ARTICLES
A and an are indefinite articles that can be used only before singular countable
nouns; the can be used before uncountable (mass) nouns and before countable
plural nouns. No article, often called the zero article, identifies certain indefinite
meanings of nouns. Articles are determiners and come before the nouns they
modify. Except with ordinals such as the first, second, third, or the last, articles
do not come directly before pronouns.
I- THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE
a or an
a or an comes before a singular countable noun. A comes before a consonant
sound, but an comes before a vowel sound. Choose according to pronunciation,
not spelling.
a ball an apple a university
a hospital an eagle an honest man
a car an office a year
Use a (n)
1. Before an unidentified singular countable noun that is one example of its
class, but the number one is not being emphasized.
A black dog is standing in the road.
(the emphasis is not on the number.)
One black dog is standing in the road.
(the emphasis is on the number one.)
2. Before an unidentified singular countable noun that is representative of its
class, as in a definition.
A dog is a domestic animal.
3. Before a predicate noun after to be if no other determiner is used.
Mrs. Seckson is a good friend.
Man O’War was a famous racehorse.
4. With uncountable nouns to mean a kind of, or with kind of, or certain.
This man has an honesty that we all appreciate.
A greater unity is needed.
Literature of other countries gives us an insight into other cultures.
5. Before few and little to mean some but not many (see Confusing choices,
few, a few) Plural forms for a(n) are the zero article and some.
II- THE DEFINITE ARTICLE
They can be used with all nouns.
1- Use the to identify a noun that shows
• Reference backward to a noun already mentioned.
A dog has been barking all day and here is the dog now, standing
outside the gate.
• Reference forward to an identification soon to be made, often by
modifiers following the noun.
The man at the door wants to speak to you.
The dog that has been barking all day has finally stopped
Barking. Every student should know something about the history of
his own country.
2- Use the before superlatives and before ordinal numbers.
This is the best cake I have ever eaten.
China has the largest population of all countries in the world.
Mr. Everest is the highest mountain in the world.
Charles Lindbergh was the first person to fly the Atlantic alone.
Note: Ordinal numbers used alone may have the zero article.
She was first in her class.
Our team is third in the standings.
• Context known to both writer and reader.
Here comes the teacher. (one teacher known to the class).
Turn on the light in the kitchen. (only one light in one
kitchen)
Have you been to the mountains recently? (mountains nearby
that are known to everyone)
They prefer to live in the city. (The reader, it is assumed,
understands the difference between living in the country or
suburbs and living in the city.
• Identification of a class, especially in a generalization.
Followed by a noun, often singular:
The child is the hope of the future.
The nuclear threat is frightening.
Followed by an adjective (see Adjectives, the + adjective):
The elderly are often lonely.
The handicapped need access to public buildings.
The poor were the victims.
• The beginning of a phrase containing an opposite.
This is my friend, the one I was telling you about.
Do this experiment first, the experiment on page 29.
III- THE ZERO ARTICLE
1- Use the zero article (absence of an article)
• To refer to all members of a class.
Dogs are domestic animals. (all dogs)
Mary likes dogs. (all dogs)
Man proposes, God disposes. (Man in the sense of all human beings)
• To distinguish one class from another
Dogs, not squirrels, are domestic animals.
Mary likes dogs, not cats.
Man, not woman, boxers.
• To refer to an indefinite number but not necessarily to all members of a
class.
Leaves are beginning to fall. (many)
Engineers make good salaries. (many)
The edge of the field was marked by trees.
• With plural nouns after be.
Most of my friends are students.
His sisters are teachers.
• With institutions and practices felt to be unique.
School begins on Monday. (a particular Monday)
Breakfast will be late tomorrow. (there will be only one breakfast tomorrow)
People are angry with Congress. (there is only one Congress in the country)
But
People are angry with the state legislature. (one of many)
People are angry with the city council. (one of many)
• With set phrases, usually pairs, such as:
Man and wife
Father and son
Brother and sister
Lock and key
Sun, moon, and stars
Heaven and hell
Wind and rain
Snow and sleet
Go (come) home
• With set prepositional phrases, such as:
At war In danger On guard
At peace In need On purpose
At ease In tears On fire
At rest In reply On sale
At sea In love On vacation
At lunch In difficulty On time
On duty
On land (and sea)
By accident Out of control
By design Out of danger
By heart Out of date
By surprise Out of doors
By chance Out of order
By mistake Out of stock
By bus, plane, car Out of turn
You can find set phrases in dictionaries. Look the object word up if you are not
sure of its use: war, peace, danger, and so on. Dictionaries written for non-native
speakers give more information about set phrases than other dictionaries do.
• With nouns used in headlines in newspapers, captions in books, signs,
labels and the like.
PRISONER FREED ENTRANCE TO PARKING BEWARE OF DOG
Some
Use some of an indefinite amount with uncountable nouns.
He wants some rice.
She is taking some instruction in music now.
Mrs. Johnson gave us some good advice.
You can find some information about television shows in today’s newspaper.
Any
Use any in place of some in questions and negatives.
(See Confusion choices, any, some, Negation and Questions)
He doesn’t want any rice.
She isn’t taking any instruction in music now.
Mrs. Johnson didn’t give us any good advice.
You cannot find any information about television shows in today’s newspaper.
Note: Any may be used in the sense of “it doesn’t matter which.”
Any of the suits on this rack will fit you.
He has enough money to buy any car he wants.
Any doctor can tell you what long hours he works.
IV- ARTICLES WITH PROPER NOUNS
1- Use A or An
• When using a proper noun to indicate the characteristics of the person
named.
He is a Hercules. (very strong)
She is a Florence Nightingale. (a kind nurse)
• To mean “ a certain person whose name is.”
A Dr. Jones called this morning.
A Mr. Johnson is looking for you.
2- Use The
• For a family name in the plural.
The Hendersons have moved.
The Smiths came this evening.
Note: Do not use an apostrophe in plural family names that are not possessive.
• To distinguish two people who have the same name.
The George Brown who teaches here is not the George Brown you knew in
college.
• When the article is accepted as part of a geographical name such as:
COUNTRIES: The Netherlands The united States of the U.S.
The Philippines The Soviet union or the U.S.S.R.
SEAS AND OCEANS: The Black Sea The Pacific (Ocean)
The Red Sea The Atlantic
(Ocean)
The Indian Ocean The Baltic (Sea)
The North Sea The Mediterranean
(Sea)
Ocean or sea is always part of the name in the list on the left, but you may leave
it out in the list on the right. Do not use the with names of individual lakes, but
the Great Lakes means collectively Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan,
Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario.
RIVERS: The Amazon The Mississipi
The Ganges The Nile
MOUNTAIN RANGES:
The Alps,The Andes, The Rockies or the Rocky Mountains, The Himalayas or
the Himalaya Mountains.
Most individual peaks do not have the in their name, but the Matterhorn does.
1. When the article is accepted as part of any kind of proper name.
The Arizona The Grof Spee
The Queen Elizabeth II The Norway
The Times The Times of India
The New York Times But Time (magazine)