An article is a word that adds a shade of certainty or uncertainty to the meaning of a noun: “After the long conference, the mug of hot chocolate is especially good.” / “After a long conference, a mug of hot chocolate is especially good.” In the first case, we transmit information about a specific conference and a mug of hot chocolate. In the second, they formulated a general statement, implying that any mug will be in place after any long conference. IN English language there are several ways to convey this certainty, or lack thereof. Let's take a closer look.
Definite article
Definite article ( definite article) — English word « the" It seems to limit the semantic meaning of the noun. For example, your friend might ask: “Are you planning to visit the party this Monday? - “Are you planning to attend the party this Monday?” The definite article in English communicates that a friend is referring to a particular party that is well known about. The article “the” is used with plural nouns and singular, as well as with uncountable nouns. Below are some examples of the use of the definite article in context:
- Could you give me the screwdriver, please?- Could you give me a screwdriver, please?
- Give me the orange screwdriver, please. The green one is too big.- Give me an orange screwdriver, please. The green one is too big.
- Could you give me the chisel, please?- Could you give me a chisel, please?
- Could you give me the small chisel, please? That"s the only one convenient enough to make holes in this plank.- Could you please give me a small chisel? This is the only tool that is convenient for drilling holes in this board.
- Give me the screwdriver and the chisel then, please.- Give me a screwdriver and a chisel then, please.
Indefinite article
The indefinite article ( indefinite article) there are two main forms. Firstly, this service part speech " a", preceding a word that begins with a consonant. Secondly, this is the article " an", used with a word that begins with a vowel. The indefinite article in English “a/an” indicates that the noun is used in a general sense rather than a specific one. For example, you ask a friend: “Should I take a present then? “Should I bring a gift then?” The friend understands that you are not asking about a specific type of gift or a specific item. "I would like to bring an almond cake “I would like to bring some almond cake.” Again, the indefinite article indicates that no particular almond cake is being referred to. Will he homemade or it will be bought at a local candy store, it doesn’t matter. The indefinite article is characterized by monogamy, so it can only be found with singular nouns. Consider the following examples of the indefinite article in context:
- Could you fetch me a smartphone, please? Any of them will be fine.- Could you please hand me a smartphone? Any of them will do.
- Gimme a bottle of wine real quick now, ok? Any is good.- Give me a bottle of wine quickly, okay? Any will do.
NOTA BENE: Uncountable nouns are nouns that are difficult or impossible to count. They include intangibles(information, air), liquids(beer, rum) and things, that are too large or numerous to count(equipment, sand, wood). Since these things cannot be taken into account, never use"a" or "an". Remember that the indefinite article in English is only for singular nouns. However, uncountable nouns can be used without problems with the word some.
"A" vs "an". Exceptions to use
IN general rule There are a number of exceptions to the use of the indefinite article before words that begin with a consonant and a vowel.
- The first letter of the word “honourable ["ɔn(ə)rəbl] - generous”, for example, the consonant “h”, however, it is silent (unpronounceable). Despite the spelling, the word “honourable” begins with vowel sound[ɔ]. That's why the choice of article falls on « an" Consider the example below for illustration:
WRONG
Thomas is a honorable person
RIGHT
Thomas is an honorable person
Translation: Thomas is a generous person.
- In the same way, when the first letter of a word vowel, But pronounced with a consonant sound, use " a", as in the example below:
WRONG
Elizabeth was an
RIGHT
Elizabeth was a United States prime minister.
Translation: Elizabeth was Prime Minister of the United States.
- Acronyms, initial abbreviations And reductions the first letters also obey this rule: a UK-based corporation, an HR management etc.
Zero article
Sometimes before some nouns the articles are omitted altogether. In these cases, the article is implied, but not actually present. This article is sometimes called zero ( zero article). Often there is no article before nouns that refer to abstract ideas. Look at the following examples:
WRONG
Let's have a dinner today.
RIGHT
Let's have dinner today.
Translation: Let's have dinner today.
WRONG
The enthusiasm is my strong point.
RIGHT
Enthusiasm is my strong point
Translation: Enthusiasm is my strong point.
Many languages and nationalities are not preceded by an article:
WRONG
Mary is fluent in the Korean and the Japanese.
RIGHT
Mary is fluent in Korean and Japanese.
Translation: Mary speaks fluent Korean and Japanese.
Athletic activities, sports and academic subjects do not require an English article before them. For comparison, take a look at the offers below:
WRONG
Bobby is keen on the soccer.
RIGHT
Bobby is keen on soccer.
Translation: Bobby loves to play football.
WRONG
The literature isn't my favorite subject.
RIGHT
Literature isn't my favorite subject.
Translation: Literature is my least favorite subject.
Article + pronoun
Possessive pronouns help determine whether you are talking about a specific or indefinite subject. And although, as you already know, articles in English are used to indicate definiteness, nevertheless, if you use both a possessive pronoun and articles at the same time, the recipient will definitely be stunned. Possessive pronouns are words such as: my, his, her, its, their And our. Articles of the English language cannot be used in tandem with pronouns. " The" And " my” are not used together because both are intended for a similar purpose. The differences lie in the nuances of conveying the required meaning. Consider the following examples:
WRONG
Dexter is using the my tablet right now.
RIGHT
Dexter is using the tablet right now.
RIGHT
Dexter is using my tablet right now.
Translation: Dexter is currently using (my) tablet.
Article + adjective
In most cases, the article determines not only the noun, but also the adjective that comes before it. Usual word order: article + adjective + noun. If you mean the indefinite article, then the choice is between “ a" And " an" is based on the letter that begins the word that follows it.
WRONG
What a interesting magazine!
RIGHT
What an interesting magazine!
Translation: What an interesting magazine!
WRONG
Merriam will cook an banana cupcake.
RIGHT
Merriam will cook a banana cupcake.
Translation: Merriam will make banana cake.
Set expressions with articles
- Useful phrases with definite articles in English.
- Useful phrases with indefinite articles in English.
- Useful phrases with the zero article
So, today your knowledge bank has been replenished with the rules for using articles in English. We hope that the article was useful and to your liking and, in the future, you will no longer experience discomfort when recognizing, and, most importantly, understanding the use of this or that article in various situations. You're welcome!
Big and friendly EnglishDom family
Hello again! The Article is the main determiner of a word in an English sentence. Before using any noun, you need to decide what object is being talked about: any or specific. In English, an article is almost always placed before a noun, depending on the type of word (specific/generalized) - definite (Definite) or indefinite (Indefinite).
The indefinite article in English In this article we will look at what it is the Indefinite Article and cases where the indefinite article is used in English.
Let me remind you that the indefinite article "a/an" derived from the Old English evolved numeral " one" This auxiliary part of speech singles out one item from many similar ones, which is no different from its analogues and you know a minimum of information about it: I had a sandwich.
Word with undefined The article is the name of the object as a whole, and not a pointer to a specific object. For example, saying the word “ a book“We present books in general, and not any specific book. In Russian, its meaning can be expressed in the following words: some, one of, any, one, every, some, each, any. May sometimes be replaced by pronouns any(everyone) and some(some).
The fact that Indefinite Article comes from a numeral determines the basic rules for its use:
- "a/an" is only used with countable persons or objects that we can count: a lamp, a car, an apple a cup - Have a drink
- Since this is the numeral “one,” “a/an” is used only with words in the singular, and in the plural the article is omitted: lamps, cars — There are bottles
Use of the indefinite article Other uses of Indefinite Article:
- When assigning an object to any classification group: A horse is an animal. — A horse is an animal.
- When characterizing an object, person or phenomenon: Bill is an idiot! - Bill is an idiot! My mother is a doctor. - My mom is a doctor.
- When a person or phenomenon is first mentioned: That's a pretty woman - Beautiful woman
- In the meaning of a portion with uncountables: Buy a milk. — Buy milk. Or in the meaning of a certain quantity of a specific whole: Pass me a piece of, and pie. Pass me a piece of the pie
- Before the name of the position or profession: She's an architect.—She's an architect. He is a seller
- In a general sense : A sheep gives a wool - Sheep (any) gives wool
- Before a countable, denoting time, in the meaning of “one”: Will you arrive in an hour? — Will you arrive in an hour?
- With some quantity turnover: a little - a little, a pair - pair, a few - several
- Together with singular nouns that can be counted and qualified words most (very), quite, such, rather - He is quite a young man - He is still quite a young man.
- In exclamatory sentences, after the word “what”: What a beautiful dream! - What a wonderful dream!
That's all you need to know!
What is the difference between "a" and "an"?
In English there are two types of neodef. article: "a" And " an". What is the difference between them? Take a close look at the presented examples and you will see a certain pattern: “a” is used when the subsequent word begins with a consonant letter or sound ( a h ouse, a c at, a y ard), and “an” - before a vowel sound or letter ( an h our, an o ld woman, an a pple).
See you later!
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First of all, thank you so much for your letters and reviews! We are very pleased that our work helps you in learning English! :)
Especially at your request, we have prepared material on the use of the indefinite article A(AN).
What is an article? This is an auxiliary part of speech that is placed before a noun to show the definiteness or uncertainty of the subject. In other words, articles make it clear whether the interlocutors are familiar with the subject or not. The function of articles is to define, therefore the part of speech to which they refer is called Determinants or Determiners.You can learn more about them from this article.
The article A (AN) comes from the numeral ONE (one) and is therefore called indefinite, which does not denote a specific object known to the interlocutors (unlike the), but one of many, some, no matter what, indefinite.
Why does the article A have two forms?
You may know that the AN form is used when the noun after the article begins with a vowel:
An apple, an egg, an elephant
But be careful, because the choice of the article form depends not on the letter (what we see in the letter), but on the sound. For example, take the word university. The first letter u conveys two sounds: . The first one, as you can see [j]. It is a consonant, so the article a should be used before the word univercity. In the same way with the words hour or the adjective honest (in combination honest man). In both words, the first h is unreadable, so we start pronouncing the word with a vowel and use the article AN.
There are quite a few words in English that have silent consonants or diphthongs at the beginning, so when choosing an article, be guided by the pronunciation of the word, not its spelling.
Let's take a look at the main cases in which we use the article A. They are all somewhat similar and complement each other in many ways, but if you understand the basic idea of using the article, you can always use it correctly.
Article A is used in the following cases:
1. If there is only one subject and it is uncertain. To check, you can substitute the following words instead of the article: some, one of many, one of, any
I work in an office. - I work in an office. (I work in some office / in one of the offices).
She bought a car. - She bought (one) car. (She bought one car / some kind of car).
They passed an exam. - They passed (one) exam. (They passed some kind of exam / one of many exams).
I would like a cup of coffee. - I would like (one) cup of coffee. (Not two, one).
2. If an object belongs to a certain class, it is “one of many” representatives of this class. Therefore, A is always used before the names of professions and nationalities:
I am a teacher. - I'am a teacher. (There are many teachers and I am one of them).
She wants to become a student of this university. - She wants to become a student at this university. (There are many students in this university and she wants to become one of them).
He is a Republican. - He is a Republican. (He is one of the Republicans, belongs to this category).
We want to buy a flat in the center. - We want to buy an apartment in the center. (There are many apartments in the center and we want to buy one of them).
3. When we give a definition, we explain what this or that object is. At the same time, we mean that this definition applies to any representative of this category:
A doctor is a person who treats sick people. - A doctor is a person who treats patients. (Any doctor treats patients).
A penguin is a bird that can’t fly. - A penguin is a bird that cannot fly. (Any penguin cannot fly.
A penguin is one of the birds that cannot fly).
A bear is a wild animal. - A bear is a wild animal. (Any bear is a wild animal / one of the wild animals).
You can object and say that not every doctor treats and not every wild bear, but we are looking at special cases, but general ones.
4. In type descriptions: A + adjective + noun to describe an item. In this case, the choice of article A or AN is determined by the first sound of the adjective, not the noun:
This is an orange ball. - This is an orange ball.
He is a clever student. - He is a smart student.
We saw a very tall tree. - We saw a very tall tree.
5. When we talk about using things. Construction: use something as a ... :
He used a stub as a stool. - He used the tree stump as a stool.
She used a napkin as a note. - They used the napkin as a note.
Don’t use your fork as a pointer. - Don't use your fork as a pointer.
6. In negative and interrogative sentences and after the phrase there is with a singular countable noun:
In this case, we know nothing about the item except that it is one of many.
7. Article A is used in measurements:
Once a day - once a day
Twice a week - twice a day
40 km an hour - 40 kilometers per hour
In words denoting one unit of measurement (for example: hundred, thousand, kilogram), A and one can be interchanged:
One hundred = a hundred
One thousand = a thousand
One kilo = a kilo One mile = a mile
8. In exclamations in combination with what, what a lot and such (to emphasize the severity of the attribute):
What a nice day! - What a wonderful day!
What a lot of books! - How many books!
He is such an intelligent person! - He is such a smart man!
9. We use A with paired nouns. Some nouns are considered in pairs, in which case the article a is placed before the first noun:
A knife and fork - knife and fork
A cup and saucer - cup and saucer
There is no need to confuse pairs with single nouns, which simply stand next to each other in a sentence:
I bought a pen and a book. -I bought a pen and a book.
10. With words indicating health problems:
A headache headache
a cold - a cold
a sore throat - sore throat
a broken arm/leg - broken arm/leg
a weak heart - weak heart
(a) toothache - toothache (can be without the article)
(an) earache - pain in the ear (can be without the article)
11. Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, the indefinite article A is used when we mention something for the first time, when the interlocutor knows nothing about the subject:
I have got a cat. - I have a cat.
He met a beautiful girl. - He met a beautiful girl.
When further references are made, the already defined one should be used. article the, but more on that in the next article.
Let's summarize the main points: The indefinite article A is used only with countable nouns in the singular, if the subject we are talking about is mentioned for the first time, is indefinite, one of many of its kind, any.
A And an are called the indefinite article. The is called the definite article.
Indefinite article a used before words beginning with a consonant: a face a camera a used before u And eu when they are pronounced like y (/j/): a university, a euro.
Indefinite article an used before words starting with a vowel sound: an arm, an onion Also the indefinite article an used before words starting with h, When h unreadable: an hour, an honor.
A series of articles will soon appear on the blog in which the use of articles will be discussed in detail. This article only covers the main points.
A/an
Indefinite article a/an came from the numeral one, and is used only with singular countable nouns.
The indefinite article is used in the following cases:
- When we talk about a person and an object that mentioned for the first time, and is unknown to the interlocutor or reader.
I've been to a concert recently. — I recently went to a concert.
I live in a small town. - I live in a small town.
- When we talk about any a person or object from some class.
A triangle has three sides. — A triangle has three sides.
- With titles professions or type of activity.
My brother is a pilot, and I am a student. — My brother is a pilot, and I am a student.
The
the descended from demonstrative pronoun that, and is used with countable nouns both in the singular and in plural.The definite article is used in the following cases:
- When we talk about a person or thing that previously mentioned in conversation or text.
I went outside and saw a car parked in front of my house. The car seemed familiar. — I went outside and saw a car parked in front of my house. The car seemed familiar to me.
- When it is clear from the context or situation that which one exactly person or thing we are talking about.
I'm going to the supermarket. — I'm going to the supermarket (the one where I usually go).
Could you open the window? — Please open the window (the window in this room).
- When we talk about a person or thing, one of a kind.
The Moon revolves around the Earth in an elliptical orbit. — The Moon revolves around the Earth in an elliptical orbit.
- With adjectives in excellent degrees.
You are the best mom ever! - You are the best mother.
5. With many expressions with of.
In the middle of the night
At the end of my holiday
The and absence of article
The is used in the following cases:
- In the names of countries that are formed using the plural, or in which there are words Kingdom or Republic.
the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom
- With the names of everything related to water: oceans, rivers, seas, bays, straits (except for the names of individual lakes, which are used without an article)
the Baltic Sea, the British Channel, the Pacific Ocean, the Persian Gulf
- With the names of mountain ranges (the names of individual mountain peaks are used without an article).
the Alps, the Apennines
- With names of parts of the day.
in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening
- With many prepositions of place and time.
on the right, at the bottom
The article is not used in the following cases:
- With the names of most countries, cities and continents
Asia, Saudi Arabia, Beijing
- With the names of individual mountain peaks and lakes
Mountblanc, Lake Titicaca
- With exact indications of day, month and time
on Monday, at nine o"clock, in July
- With some prepositional phrases of place
at work, at home, in bed
School, university, hospital, prison, church, etc.
Compare:
1. Tim is studying maths at university. — Tim is studying mathematics at the university.
There is a large park not far from the university. — Not far from the university there is a large park.
2. He won't be in hospital for two weeks. — He will be in the hospital for two weeks.
Is there a chemist's shop in the hospital? — Is there a pharmacy in the hospital?
3. The kids go to school by bus. — Children go to school by bus.
There was a fire at the school last year — Last year there was a fire at the school.
If someone is in school/hospital/prison, etc., because he is a student/patient/prisoner, then the article not used.
If someone is in a school/hospital/prison for some other reason, or if we mean a building, then it is used the.
How well do you know this grammatical topic?
Test yourself! You can find all online tests on the rules for using articles.
The indefinite article “a/an” is NOT used with plural nouns. He's also completely . You can say “a handful of water,” but the construction “a water” absolutely does not comply with the rules. When should you put “a” and when should you put “an”? How do you like the phrase “a actor?”? Without a “stub” in the form of the “n” sound, the vowels merge and are awkward to pronounce.
The rule is that we place “an” before a vowel, and “a” appears before a vowel. But there are many exceptions to the rule. In particular, "a year". The letter “Y” in the phonetics of the English language, but the article with it is used without the “n”.
“These terrible” articles behave just as strangely with a number of words beginning with the consonant “eych” - “h” - “an honest person”; "half an hour". If you think about it, this is still logical, since the consonant in this case is not readable; when pronouncing a word, the first sound will be just a consonant.
Our video about the difficulties of choosing between a and an. Did you know that the correct word is “a university”? Details in the video
When is the indefinite article (a/an) used?
1. The first and main function of the article “a/an”: make it clear to the interlocutor or reader that the object to which the article refers is important not in itself, but as part of many other similar objects. “A house” is just a house, one object from a group with the same characteristics, “house” is concrete house, it is important in itself, and not as a typical one.
If the speaker uses the indefinite article, then it matters to him that the subject is one of many with similar properties. "This is an apple." This Apple. This or that lies in the hand - the important thing is that it is an apple. "This is the apple." This is an apple that you have already bitten into, or someone has been talking to you about it before. It's something exceptional.
All other, more particular cases of using the indefinite article “a/an” are, in a sense, “children” in relation to the first and main one, which we just talked about.
2. A/an with the person's last name: As a rule, including with a person’s name, by definition, no article is needed. The article additionally “defines” the noun. Why is this necessary if a separate unique word was invented for the object: Ivan, Alexey, Joseph.
It will be “butter oil”. Yet there is one role that “a/an” can play here. This article is added when they want to enhance the sense of uncertainty “A certain Mister Smith” - it can be correctly translated as: “Some Mr. Smith” or “A certain Mister Smith.”
(You can learn more about using the indefinite article a/an with people’s names, – ed.)
3. The indefinite article in talking about food and food: breakfast or dinner can be “delicious”, “hearty”, “dense”, but what article should be used when talking about it. If the speaker wants to take an enumerative tone - “another breakfast” or make it clear that it doesn’t matter what it is or the issue with him has not been resolved, then “a/an” should be used.
Example: I quickly ate a filling lunch and ran away (I quickly ate a hearty lunch and ran on - ed.).
(You can learn more about the use of the indefinite article a/an with names of dishes and words denoting meals, - ed.).
4. The indefinite article with some prepositions: The choice of article in a particular case can be influenced by prepositions. Some of them “like” “a/an” more. If the preposition “like” means “how,” then there will almost always be an indefinite article between the noun and the preposition.
Example: He played tennis like a professional (He played tennis like a professional - ed.).
But in, used to denote the time of day or day, year, distance, and so on, “prefers” “the”.
(a special article on our website about the use of the indefinite article a/an with the prepositions with, like, in, – ed.).
5. Geographical names and the article “a/an”: with geographical objects, urban objects - usually these are proper names - the indefinite article is not used. They are all special, and an article with the meaning “one of many” could not suit them.
(You can learn more about the use of the indefinite article a/an with the names of various geographical objects, - ed.).
6. Indefinite article with words like “market” and “college”: You need to be careful with these and many other words. If they are used in a concrete material meaning, then the article a/an may be appropriate, but if the meaning is abstract, then they become uncountable and it is better not to use any article at all.
Example #1: This factor is effectively regulated by market (This factor is effectively regulated by the market - ed.).
Example #2: The city has one theater and a market, which is located near the church (The city has a theater and a market, which is located next to the church - ed.).
7. The indefinite article a/an and phrases with the preposition “of”: if the first part of a phrase of this type names one object, and the second part names a place where there are many such objects, then we use a/an. For example, “a soldier of the army”.
However, we almost always have the article “the” before the first part of the “of” phrase.
(You can learn more about the use of the indefinite article in of-phrases, - ed.)
8. Set expressions and the indefinite article “an/an”: Unfortunately, in some expressions, articles are used not according to the rule, but according to tradition, so the logical constructions that we set out in this article do not work with them.
For example, “pleasure” is supposed to be an uncountable noun and, however, it would be correct to say “It’s a pleasure” - this is a stable phrase, that’s all.
(You can learn more about the use of the indefinite article in some set expressions, - ed.).
9. Indefinite article and applications: There is whole line situations in which you need to put “a/an” in front of the application noun. One of them follows directly from the main function “a/an”.
If it is only important for us to clarify with the help of this appendix that the object named by the word being defined belongs to the class of some objects and only this is important, then we boldly put the indefinite article.
Example: He came in the flat, a local electrician he was, he asked me about the problem (He entered the apartment - a local electrician - then, he asked me what the problem was - ed.).
(You can learn more about the use of the indefinite article with applications, - ed.).
10. Indefinite article and nouns of time of day and year: If a descriptive definition appears before a noun of this type, then an indefinite article must be placed.
Example: I left the house in a hazy morning and headed for the South (I left the house on a foggy morning and headed south - ed.).
(You can learn more about using the indefinite article with nouns that denote part of the day or time of day
