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Articles Aspect Explanation Examples CONTEXT USAGE When we make reference to what we have already mentioned we use the definite article; I need to buy a TV-set. The TV-set I want costs a lot. A noun can be made definite if there are the details that follow it (post-modification); - There is a bridge over there. - Yes, there is. This is the Bridge of Saint Peter and Paul. Some things are definite from the very beginning if they are known to the people talking about them. Jason is at the restaurant. (=The one we all usually go to) GROUPS AND CLASES If we talk about an example of a thing or instrument, we use a/an; A Geiger counter is used to measure the intensity of ionizing radiation. To talk about a class of things or people we also need to use a/an; Frank is a French. Jack is an engineer. This is an electric drill. When we use a/an with names (surnames) we refer to objects produced by this person; Alan has acquired a Picasso (= a work of art). This is a Rodin sculpture. We use zero article with plurals and uncountable nouns when refer to a class of things or people in general; Teachers often work under stress. Women are better than men at sewing. Water is becoming a rare resource. If we use a singular noun to describe a class of things, in this case we use the definite article. The bicycle is getting more and more popular. The giant panda is in utter danger of extinction. IDEAS If we need to deal with abstract ideas, we use zero article; Health is one of the most important corner stones in any human life. If abstract idea is enhanced by details coming after it, we use the. The health of billions may be in danger because of Fukushima accident. PEOPLE By the default we use zero articles with names. However, we can specify the person and use the; David Beckham lives in London. Is it the David Beckham? (= the very same, in the flesh, etc.) We can use a/an with names when we are not certain about the name of the person we are asking about; Is there a Mark Stephens stay here? (= I’m not sure it’s correct, but I believe he must be exactly Mark Stephens) We use the definite article with the names of groups when they are clearly plural. But if a proper name comes before a noun, zero article is to be used; The Democrats have really big chances to win the next elections. Manchester United supporters were in deep grief after the match with FC Barcelona. A lot of groups of people can be described by using singular adjective and the-article. The rich every century gets richer and richer, while the poor – poorer. UNIQUE OBJECTS The article is used when we talk about things that are considered to be unique or the only. When the sun set, the moon appeared in the sky to shine the way to the courageous travelers. ILLNESS Indefinite article a/an is used when we talk about pain (ache); I’ve got a sore throat / a headache / a toothache / a cold / a backache. When we talk using the name of any disease, we are to use zero article. You can’t visit her at present and in the nearest future, she has got flu. Aspect Explanation Examples CALENDAR We use zero articles when we refer to days (and its parts), months; In September we went to bus tours round the city on Fridays. We can use the to talk about some particular day or month; On the Friday I made her a proposal (=on that very day). When you use an indefinite article, that means you refer to some day or month as a typical example of. It was a Monday morning and life in our city was as busy as it used to be. NATIONALITY We use the definite article with nationality adjectives that have at the end of their word -ese, -sh, -ss to refer to all the nation; The Swiss are famous for their chocolate, knives, banks; the French are – for their wine and perfume; the Japanese – for their sushi. The same way the article is used when we deal with plural nationality nouns; The Russians for a long time were competing with the Americans during so called “cold war”. We use a/an with a singular nationality word in order to refer to the person as a representative of the particular nation. Janis is a Dane, he is from Denmark. Jorje is a Spaniard, he was born in Barcelona. Sean wears a kilt, because he is a Scot. GEOGRAPHY The definite article is used whenever you deal with the names of: oceans, seas, rivers, geographical areas; I’ve always dreamt to visit the Atlantic Ocean. Though the Black Sea impressed me too. As well I remember a fine river – the Dnieper. The article is used with the four corners of the earth. However, we need zero article when we talk about general directions; The sun rises in the east. This highway is stretching from north to south of the former Polish kingdom. When we deal with lakes, countries or continents we need to use zero article; Lake Baikal is one of the most beautiful lakes in Russia. Brazil is in South America. We use the definite article with the names of deserts; The Gobi desert is the largest in Asia and forth largest in the world. Also the- article is to be used with plural or collective nouns. When you read about Russia, you can’t miss the Urals. George lives in the UK/ the USA / the Netherlands. Traditionally names of islands come with zero article, unless they have a post-modification with of. In this case we use the- article. Mark has visited Cuba for the third time since his childhood. The Isle of Man didn’t impress me as much as my brother. Articles Grammar guide Part 1 Part 2 Grammar guide Names of mountains may vary. A long tradition was to use zero article with the names of mountains. Dmitry climbed Everest and Mont Blanc when he was 23. However there are plenty of those that go with the definite article. The Zugspitze is the highest mountain in Germany. The Matterhorn is the mountain in Swiss Alps. Some nouns can be countable and uncountable. In this case the usage of article may define the meaning and as well change it. a/an a coffee a cup of coffee the the coffee grains or beans zero coffee In general Would you like me to prepare you a coffee? Jason, please, put the coffee into the sideboard Do you prefer to drink tea or coffee in the morning? Articles Practice of usage Input the most appropriate article into the gaps Put down articles only ___ aloe is ___ useful plant. This is ___ school for ___ deaf. ___ Neva is one of ___ most famous rivers in Russia. ___ epidemic of ___ cholera broke out here ___ few months ago. I met my cousin at ___ library half ___ hour ago. – How often do you go to ___ church? – Twice ___ month. Is ___ new boy in our school from ___ Philippines? ___ mammoth was ___ kind of animals that lived long ago. ___ Bahamas are located in ___ Caribbean Sea. ___ Mount Everest is ___ world's highest mountain. It is impossible to count all ___ stars in ___ sky. ___ bones of dinosaurs have been found in ___ Gobi Desert. I had ___ pizza and ___ orange for lunch. ___ pizza wasn't very good but ___ orange was sweet. She left ___ house without ___ umbrella. There isn't ___ drop of ___ water on ___ moon. They had a picnic on ___ Paradise Island and then caught ___ ferry to ___ Misty Island. My nephew works for BBC so he took us to visit ___ radio station in ___ London at ___ weekend. The ferry across ___ River Jordan is not far from ___ Quiet Hill. ___ Philippine Islands are in ___ Pacific Ocean about 1450 miles away from ___ Singapore. ___ holidays will start on ___ sixth of ___ October. I shall leave for ___ Bangkok on ___ first day of ___ holidays. I have ___ uncle there who works in ___ flour mill. He is ___ manager of ___ mill. My brother caught ___ cold when he played ___ volleyball in ___ rain. He did not dry himself properly after ___ game. We shall have ___ dinner in ___ moment even if ___ girls are not ___ home by then. ___ food is nearly ready. My brother said that ___ results of ___ examination will appear in ___ newspaper in ___ few days' time. __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ Input the necessary article Input the necessary article Input the most appropriate article into the gaps Put down articles only An aloe is a useful plant. This is a school for the deaf. The Neva is one of the most famous rivers in Russia. The epidemic of (-) cholera broke out here a few months ago. I met my cousin at the library half an hour ago. – How often do you go to (-) church? – Twice a month. Is the new boy in our school from the Philippines? The mammoth was a kind of animals that lived long ago. The Bahamas are located in the Caribbean Sea. (-) Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain. It is impossible to count all the stars in the sky. The bones of dinosaurs have been found in the Gobi Desert. I had a pizza and an orange for lunch. The pizza wasn't very good but the orange was sweet. She left the house without an umbrella. There isn't a drop of (-) water on the moon. They had a picnic on (-) Paradise Island and then caught a ferry to (-) Misty Island. My nephew works for BBC so he took us to visit the radio station in (-) London at the weekend. The ferry across the River Jordan is not far from (-) Quiet Hill. The Philippine Islands are in the Pacific Ocean about 1450 miles away from (-) Singapore. The holidays will start on the sixth of (-) October. I shall leave for (-) Bangkok on the first day of the holidays. I have an uncle there who works in a flour mill. He is the manager of the mill. My brother caught a cold when he played (-) volleyball in the rain. He did not dry himself properly after the game. We shall have a dinner in a moment even if the girls are not (-) home by then. The food is nearly ready. My brother said that the results of the examination will appear in a newspaper in a few days' time. (an, a) (a, the) (the, the) (the, -, a) (the, an) (-, a) (the, the) (the, a) (the, the) (-, the) (the, the) (the, the) (a, an, the, the) (the, an) (a, -, the) (-, a, -) (the, -, the) (the, -) (the, the, -) (the, the, -, -, the, the, an, a, the, the) (a, -, the, the) (a, a, the, -, the) (the, the, a, a) Practice of usage Articles - KEYS