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Articles HO - 8

The document explains the use of articles in English, distinguishing between definite articles ('the') and indefinite articles ('a', 'an'). It provides examples of when to use each type, including specific contexts for definite articles and general references for indefinite articles. Additionally, it covers the concept of zero articles, detailing situations where no article is used before nouns.

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17 views7 pages

Articles HO - 8

The document explains the use of articles in English, distinguishing between definite articles ('the') and indefinite articles ('a', 'an'). It provides examples of when to use each type, including specific contexts for definite articles and general references for indefinite articles. Additionally, it covers the concept of zero articles, detailing situations where no article is used before nouns.

Uploaded by

2314823mikael
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Articles is a type of determiner that precedes and provides context to a noun.

There
are only two types of articles in English, definite or indefinite. The three main articles
in English are: a, an, the.
Definite Articles
Definite article is the, which specifies a particular individual or thing in a particular
context. For example “The Little Prince” – a novel by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. The
first word of the sentence is a definite article because it refers to a specific case, the
novel by Saint-Exupery.

Indefinite Articles
Indefinite articles are a and an. Indefinite means not specific, that means the article
refer to something in general. Here are more examples:
Study this example:

Study also:

We say:
We use the when it is clear which thing or person we mean:
➢ What is the name of this street? (there is only one name)
➢ Who is the best player in your team? (there is only one best player)
➢ Can you tell me the time, please? (the time now)
➢ My office is on the first floor? (the first floor of the building)
We say

➢ I love to look at the stars in the sky (not in sky)


➢ The internet has changed the way we live.
➢ We need to do more to protect the environmet (the natural world around us)
➢ The earth goes round the sun, and the moongoes round the earth

We also use ‘Earth’ without the when we think of its as a


planet in space (like Mars, Jupiter, etc.). We say ‘space’
without the when we mean ‘space in the universe’.
Examples:
➢ There are millions of stars in space. (not in the
space)
➢ I tried to park my car but the space was to0 small.

We use a/ an to say what kind of thing something is. Examples:


➢ The sun is a star (one of many stars).
➢ The hotel we stayed at was a very nice hotel.
Also for: the police/ the the fire brigade/ the army (of a city, country, etc)
➢ My brother is a soldier. He’s in the army.
➢ What do you think of the police? Do they do a good job?
for: the top/ the end/ the middle/ the left, etc.
➢ My brother is a soldier. He’s in the army.
➢ What do you think of the police? Do they do a good job?
For: the top/ the end/ the middle/ the left
➢ Write your name at the top of the page
➢ What do you think of the police? Do the do a good job
Play the piano/ the guitar/ the trumpet, etc. )musical instrument):
➢ Paula is learning to play the piano.
The radio:
➢ I listen to the radio a lot.
The with names of places

We use the in names with republic/ states/ kingdom:

➢ The Republic of Ireland


➢ The United States of America
➢ The United Kingdom

We use the + plural names of countries/ islands/ mountains: the


Netherlands, the Canary Islands, the Philippines, the Andes.

Seas, rivers – We use the + names of oceans/ seas/ rivers/ canals: the
Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean (Sea), the Black Sea, the Amazon, the (River) Nile,
the Suez Canal, etc.

We use the with the + names of buildings: the Hilton


Hotel, the Globe Theatre, the Great Pyramid, the Taj Mahal, the
Old mill Restaurant, The British Museum, the Metropolitan
Museum of Art, The Eiffel Tower, the Odeon Cinema, etc.

We use the + names with … of … : the Republic of Indonesia, the Great Wall of
China, the Tower of London, the Bank of England, the University of Melbourne, etc.

Zero Articles

In English grammar, the term zero article refers to an occasion in speech or writing
where a noun or noun phrase is not preceded by an article (a, an, or the). The zero
article is also known as the zero determiner.

In general, no article is used with proper nouns, mass nouns where the reference is
indefinite, or plural count nouns where the reference is indefinite. Also, no article is
generally used when referring to means of transport (by plane) or common
expressions of time and place (at midnight, in jail). In addition, linguists have found
that in regional varieties of English known as New Englishes, omitting an article is
often done to express non-specificity

Examples of Zero Articles


In the following examples, no article is used before the italicized nouns.
➢ My mother's name is Rose. I gave her a rose on Mother's Day.
➢ Every mile is two in winter.
➢ This plant grows in sandy soil and on the edges of swamps.
➢ David Rockefeller was authorized to hold the position of director of the
Council on Foreign Relations.
Do not use the for general ideas:
➢ I like music especially, classical music.
➢ We don’t eat meat very often.
➢ Life is not possible without water.
➢ I hate exams.
➢ Do you know a shop that sells foreign newspaper?
➢ I’m not very good at writing letters.
➢ Flowers are beautiful. (compare= The flowers are beautiful. = the flowers in
this garden)
➢ I don’t like cold weather. (compare= The weather isn’t very good today.)
➢ We don’t eat fish very often. (compare= we had a great meal last night, the fish
was great!)
Places (continents, countries, states, islands, towns, etc) - In general we do
not use the + names of places.

➢ France is a very large country.


➢ Cairo is the capital of Egypt.
➢ Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean.
➢ Peru is in South America.

Do not use the for games and sports:


➢ My favourite sports are tennis and skiing.

Do not use the for languages or academic


subjects (history/ geography/ physics/ biology, etc.):
➢ Do you think Mathematics is difficult?
Do not use the + the names of streets, squares, etc.: Newton Street, Highfield
Road, Times Square, etc.

Do not use the with place-name + airport, station,


cathedral, university, palace, castle, school: Buckingham
Palace, Heathrow Airport, Exeter Cathedral, Glasgow Central
Station, Harvard University, etc.

Do not use the with name + possessive ‘s: St. Paul’s Cathedral, MacDonald’s

We say:
Go to work, be at work, start at work, finish work:
➢ See you! I’m going to work now.
➢ Layla finishes work at 6 o’clock every day.
Go to school, be at school, start school, leave school, etc.:
➢ What did you learn at school today?
➢ Some children don’t like school.
Go to university/ college, be at university/ college:
➢ Helen wants to go to university when she leaves school.
➢ What did you study at college?
Go to hospital, be in hospital:
➢ Jack was in an accident. He had to go to hospital.
Go to prison, be in prison:
➢ Why is he in prison?
Go to church, be in/ at church:
➢ David usually goes to church on Sundays.
Go to bed, be in bed:
➢ I’m tired, I’m going to bed.
➢ “Where’s Jill?” “She’s in bed.”
Go home, be at home:
➢ I’m tired. I’m going home.
➢ Are you going out tonight or are you staying at home?
We say:
Go to the cinema/ the theatre/ the bank/ the post office/ the airport/ the station/ the
city centre.
➢ I never go to the theatre but I often go to the cinema.
Go to the doctor, the dentist.
➢ I’m going to the dentist. My tooth is aching.

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