ARTICLES

Articles

Q:  What is an article?

A:  There are only two articles in the English language:  “the” and “a”/ “an”.  Articles are kinds of adjectives that give information about a noun. 

Q:  When do I use which article?

A:  It depends on what kind of noun is being modified.

Kinds of Nouns

Nouns are singular or plural

Nouns are count or noncount

Nouns are generic, indefinite, or definite

Q:  What is the difference between a count and a noncount noun?

A:  A count noun is a noun that can be counted.  A noncount noun is a noun that, grammatically, cannot be counted.

Some Examples:

Count Nouns

Couch

Machine

Mountain

Earring

Medal

Noncount Nouns

Furniture

Machinery

Scenery

Gold

Confidence

Some Common Noncount Nouns:

i.Whole groups made up of similar items:  baggage, clothing, equipment, food.

ii.Fluids, Solids, Gases, or Particles:  water, glass, oxygen, rice

iii.Abstractions:  courage, information, time

iv.Languages:  English, French, Cantonese

v.Fields of Study:  literature, history, math

vi.Recreation:  baseball, poker, basketball

vii.Activities (gerunds):  studying, learning

viii.Natural Phenomena:  weather, sunshine

Note:  Noncount nouns have no plural form.

Q:  What are generic nouns?

A:  A generic noun represents a whole class of things; it is not a specific, real, concrete thing, but rather a symbol of a whole group.

Examples of Generic Nouns:

i.A horse has four legs.

ii.An apple is red.

iii.A bird lays eggs.

Article Rules for Generic Nouns:

1.Use “a” / “an” before a generic singular count noun:  An apple is red. 

2.Do not use an article before a generic plural count noun:  Apples are red.

3.Do not use an article before a generic noncount noun:  Fruit comes in many different colours.   

Q:  What is an indefinite noun?

A:  An indefinite noun is an actual thing (not a symbol), but it is not specifically identified.

Examples of Indefinite Nouns:

i.I ate an apple.

ii.The man on the subway took out a book.

iii.The student was wearing a hat.

Article Rules with Indefinite Nouns:

1.Use “a” / “an” with indefinite singular count nouns:  I ate an apple.

2.Use nothing or “some”, “two”, “a few”, “several”, etc… with indefinite plural count nouns.  I ate some apples.

3.Use nothing or “some”, “a little”, “a lot of”, etc… with indefinite noncount nouns.  I ate some fruit. 

Q:  What is a definite noun?

A:  A noun is definite when both the speaker and the listener are thinking about the same specific thing.

Examples of Definite Nouns:

i.Thank you for the apple you gave me.

ii.I want to pass the car that is going so slow ahead of us.

iii.The monkey we saw at the zoo last Tuesday was really funny. 

Article Rules with Definite Nouns:

1.Use “the” with definite singular count nouns:  Thank you for the apple you gave me.

2.Use “the” with definite plural count nouns:  Thank you for the apples you gave me.

3.Use “the” with definite noncount nouns:  Thank you for the fruit you gave me. 

General Guidelines for Article Usage:

1.  Use “the” when you know or assume that your listener is familiar with and thinking about the same specific thing or person you are talking about.

Examples:

i.Open the door!

ii.The sun is awfully bright.

iii.Tell the doctor what is wrong with you today. 

2.  Use “the” for the second mention of an indefinite noun.

Examples:

i.Yesterday I saw some dogs.  The dogs were chasing a cat. 

ii.The cat was chasing a mouse.  The mouse ran into a hole.

iii.The hole was very small.   

3.  Do not use “the” with a plural count noun or a noncount noun when you are making a generalization.

Examples:

i.Incorrect:  The horses are my favorite animals. (horses=plural count noun)

ii.Incorrect:  The ice is a beautiful substance. (ice=noncount noun)

iii.Incorrect:  The courage is a virtue.  (courage=noncount noun) 

4.  A singular count noun is always preceded by:
a) an article (a/an or the); OR
b) this/that; OR
c) a possessive adjective

Examples:

i.I ate an apple. / I ate the apple.

ii.I ate that apple.

iii.I ate my apple. 

Self-Test:

1.  The classrooms are my favorite places to learn. 

2.  A luggage can be heavy.

3.  I ate two fruits yesterday.

4.  I rode a horse yesterday.  A horse was brown.

5.  Pentagon has five sides.