In many foreign languages There is such a part of speech as the article (The Article). This service part speech and it acts as a noun determiner. There is no such part of speech in the Russian language, so it is difficult for Russian-speaking people starting to learn English to get used to using articles in speech.
How and why in English language Are articles used?But if we do not use them, difficulties may arise in communicating with an Englishman, because it will not be clear to him what kind of subject we are talking about, whether he knows anything about it or not. To avoid problems in communication and to simply learn how to express yourself correctly, it is important and necessary to study articles in English and cases of their use.
Today we will talk about such an important topic as the use of articles in English, and we will also look at cases when it is necessary to use articles.
There are two types of articles in English:
- Definite Article
- Indefinite Article (indefinite article)
THE- definite article or Definite Article, and it is pronounced [ ðǝ
] when the noun begins with a consonant and [ ðɪ
] when the noun begins with a vowel. For example: the [ ðǝ
] school, the [ ðɪ
] apple.
A or AN— indefinite (Indefinite Article). When a noun begins with a consonant, we say " a banana", but if with a vowel, then " an orange."
To better understand what the difference is between the definite and indefinite articles in English, we will give an example in Russian:
When are articles used in English?Cases of using articles in English
Here it is important to remember what rules exist for using articles in English:
- The article is used before every common noun.
- We do not use the article when the noun is preceded by a demonstrative or possessive pronoun, another noun in the possessive case, a cardinal number or the negation no (not not!).
This is a girl. - It's a girl.
My sister is an engineer — My sister is an engineer.
I see the girls jumping the rope. — I see girls jumping rope.
As a rule, the indefinite article in English is used when the subject is spoken about for the first time, as well as if nothing is known about the subject. The definite article (Definite Article) is present where something is already known about the subject or it is mentioned again in conversation. Let's see this with a few examples. Note:
He has got a computer.- He has a computer (what kind of computer, what’s wrong with it, what brand, etc. - we don’t know.
The computer is new. - The computer is new (Now some information about the computer has appeared - it is new).
This is a tree. — This is a tree (it is not clear what kind of tree, nothing is known about it).
The tree is green. — The tree is green (something is already known, the tree is covered with green leaves).
What articles are used and when in English? - Indefinite Article a, an can be used in exclamatory sentences beginning with the word what: What a surprise! - What a surprise! What a beautiful day! - What a beautiful day!
- Indefinite article a, an in English it is used only with countable nouns: This is a book. - This is a book. I see a boy. - I see a boy.
- Definite Article is used with both countable and uncountable nouns: The book I read is very interesting. — The book I am reading is very interesting. The meat you've bought is fresh. — The meat you bought is fresh.
- Indefinite Article is used before an adjective if it is followed by a noun: We have a large family. - We have a big family. I read an interesting book. — I’m reading an interesting book.
- The indefinite article can be used in a sentence to mean “one, one, one”: My father has three children, two sons and a daughter. — My father has three children - two sons and one daughter. Today I bought a copy-book and two pens. — Today I bought one notebook and two pens.
- Definite Article is used in superlatives adjectives: Pink Street is the largest street in that town. — Pink Street is the largest in this city.
- The definite article is used with geographical names, that is, before the names of rivers, canals, seas, mountains, oceans, bays, straits, archipelagos. But it is not used with the names of lakes, countries, continents. Exceptions: the United States of America, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Netherlands, the Ukraine, the Congo, the Crimea.
And now, friends, pay attention to which stable phrases in English always contain a definite article:
- In the south
- In the north
- In the east
- In the west
- To the south
- To the north
- To the east
- To the west
- What's the use?
- To the cinema
- To the theater
- To the shop
- To the market
- At the cinema
- At the theater
- At the shop
- At the market.
There are still many individual cases of using articles in English. We will look at them in more detail in articles, which are separately devoted to the definite article and separately to the indefinite article.
In general, the situation with articles in English is very serious. They need and should be used in speech, without them there is simply no way, otherwise we ourselves can get confused and confuse our interlocutor in the information presented. And in order not to get confused about which articles exactly and when to use them, just memorize these cases. And you will see how this small but very necessary auxiliary part of speech will bring clarity to your conversation, and your speech will be beautiful and complete! So let the kids the, a and an become your assistants in your English speech!
See you again, friends!
In English, the article is an auxiliary part of speech that is used to express the category of certainty - uncertainty. By “certainty” we mean that we know what specific subject or subjects we are talking about, and by “uncertainty” we mean that we are talking about the subject for the first time. For example:
I have got a pen. The pen is red. - I have a pen. The pen is red.
In the first case, we mention the item for the first time and say that we have it. In the second sentence, both the speaker and the listener already understand what kind of pen we are talking about.
The article defines the noun and has no meaning of its own.
There are three types of articles in English: the indefinite article a/an, the definite article the and zero, that is, the absence of an article.
The indefinite article a/an is used only with countable nouns, that is, everything that can be counted. It also shows that the subject is one.
I have got a book. - I have a book (just some book).
I see a cat. - I see a cat.
An is used in the same cases, but if the next word begins with a vowel sound:
It is an armchair. - This is a chair.
It was an amazing day - It was a magnificent day.
The zero article (or absence of an article) also indicates uncertainty, but is used before nouns in plural and before uncountable nouns. Uncountable is something that cannot be counted. This category in English includes substances, materials, and abstract concepts. For example, milk - milk, porridge - porridge, paper - paper (meaning material).
Books are useful. - Books are useful (plural).
I like milk. - I like milk (noun).
He has good memory. - Him good memory(abstract noun).
It's made of glass. - It is made of glass (material).
The definite article the is used to show that the thing in question is already known. The article the can be used with both singular and plural countable nouns, as well as with uncountable nouns.
The juice I bought yesterday is very tasty. - The juice that I bought yesterday is very tasty (from the context it is clear what kind of juice we are talking about).
The book you gave me is very interesting. - The book you gave me is very interesting.
I can't go home, I lost the keys. - I can’t go home, I lost my keys (we understand that we mean specific keys - to his house).
Rules for using a/an, the and the zero article.
I. Use of the indefinite article a/an.
The most common use of the indefinite article is when we first mention a noun in conversation.
I live in a flat. - I live in a flat.
- The article a/an is used in a classifying meaning (i.e. it shows that this item belongs to the class of homogeneous, similar objects)
This dog is a girl. – This dog is a girl (not a boy).
- The article a/an is also used in a generalizing sense (i.e. a noun denotes any object from a given class)
A tiger is an animal. – A tiger is an animal (any tiger is an animal).
- The next case of using the article a/an is for the quantitative characteristic of an object in the meaning “one”:
in a week - in a week (i.e. in one week)
However, if it is important for us to indicate the quantity, we should use one (one) instead of the indefinite article.
Only one student failed the exam. - Only one student did not pass the exam.
- The article a is used in exclamatory sentences after the words what, quite, such, and before the word rather if they are followed by a countable noun in singular:
What a lovely day today! – What a wonderful day today!
Such a nice dress! – What a cute dress!
A rather calm place! - Quite a calm place! - The indefinite article can be used with given names or surnames to mean “some”, “someone”, “someone”:
A Brown called you when you were in the bathroom. - Some Brown called you while you were in the bathroom.
- In some stable phrases the article a is also used:
a few - several
a great deal of – a lot
a little - a little
as a rule - as a rule
as a result - as a result
to be in a hurry – hurry
to be at a loss – to get confused
to go for a walk – go for a walk
to have a good day - have a good day
to have a good time - have a good time
it is a pity - sorry
on a large/small scale – on a large/small scale
to take a seat - sit down
to tell a lie - to lie
II. Use of the definite article the.
- The article the is used to distinguish an object, person or phenomenon from a class of similar ones. Such nouns may be preceded by a definition that will highlight the given word, expressed by an ordinal number or an adjective in the superlative degree:
That's the film I told you about. – This is exactly the film I told you about.
Monday is the first day of the week. – Monday is the first day of the week.
It was the best birthday ever! - It was the best birthday ever! - The definite article is used to denote an item that is one of a kind:
the Sun – Sun
the Moon - moon
the Earth - Earth - The article the is also used with parts of the world:
the East - east
the West - west
the North - north
the South - south - The article the can appear before surnames if all family members are meant:
the Browns - Browns (i.e. mom, dad, their children, grandparents, etc.)
- The definite article the must also be placed before the names of oceans, seas, rivers and mountain ranges:
the Atlantic Ocean - the Atlantic Ocean
the North Sea – North Sea
the Thames - Thames
the Alps – Alps - With the names of some countries and cities you need to use the article the:
the United States of America - United States of America
the United Kingdom of Great Britain - United Kingdom of Great Britain
the Russian Federation - Russian Federation
the Crimea – Crimea
the Hague - The Hague - The definite article is placed before the names of newspapers and magazines:
the Times
the Washington Post - Some stable phrases and expressions require the article the:
the day after tomorrow - the day after tomorrow
the day before yesterday - the day before yesterday
in the morning (evening, afternoon) - in the morning (evening, afternoon)
on the whole - in general
out of the question – impossible/non-negotiable
to go to the theater (cinema) – go to the theater/cinema
to play the piano - play the piano
to tell the truth - to tell the truth
III. Use of the zero article.
The zero article is used in the following cases:
- before proper names (first names, surnames, names of countries and cities):
New York - New York
James Green – James Green
Russia – Russia - if there is a possessive pronoun before the noun - my, your, his, her, our, their:
This is my home - This is my home.
I know your address - I know your address.
His sister is a teacher - His sister is a teacher. - before uncountable nouns that fall under the category of real and abstract nouns(if they are undefined):
He is fond of coffee. - He likes coffee.
But: Pass me the salt, please. – Pass me the salt, please (the specific salt that is on the table).
- before nouns that indicate the names of seasons and meals:
in winter - in winter
in July - in July
on Tuesday - on Tuesday
to have breakfast/dinner/lunch – have breakfast/dinner/lunch - before the names of disciplines:
to study Physics/Mathematics/Chemistry/French – study physics/mathematics/chemistry/French
- before nouns denoting family members, or which are used as addresses:
Goodbye, teacher! - Goodbye, teacher!
Dad, look! - Dad, look! - in some stable combinations and expressions:
at breakfast - at breakfast
at first - first
at home - at home
at sea - at sea
at school – at school (meaning the educational process)
at table - at the table (during meals)
by bus/train/car/plane/sea – by bus/by train/by car/by plane/by ship
by heart - by heart
by chance - by chance
by name - by name
by means of – by means of something
in/on time - during
in fact – in reality/actually
on sale - on sale
to go to bed – go to bed
to tell lies – to tell a lie/lie
There are also a number of special cases of using the articles a/an, the and the zero article.
- With the names of the seasons:
· In the simplest case, the name of the season is preceded by a zero article
In summer I like to go to the beach. – In summer I like to go to the beach.
It was spring. - It was spring.· if the seasons are preceded by the adjectives early, late (early, late), it is also necessary to put a zero article
It was late autumn. – It was late autumn.
· if the sentence contains a definition relating to the time of year, the definite article the is needed
The winter of 2001 was really cold. – The winter of 2001 was really cold.
· after the words during, for, through, you must also put the article the
We stayed with friends for the summer. – We stayed with friends for the summer.
During the autumn he often came to see me. “He often came to see me in the fall.· if seasons are preceded by a descriptive definition, the indefinite article a/an is required
It was a rainy autumn. – It was a rainy autumn.
- Articles with names of time of day
· if a word denotes light or dark time of day, the zero article is used
Night came and we couldn’t see anything. “Night came and we didn’t see anything.”
· if the time of day is preceded by the prepositions at, after, by, before, till, until, towards, past, since, a zero article is required
We have been waiting for you since morning. - We've been waiting for you since the morning.
· if the names of the time of day are part of a compound predicate, then they are preceded by a zero article
It was night. - It was night.
· if they are preceded by the adjectives early, late (early, late), the zero article is also used
It was early morning. - It was an early morning.
· if the time of day is preceded by the words yesterday, tomorrow, as well as the names of the days of the week, then there will also be a zero article here
We will need the computer tomorrow morning. – We will need the computer tomorrow morning.
The zero article is also used in fixed expressions:
all day/night long – all day/all night long
day after day - day after day
night after night - every night
day in, day out – from time to time
from… till… - from… to…
from... to... - from... to...
day and night – day and night· if the times of day are preceded by descriptive definitions, then the indefinite article a/an is used
It was a frosty night. – It was a frosty night.
· if there is a restrictive definition, then you need to use the definite article
The night of that day was really noisy. “The night that day was really noisy.
· after the prepositions in, during, through the definite article is placed
During the night we heard our neighbor’s dog barking. “At night we heard the neighbor’s dog barking.
- Articles with meals
Typically, the zero article is used with meals. But:
· if there is a definition, the article the is required
The breakfast you made was delicious. – The breakfast you prepared was great.
· if by eating we mean food itself, we also need the definite article the
The dinner was awful. - Lunch was terrible. (That is, I didn’t like any of the dishes)
· if there is a descriptive definition, put the indefinite article a/an
He made a great lunch for me. – He prepared a wonderful lunch for me.
- Articles with names of diseases
As a rule, names of diseases do not require an article, since diseases are classified as uncountable nouns. Some of them:
AIDS - AIDS;
anemia – anemia;
appendicitis - appendicitis;
bronchitis - bronchitis;
chicken pox (chickenpox) – chickenpox;
dermatitis – dermatitis;
diabetes – diabetes mellitus;
diphtheria - diphtheria;
food poisoning – food poisoning;
hypertension – hypertension, high blood pressure;
hypotension – hypotension, low blood pressure;
influenza - flu;
insomnia – insomnia;
leukaemia – leukemia;
meningitis - meningitis;
pneumonia – pneumonia;
sclerosis – sclerosis;
sinusitis - sinusitis;
tuberculosis – tuberculosis;
tonsillitis - sore throat, tonsillitis.But there are cases when you can use the article the or the article a/an. For example:
· the definite article the can be used with:
the measles – measles
the mumps - pig
the flu - flu
the plague - plague· symptoms of illness are used with the indefinite article a/an:
a runny nose - runny nose
a sore throat - sore throat - Articles with the words school, college, university, prison, class, bed, church.
· if the listed words are used in the meaning of “building, organization”, then it is necessary to use the definite article the
Mr. Brown is in the hospital. - Mr. Brown is in the hospital. (i.e. it is located inside the hospital building).
Susan's mother will come to the school today - Susan's mother will come to school today.· if these words imply educational activity or another process related to this place, then no article is used.
Mr. Brown is in hospital. - Mr. Brown is in the hospital (that is, he is being treated there).
Mike is in prison. - Mike is in prison (i.e. he is a prisoner).
She was in church this morning. - She was in church this morning (ie attended the service).
Susan is at school. – Susan is at school. (i.e. she studies there) - Articles with the word “sea”
· if the word “sea” is used in the meaning of “sea”, as a geographical name, then the article the is needed.
the Baltic Sea – Baltic Sea
· if the word “sea” is used in the meaning of the maritime profession, then a zero article is required
to go to sea – go to sea
to be at sea – to be at sea - Articles with the words “town”, “country”
If the words “town” and “country” are opposed to each other in meaning, then the zero article should be used in the expression in town, and the definite article in the expression in the country.
I will be in town tomorrow. - Tomorrow I will be in the city.
We spent the weekend in the country. - We spent the weekend in the village.
In this article we will touch on the topic "Articles"- one of the most “unloved” topics of our students.
Many admit that, although they have gone through this topic many times, they continue to put articles at random and cannot systematize their knowledge in any way. The article THE is particularly difficult. Perhaps you have this problem too.
In preparing this article, we asked our students and subscribers to formulate questions related to the use of the article THE, which they find it difficult to answer on their own. I would like to note that the questions were very similar, so we have summarized them. And here are the questions that interest students:
- Which article should I choose: A or THE?
- How to determine whether the article THE is needed with plural and uncountable nouns?
If you are also not completely confident in the depth of your knowledge about the use of the definite article THE and your previous experience of studying “from a textbook” turned out to be useless, then this material will help you systematize your existing knowledge and, perhaps, learn something new.
Which article should I choose, A or THE?
Let's remember a little from the theory. A(an)- this, he points to an indefinite object, and emphasizes that there is only one object. THE- definite article (definite article), it is used when something is mentioned that is already known to the speakers.
Let's look at an example:
My father bought me a dog.
- Great! What color is the dog?
- The dog is black. And my mother bought me a book.
The first sentence uses article A, since the dog is mentioned for the first time and the interlocutor still knows nothing about it. Further used article THE, since it became clear to both speakers what kind of dog they were talking about. In the last sentence the word book also used with the indefinite article, since it is mentioned for the first time, the interlocutor has not yet determined what kind of book it is.
A few more examples:
Yesterday I got a letter. The letter was from my friend. - Yesterday I received a letter. The letter was from my friend.
I am reading a newspaper. I bought the newspaper from the newsagent. - I am reading a newspaper. I bought a newspaper from a periodical seller.
Remember the rule: If you have a singular countable noun in front of you, then use A if this item is mentioned for the first time or it is vague, unimportant. THE is used if the subject has already been mentioned before and is known to the interlocutors.
Sometimes, despite the fact that something is mentioned for the first time, we can understand from the context what is being said: when additional information about the subject is given, an explanation, or when it is clear from the situation itself. Let's look at examples with explanations:
I was at a party yesterday. - I was at a party yesterday.
(Referring to some kind of party that we don’t know anything about yet)
I was at theparty organized by my friend. - I was at a party organized by my friend.
(We understand what kind of party we are talking about)
He saw a woman in the corridor. - He saw (some) woman in the corridor.
(No additional information is given about the woman)
He saw the woman who lived next door to him. - He saw a woman who lived next door.
(We understand what kind of woman this is)
He entered a door. - He came through the door.
(He entered one of the doors, we do not know which one).
He entered the door nearest to the stairs. - He entered the door closest to the stairs.
(To be specified which door exactly)
In what cases is the article THE always used?
Remember a number of cases in which the article THE is always used:
- when something is mentioned that exists in one copy, something unique of its kind: the sun, the moon, the world, the earth, the capital, the ground, the environment, the universe
- with names of groups of people expressed by adjectives: the elderly, the young, the old, the rich, the poor, the unemployed, the disabled and others
- with names that end in -ese And -sh (-ch): the British, the Scottish, the Spanish, the Chinese, the Japanese. With other nationalities, the article THE may not be used: (the) Russians, (the) Americans
- in combinations related to space: the end, the beginning, the middle, the center
- in combinations related to time: in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening; the next, the last, the present, the future, the past
- with names of titles and positions: the King, the president, the Prime Minister, the Queen
- with and superlative adverbs: the best, the worst, the fastest, the most interesting, the most beautiful
- s, including dates: the first (of May), the third (of November), the twentieth, the thirty-first
- in combinations like: THE something OF: the legs of the table, the topic of our lesson
- with titles musical instruments: the guitar, the piano, the cello
- with the word same: the same
- in many set phrases and idiomatic expressions.
When is THE used with place nouns?
Nouns denoting various places (not to be confused with place names!) can be used with or without the article THE. The use of the article directly depends on the context in which the noun is mentioned.
Let's look at an example. If someone is sick, he is in the hospital:
He is at hospital.
When we say this, we do not mean a specific hospital, but we are talking about the hospital in general, as an institution where patients are treated.
If a friend of our patient decided to visit him and came to the hospital, then about him we need to say:
He is at the hospital.
He is not sick and should not be in the hospital (in the general sense of the word), he came to a certain hospital (the one where his friend is lying), which is why the article THE appears.
One more example:
My little sister goes to school. Today it is a school concert so all our family will go to the school.
Children generally go to school to learn, so when talking about students the article is not used. Other family members are not students. They will go to a certain school where their child studies to watch a concert, respectively, before the word school Let's put an article.
The same miracles happen with the words prison, church, university.
Remember the rule: if you mean some place All in all(its intended purpose is emphasized), article THE not used. When it means specific establishment or building, article THE used.
As for other nouns denoting places, THE is most often used with them: the beach, the station, the coast, the seaside, the city, the countryside.
With cinema and theater, the article THE is used even when the speaker does not mean a specific place:
We go to the cinema every weekend.
They have never been to the theater.
Why is the article used with these words? The explanation is that when we use them, it is clear from the context what we mean, and the interlocutor understands what we are talking about. Let's look at examples of situations where it is clear from the situation itself which place we are talking about:
1. When, being in a room or apartment, we talk about its parts:
Switch on the light! - Turn on the lights! (In this room, in the room where you are)
I closed the door and opened the window. - I closed the door and opened the window. (In the room where I was at that moment, in my room)
The floor was clean. - The floor was clean. (The floor in the room I was in.)
2. When we talk about city buildings, if it is clear which city we are talking about:
Where is the railway station? - Where is the railway station? (The station of this city. If there are several stations in the city, you will have to clarify which one you need. If you are located near the station, then the interlocutor will understand that you are asking about the nearest station)
The city hall is very old. - The city hall building is very old. (There is only one city hall in the city, so your interlocutor will understand what we are talking about)
The market was crowded in the morning. - The market was crowded in the morning. (The market of this city; the nearest market; the market where the speaker goes)
3. When mentioning organizations that provide services, if it is clear from the context what exactly the speaker means:
I need to go to the bank tomorrow. - I need to go to the bank tomorrow. (The bank where I have an account; the nearest bank; the bank whose services I use)
Tom went to the post office to send a letter. - Tom went to the post office to send a letter. (This refers to the nearest post office; the only one in a given city)
You should go to the doctor. - You should go to the doctor. (To your doctor)
She is seeing the dentist on Friday. She is going to see the dentist on Friday. (To your dentist).
Be careful, in some situations, of course, article A can be used. Most often, when a speaker means: “any”, “one of many”, “no matter which”, “any”:
How to determine whether the article THE is needed with uncountable nouns and plural nouns?
Don't forget about our communities in
Good afternoon. In this lesson we will talk about two English words: may and might. Many people have confusion between these words, because these words are connected by one meaning. We will look at examples to clearly show how these words are used in sentences and different situations.
May - be able
Might - be able
Verb May in English
This verb is used in two cases:
1. When we talk about the possibility that something will happen, has happened or is happening.
I can"t find the keys to the house. - Do you think you may have dropped them in the car? I can't find my house keys. - Do you think you might have dropped them in the car? Please note that we are talking about the possibility of an event (what we are talking about is not certain).
You"d better take a cap - it may get cold later. You better take a hat - it might be cold later.
Was that Helga who just walked by? It may have been - I"m not sure. Did Helga just walk by? Perhaps, I'm not sure.
2. To politely ask permission. May is a more polite form than can and could.
May I borrow your car, please? Can I borrow your car?
May I help you? Can I help you?
I can"t decide at the moment, may I have a few days to think about it? I can't decide at the moment, can I think about it for a few days?
Verb Might in English
Might is the same as the first meaning of may. The only difference is that might is used when there is great doubt about what is happening.
I don"t feel well. - Oh, dear, do you think it might be something you"ve eaten? I do not feel well. - Honey, do you think it could be something you ate? The husband feels bad and the wife answers with a hint that it is unlikely that it is from the food. She prepared such a delicious dinner...
