’ ys takes the article the; if the noun is often get the article right just by remembering "t have the chart in front of you, you can still that simple general rule, Using articles to refer to classes of objects ‘Nouns can refer to an entire group of similar objects, sometimes called a class. There are three acct en case: Using (1) the definite singular (2) the indefinite singular, or (3) the indefinite plural, Here is an example of each: 1. The lion is a majestic animal, 2. A lion is a majestic animal, 3. Lions are majestic animals, Aubtee sentences convey the same meaning with slightly different emphasis. The first sentence {akes one lion as a representative of alllions and then males its assertion about that representative. The second sente take any lion you like from the class of all lions, and what you sa other lions. The third sentence directly makes mmon. Choose whichever sna Aces" Univoray Colege Wrting CetreNWing Advice! wo. all ons. This third usage is probably the most cor ‘sage sounds best in your sentence or text. From Plotick, Jery, “Us accessed. Feb, 28, 20 weting utoronto.caUsing Indefinite Articles " A start with @ Use a before words such as "European" or “university” which sound like they oeonant even ifthe first letter is a vowel. Also use 4 before leet and numbers which sound fike they begin with a consonant, such as "U", "J", "1" or *9¥ Remember, is the sound not the, spelling which is important. For example, "I" is spelled ‘ONE; however, it is pronounced "won’ like it starts with a "W". Examples: + She has a euro. Sounds like "yu-ro”. + That number is a "1", Sounds like "won". shout" which sound like they start with a vowel even if the first ‘and numbers which sound like they begin with a Use an before words such as ‘which is important. For letter is a consonant. Also use AN before letters vowel, such as "F" or "8", Remember, itis the sound not the spelling example, "F" is pronounced "eff" like it starts with an "E". Examples: + Tonly have an hour for lunch. Sounds like "au-er". + Does his name begin with an "F"? Sounds like “eff”. Some words such as "herb or "hospital" are more complicated because they are pronounced differently in different English accents. In most American accents, the "h” in “herb is silent, so ‘Americans usually say "an herb". In many British accents the "h" in "herb is pronounced, so many British say "a herb". In some British accents, the "h" in hospital is silent, so some British will say "an hospital” instead of "a hospital". ‘Aand an are called indefinite articles. “Indefinite” means “not specific”. Use 4(AN) when you are talking about a thing in general, NOT a specific thing. Examples + Ineed a phone. Not a specific phone, any phone. © Mark wants a bicycle. Not a particular bicycle, a bicycle in general. * Doyou have a driver's license? Jn general Use a/an) when talking about a thing which is new, unknown, or introduced to listener for the first time (first mention). Also, use a(an) when you are asking about the existence of something. Examples: + Thave a car, The car is being introduced for the first time. © Tomis a teacher. This is new information to the listener. ‘+ Is there a dictionary in your backpack? Asking about the existence of the dictionarySimilarly, use a/an) to introduce what type of thing we are talking about. Examples: + That is an excellent book. Describing the kind of book + Do you live in a big house? Asking about the kind of house + Tate a thick, juicy steak. Describing the kind of steak REMEMBER: You cannot use a/an) with plural nouns because a(an) means "one" or "a single". Examples: + I'saw a bears in Jasper National Park. Not Correct + I saw bears in Jasper National Park. Correct Also, an indefinite article (a/an) is needed in front of professions (i.e. a doctor, a lawyer, an architect). Finally, the indefinite article can also be used instead of per when giving the rate or pace of something (i.e. 10 miles per hour = 10 miles an hour). Using the Definite Article ‘Many clauses and phrases make the noun known to the listener by telling the listener which person or thing we are talking about, Here is an example sentence: Can you give me the book on the table? We use the in this sentence because the phrase "on the table" tells the listener which book we are referring to. We are not talking about other books, we are talking about a specific book that the listener can see or already knows about. Leaming to recognize such identifying clauses and phrases will help you use the correctly. Examples: + Did you read the book which I gave you? + He didn't like the movie that you suggested. + He loved the dessert with chocolate and cherries. + The phone on my desk belongs to Ken.+ Did you know the man who was talking to Leonie? Use the with nouns modified by ranking or ordering expressions such as "the first", "the second”, 2", "the penultimate”, etc. “the third", "the next", "the last", "the previous", "the following", Examples: + This is the fifth day of our conference. + Tlpay the next time we have dinner. + Don't forget the following rule. ‘The can be used with plural family names to refer to the family as a group. Examples: + The Robinsons love to vacation in Florida. + The Shinoharas are originally from Japan. + My brother lives next door to the Jacksons. The can be combined with certain adjectives to refer to a group of people such as "the blind", "the elderly", "the rich’, "the French’, "the Sioux", etc. Examples: «+ Heis elderly. Adjective + The organization helps the elderly. Elderly people ns where nationalities or ethnic groups and REMEMBER: This is especially important in situatio the is used to specify that we are talking their languages might be confused. In such situations, about the nationality or ethnic group rather than the language. Examples: + Tlike French. Language + [like the French. The French people ive forms (biggest) when ‘The is often used with comparative forms (bigger) rather than superlat “the bigger of the two". comparing only two things. This is commonly used in phrases such a Examples: + Jessie and Shauna are both smart. But I think Shauna is the smarter of the two. + Between Jason's son and his daughter, his daughter is the better athlete. ‘The definite article is used in front of things generally regarded as unique (i.e. the sun, the moon, ete.).; + Because nouns preceded by superlative adjectives (ending in -est) and ordinal numbers (first, second, etc.) are by their very nature unique, they too require the definite article. Exception: Spoken American English drops the in dates. The is used in front of oceans, seas, rivers, island and mountain chains, deserts, countries with plural names, and noun forms of points of the compass (not the actual compass direction). (See pages 13 and 14 for more information on compass directions and their usage.) The is used in titles and place names including of (.e. the people of Canada). In the case of official job titles, she is usually dropped if there is only one such incumbent at any given time ice. the Prime Minister of Canada = Prime Minister of Canada The is also used in proper names consisting of noun(s) and/or adjective(s) + noun (i.e. The Empire State Building, The English Channel, etc). ‘The is used in hotel names (i.e. The Hilton, The Hotel Vancouver, etc.). ‘The is used for newspapers (i.e. The Vancouver Sun, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, etc.) ‘The is used for many larger organizations and institutions (not commercial enterprises), including those with initials that are normally spelled out (ie. the U.N. the W.H.O., ete.). ‘Acronyms (initials read as whole words) are treated in the same way as regular names (proper nouns) and so do not require any article (i.e. NASA, CSIS, ete.). If you are uncertain, please ‘monitor usage in the media or consult a dictionary. ‘The is used for currencies (i.e. the loonie, the Euro, the peso, etc.). In front of people's names, the is only used to avoid confusion. (This means that you would use it when there is more than one person by that name and need to clarify which person you are speaking about, ic. This man is the Mark you were talking about yesterday who owns the bank.) The can be used instead of a possessive form when referring to parts of the body and items of clothing (i.e. The shirt I am wearing does not fit well. The arm I broke last year hurts.) ‘Many forms of entertainment are preceded by the definite article the, although not usually the medium of television (i.e. the theatre, the ballet, the opera, etc.). Using A/An or The Not all clauses and phrases make the noun known to the listener. Some are simply descriptive. They add extra information, but they do not tell the listener which specific thing we are talking about.Examples: + He bought the house with a big backyard. (This combination tells the listener which specific house he bought.) + He bought a house with a big backyard. (This combination tells the listener what kind of house he bought, but not the specific house he bought.) ‘When used with comparatives, both a(an) and she follow general article usage. Examples: + [like the bigger roller coaster. (There are two and this one is bigger.) + He has a more expensive car than I do. (His car is generally more expensive.) Using the Zero Article No article is needed before abstract nouns used in a general sense (i.e. Crime does not pay). (See page 2 - Classes of Objects for more information.) No article is needed for most places consisting of just the name of a person, or the name of person/place followed by a noun (i.e. MeDonald’s, Oxford University, etc.) No article is usually needed in front of company names (i.e, Air Canada, Ford, Apple, etc.) ‘An article is unnecessary in official job titles if there is only one person holding this position at any given time (i. Justin Trudeau was (the) Prime Minister of Canada during the COVID-19 crisis.) No article is needed in front of most roads, streets, parks, squares or bridges i.e. Robson Street, Stanley Park, Robson Square, etc. NOTE: in Canada, we tend to use the in front of bridge names ‘when speaking or writing about them, but the names themselves do not include them on the signs, the Alex Fraser Bridge, the Port Mann Bridge.). No article is needed before the names of meals, unless it is a formal occasion. (We had dinner together yesterday. / We went to a dinner celebrating the 150 birthday of Canada.) No article is needed for the names of games or sports, (They played tennis. He enjoys playing soccer.) No article is needed before bed, church, court, hospital, prison, school, college, university, etc. when these ae used for their primary purpose. If, however, they are used for any other purposes, ‘the is required, NOTE: Canada says going to the hospital (for all purposes).“Articles are not needed in more abstract expressions of situation like to/at sea, to/at/out of work, in/out of town, in/out of office, etc. If, however, you start talking about somewhere concrete or some place in particular, the definite article the is required, [No article is needed before television as a medium, only as an appliance. (i.e, I watched a show ‘on television and left my cup on top of the television.) “There is no article before a noun followed by a categorizing letter or number. (.e. Finish reading section B and then do exercise 2.) + To give added emphasis, articles are often dropped in the titles of books, movies, music, and other works of art. Even if an article exists in the original title, as in JR.R. Tolkien's The ‘Lord of the Rings, people tend to omit this when making reference to the work in everyday speech or writing. + To save space and boost impact, articles are usually dropped in headlines (ie. “A Stolen Painting Found by a Tree” = "Stolen Painting Found by Tree"). Using The or Zero Article ‘When generalizing about nationalities or ethnic groups that end in "-ans", such as "Americans", "Mexicans", and "Hawaiians", the is not usually used. Examples: + Americans watch a lot of TV, + Germans drink a lot of beer. Use the with these groups only when talking about a specific group of them. Examples: © Germans are nice. The Germans I have met are friendly and caring. Adapted from: Appleyard, David. “David Appleyard’s Guide to Article Usage in English: When 10 Use a, an, the, or nothing at all.” www.davidappleyard.com/english/articles.htm Accessed Feb 28, 2020 and bitps://www.englishpage.convarticles/advanced-artcles.himThe following are the three specific rules which explain the use of definite and indefinite articles. Rule #L = Specific identity not known: Use the indefinite article @ or an only with a singular count ‘noun whose specific identity is not known to the reader. Use « before nouns that begin with a consonant sound, and use a before nouns that begin with a vowel sound. (NOTES It is the sound, sone letter that i important here) See page 3 of this document for more detail about vowel sounds. «Use the article a or an to indicate any non-specified member of a group of cateEOry- I think an animal is in the garage. That man is a scoundrel. We are looking for an apartment. «Use the article a or an to indicate one in number (as opposed to more than one). Town a cat and two dogs. «Use the article a before a consonant sound, and use an before a vowel sound. boy, an apple is happens, the article 0 Sometimes an adjective comes between the article and noun (when ‘matches the sound of the adjective, not the noun): ‘an unhappy boy, a red apple +The plural form of a or an is som more than one). an apple, some apples Rule #2- Specific identity known: Use the definite article the with any noun (whether singular or plural, count or noncount) when the specific identity of the noun is known fo the reader, as in the following situations: + Use the article the when a particular noun has already been mentioned previously. Tate an apple yesterday. The apple was juicy and delicious. 12. Use some to indicate an unspecified, limited amount (but + Use the article she when an adjective, phrase, or clause describing the noun clarifies or restricts its identity. The boy sitting next fo me raised his hand. Thank you for the advice you gave me.10 + Use the article the when the noun refers to something or someone that is unique (meaning that there is only one of it), the theory of relativity the 2003 federal budget Rule #3 - All things or things in general: Use no article with plural count nouns or any noncount nouns used to mean all or in general. Trees are beautifiul in the fall. (All trees are beautiful in the fall.) He was asking for advice. (He was asking for advice in general.) 1 do not like coffee. (I do not like all coffee in general.) Additional Information Regarding the Use of Articles + When indicating an unspecified, limited amount of a count or noncount noun, use some, My cousin was seeking some advice from a counselor (not advice in general or advice about everything, but a limited amount of advice). Twould love some coffee right now (not cofiee in general, but a limited amount of coffee). We might get rain tomorrow. Some rain would be good for the crops (a certain amount of rain, as opposed to rain in general). There are some drops of water on the table (a limited number, but more than one drop). Noneount nouns are those which usually cannot be counted. Following are some common examples: © Certain food and drink items: bacon, beef, bread, broccoli, butter, cabbage, candy, cauliflower, celery, cereal, cheese, chicken, chocolate, coffee, com, cream, fish, flour, fruit, ice cream, lettuce, meat, milk, oil, pasta, rice, salt, spinach, sugar, tea, water, wine, yogurt © Certain nonfood substances: air, cement, coal, dirt, gasoline, gold, paper, petroleum, plastic, rain, silver, snow, soap, steel, wood, wool 0 Most abstract nouns: advice, anger, beauty, confidence, courage, employment, fun, happiness, health, honesty, information, intelligence, knowledge, love, poverty, satisfaction, ‘ruth, wealth 0 Areas of study: history, math, biology, etc, © Sports: soccer, football, baseball, hockey, etc.a © Languages: Chinese, Spanish, Russian, English, etc. 0 Other: clothing, equipment, furniture, homework, jewelry, luggage, lumber, machinery, ail, money, news, poetry, pollution, research, scenery, trafic, transportation, violence, weather, work (work can be plural in certain limited situations related to arv/ereation) Geographical names are confusing because some require the and some do not. 0 Use the with: united countries, large regions, deserts, peninsulas, oceans, seas, gulf, canals, rivers, mountain ranges, groups of islands the Gobi Desert the United Arab Emirates the Sacramento River the Aleutians 6 Do not use the with streets, parks, cities, states, counties, most countries, continents, bays, single lakes, single mountains, islands Japan Chico Mt. Everest San Francisco Bay ‘Adapted from: Butte College Center for Academic Success 12/19/19 http://www.butte.edu/departments/cas/tipsheets/grammar/articles.html Special Uses Generalizations: English speakers often use the plus a singular noun when they talk about or make generalizations about certain topics, including: ‘musical instruments (the piano, the guitar, the flute) plants (the coconut palm, the saguaro, the baobab) animals (the leopard, the elephant, the lowland gorilla) inventions (the steam engine, the plane, the light bulb) currencies (the dollar, the euro, the yen) body parts (the head, the eye, the ear)2 Examples: I play the piano. ‘The sequoia tree is native to California. The dolphin is a very intelligent animal. ‘The Wright brothers invented the airplane. Right now, the euro is stronger than the dollar. Cheryl got poked in the eye. In general, the is used in this way to give the noun a more abstract or conceptual sound. We say “the piano" to make it sound more like an abstract artform. Similarly, "the dolphin” sounds more tee Pe are referring to the species. Moreover, "the plane” has a more conceptual sound that conveys the idea of invention, However, you can also make generalizations about these topics using plurals. A Few and A Little “The expressions "a few" and "a little” mean "some" and express the idea that you have more than expected. Examples: + He always carries a few dollars for emergencies. + He had a little difficulty with his homework. + She has a few friends who can help her move. HOWEVER: The expressions "few" and "little" (without an article) mean “not much" and express the idea that you have less than expected. Examples: + Unfortunately, I had little time to enjoy New York because I had to work so much. + Sadly, he has few people in his life. + They have little money, so their daughter cannot pay her tuition. BUT REMEMBER: When the words "only" or "just" are used, "a few" and "a littl ‘emphasize the meaning "not much.” Examples: * Unfortunatly, only had te dime to enjoy New York because Tha to work so + Sadly, he just has a few people in his life, + They only have a little money, so their daughter cannot pay her tuition,vy 3B Names of Illnesses or Diseases Generally, articles are not used with the names of illnesses or diseases. Examples: + Dr. Smith visits schools and universities to educate students on AIDS. + Oncologists are doctors who specialize in treating cancer. * There are several medications that can be used to treat malaria HOWEVER: There are some illnesses which require THE. the measles the flu ‘the mumps the bubonic plague ‘afew health conditions of and follow general article MOREOVER: There are illnesses which can be used with : both a(an) as well as the ‘use. This category includes most aches, pains, growths, and attacks. acold a heart attack astroke a wart / tumor / growth / etc. ‘sore throat / sore back/ sore foot / etc. ‘headache / toothache / backache / ete. REMEMBER: This last category follows general article use- Study the examples below. Examples: + John has a cold. The cold was pretty bad. 1 Nancy had a heart attack. The heart attack seriously weakened her heart 1 Deb had a sore throat. The sore throat made it hard to talk. Directions Ifa direction (north, west, southeast, left, right) directly follows a verb, do not use an article with the direction. Examples: + We need to walk south, + They drove north all day. + Atthe stop sign, tum left and walk three blocks.14 HOWEVER: If direction follows a preposition, you must use THE. Examples: + We need to walk to the south. + Our house is in the north. + The grocery store is on the right. MOREOVER: Use she with compass directions when referring to them as special geographic or cultural regions. Examples: + We love the South. + Have you ever visited the East? + The West has better national parks. ime Expressions ‘Time expressions can be especially confusing, The is used in some time expressions such as: in the morning in the afternoon in the evening during the night during the day the day before yesterday the day after tomorrow the fall the summer Examples: + We'll meet in the afternoon. + Jake loves to go camping in the fall. + There was a small earthquake during the night. HOWEVER: In other time expressions, no article is used: + atnight + atnoon + atmidnight = all day + all night + all month + every month15 every year last night last Friday yesterday tomorrow Examples: + Did you sleep well last night? + Tlsee you tomorrow. + We are meeting for lunch at noon. MOREOVER: There are some expressions which can take both a(an) and the such as: a/the whole day athe whole month an/the entire year anvthe entire decade Examples: + He spent a whole month in Hawaii. I wish I could do that. 1 Ttook last Friday off to go to the doctor. I spent the whole day sitting in his office. * Uhm she frst moved to Germany, it took an entire year for her to learn enough German to go shopping. * Phil hated the ‘90s. He spent the whole decade in a dead-end job struggling to pay his rent, ‘tps:/www.englishpage.com/