The Article
Article — is an official word used in English before nouns. There are two articles – the definite article – the and the indefinite article – a/an.
The Definite Article | |
| With a noun, if we are talking about some specific object, which is clear from previous context or experience, or if this object is unique in its kind | Open the window, please |
| With a noun preceded by an adjective in the highest degree of comparison | This is the most expensive ring in the shop |
| With a noun preceded by an ordinal numeral | Let’s discuss the second topic |
| Before nouns denoting objects that are single and unique in their kind | The sky is clear today |
| Before nouns, which mean not a separate subject, but the whole class or category as a whole | The poor never support the rich |
| Before surnames in the plural, if we are talking about all family members | The Browns have got a very comfortable house. |
| With the names of oceans, seas, channels, rivers, bays and lakes (if the word lake is not used with the name of the lake, but only its name is indicated) | The Mississippi is a river in the USA. |
| With the names of countries, if they include the words state, kingdom, federation, republic, union | the United States of America |
| With the names of groups of islands and mountain ranges | the Carpathians |
| With the names of cinemas, theaters, museums, concert halls, galleries | the Royal Opera House |
| With the names of organizations and political parties | the Democratic Party |
| In some fixed phrases: to play the piano, to go to the cinema / theatre, the other day, to tell the truth. And also usually after the words one of, some of, many of, most of, each of | You should try to tell the truth to your friends. |
The Indefinite Article | |
| The indefinite article has two forms: a is used before words that begin with a consonant sound (a peach) an — used before words that begin with a vowel sound (an orange, an hour) The indefinite article a/an is used only with singular countable nouns | |
| With a noun that is mentioned in the sentence for the first time, and when no specific object or person is meant | She has got a fashionable dress |
| Before a singular countable noun in the grammatical construction there is/was/will be | There is a pan on the stove |
| Before a singular countable noun after the words what, such, quite, rather, rather in exclamatory sentences | What a funny cartoon! |
| In some fixed phrases: to go for a walk, to be in a hurry, for a long time, to have a look, to have a rest | I need to have a rest as soon as possible |
| Often used in the sense of “one”, especially before nouns denoting time | Wait a second, please |
| Before the names of professions and positions, if they are mentioned in general, and no specific person is meant | He is a chief manager |
Zero Article | |
| If the noun is preceded by a pronoun (possessive, indicative, interrogative) or pronouns some, any, no, each, every | They play rugby every day |
| Before abstract uncountable nouns and nouns denoting the names of substances, if they are at all | Water is tasteless |
| If the singular noun would be preceded by the indefinite article a/an, then the plural noun should not be preceded by an article | Her brothers are pupils. (Her brother is a pupil) |
| Before a noun, if it is an address to a person or persons | Can you hear me, girls? |
| Names of days of the week, months, and seasons are usually used without articles. Except for cases when we are talking about a specific date or period and it must be emphasized | Monday, on Sunday in summer, in September але: the winter of 2017 (підкреслюється саме зима 2017) |
| If the noun is followed by a quantitative numeral | lesson fifteen |
With names:
| English, Ukrainian, French; football, chemistry; Poland, New York, Oxford Street; Elbrus, Lake Michigan; allergy, chicken pox: Andrew, Mykola, Elizabeth |
| In newspaper and magazine headlines | Oil price smashes $50 mark |
| In some fixed phrases: at night, by train, by mistake, to take place, to go to bed, from time to time, to go home | They went home two hours ago |
For a general understanding of the use of articles, read the general scheme.
References
- The Basics of Article Usage in English: “A,” “An,” and “The”. https://www.aje.com/arc/editing-tip-basics-article-usage/
- Чіміріс Ю.В. Довідник у таблицях. Англійська мова. 7 – 11 класи. 2018. – 32 ст.