 |
Essential ENGLISH
GRAMMAR Indefinite & definite articles in English |
Article usage -
the basic rules:
Basically, the rules for using articles in English are quite simple:
* The definite article shows that a noun is being used in a "defined" or restricted context.
* When a noun is used in a non-defined or "generalizing" context, in some cases an indefinite article is required, in others no article at all.
Basically, the rules for using articles in English are quite simple:
* The definite article shows that a noun is being used in a "defined" or restricted context.
* When a noun is used in a non-defined or "generalizing" context, in some cases an indefinite article is required, in others no article at all.
| a) Principal topics, by theme |
| Verbs |
| Verbs : the present tenses |
| Verbs: expressing the future |
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| Verbs: conditional structures |
| Verbs of enabling & permission |
| Phrasal & prepositional verbs |
| Irregular verbs |
| Nouns |
| Noun phrases |
| Count and non-count nouns |
| Articles |
| Quantifiers |
| Adjective order in English |
| The possessive |
| Sentences & clauses |
| Relative clauses in English |
| Conditional clauses in English |
| Using "since" |
| Word order in English |
| Reported questions in English |
| Miscellaneous |
| Prepositions and adverbs |
| b) Other topics, specific points |
| ►Small points sub-index |
| Glossary of English slang |
| Language and style |
| Word stress in English |
| The short story of English |
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1. The Definite ArticleHow simple English is !! There is only one definite article, and that is "the"; the only difficulty is knowing when to use it, and when it is not needed.However, there are two sorts of noun. Use
of the definite article therefore depends
on the nature or type of noun that is being used. ► Count
nouns
are nouns referring to items that can be counted, for example:
One car, two pencils, three people, four guitarists, five hotels etc. can be used in the plural. In the singular, Count nouns require a determiner, such as an article. The dog is happy. (or This dog is happy, etc: but not: Dog is happy ) I'm reading the book you gave me. In the plural, they may require a determiner, depending on context. ►Non-count
nouns
are nouns referring to abstractions, substances or
generalizations, or
example:
THE BIG
QUESTION concerns plural nouns: Oxygen, health, money, heat, astronomy In the singular, non-count nouns do not require a determiner. They can NOT usually be used in the plural. Sometimes it is not easy to decide if a plural noun is being used as a generalization, or in a restrictive context: often the speaker or writer can choose. Look at these two sentences: a)
London buses are red
In example
(a), the writer is clearly implying
a generalisation on the noun groupb) The London buses are red. "London
buses": All
London buses are
red.
In example
(b), he is referring to a restricted
or defined category of the noun: "buses",
London buses are red, but other buses
may be of other colours.
In cases
like these, one therefore has a choice;
but the choice is not always completely free, as it often depends on context.
Is it more important or more logical to imply a generalization, or a
limitation? Deciding whether it is best to use an article in such cases is a skill that has to be mastered! ► Follow this link for more information on count and non-count nouns 2. The Indefinite ArticleEnglish has two indefinite articles, a and ana is used before nouns starting with a consonant or a semivowel an is used before nouns starting with a phonetic vowel Examples: a dog, a cat, an apple, an orange, but a university (because the word university starts with phonetic [ju], which is not a vowel) Indefinite articles are used when a count noun in the singular refers to a non-specified entity Examples: A train , An elephant (meaning any train, or any elephant). There is no indefinite article in the plural. The word "some" is occasionally said to be a plural indefinite article, but really it is a quantifier (like many, few, etc.) By definition, plural nouns refering to non-specified entities are generalisations, therefore need no article. Copyright : Website and texts © Linguapress.com 2009-2011 except where otherwise indicated |
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