I want a day or two more to make a final decision.

Поскольку отсутствие артикля при контекстном введении существительного во множественном числе является значимым, соответствуя вводящему (неопреде­ленному) артиклю при существительном в единственном числе, постольку такое отсутствие артикля можно условно назвать «вводящим нулевым артиклем».

Названия предметов, которые являются уникальными либо для человечества в целом, либо для данного общества или же отдельной группы людей, употреб­ляются, как правило, с определенным артиклем. Это соответствует его собст­венному указатетьно-отождествительному значению.

К типичным уникальным именам наиболее общего (универсального) характе­ра относятся, the sun, the moon, the sky, the horizon, the world, the universe, the ground, the atmosphere, the cosmos и др.

К типичным именам, уникальным в ограниченном смысле (уникальным в пределах некоторого общества) относятся the President, the Vice-President, the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State, the King, the Queen, me country (страна проживания), the nation (данный народ), the language (язык данного народа) ■

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По своему значению и контекстным функциям уникальные имена близки к именам собственным. Такую близость, между прочим, подчеркивает и то обстоя­тельство, что целый ряд уникальных имен пишутся с заглавной буквы (см. вы­шеприведенный выборочный список).

Универсально-уникальные и ограниченно-уникальные имена могут принимать и неопределенный артикль. Они употребляются с неопределенным артиклем тог­да, .когда используются в качестве обычных нарицательных имен, Т.е. обычных названий окружающих предметов (переводятся в план нарицательного использо­вания). Например:

A huge moon was rising over the horizon. Mr. Stone received us like a king.

С другой стороны, имена нарицательные становятся индивидуально-уникаль­ными при обозначении лица или предмета, выделенного в качестве единственно­го в своем роде для данной группы людей. Например: the manager, the boss, the teacher, the driver, the watchman, the host, the village, the river, the forest и т.д. Ср.:

The manager (i.e. the manager of our office) will be coming presently.

I can't leave the village (I.E. The village where we live) until Sunday.

Существительные несчисляемые (названия материалов, названия абстрактных понятий) при их «классифицирующем» введении в речь неопределенного артикля не принимают. Как и в случае отсутствия артикля при множественном числе существительных, это обусловлено вышеуказанной местоименно-нумеральной ос­новой семантики артикля. Следовательно, отсутствие артикля в данном употреб­лении существительного является значимым. Такое отсутствие артикля подходит под определение нулевого артикля; это - нулевой вводящий артикль, по своей контекстной функции соответствующий нулевому вводящему артиклю при мно­жественном числе счисляемых существительных. Например:

You should take this medicine with water.

Can we really dispense with sugar and salt as the essential ingredients of our food?

I don't like metal combined with plastic in one and the same object of everyday use.

Ср. абстрактные несчисляемые существительные в аналогичном употребле­нии:

Mrs. Carruthers always preferred poetry to prose.

Hard work will certainly provide for progress in your studies.

Наряду с данными употреблениями, отсутствие артикля может характеризо­вать употребление любого существительного, как несчисляемого, так и счисляе­мого, в значении абстрактного понятия, т.е. понятия, отчлененного, изолирован­ного от конкретного, единичного выявления обозначаемого предмета. Ср.:

Civilization does not mean just culture irrespective of the historical development of society. Civilization presupposes culture based on great social progress.

The invention of rocket has revolutionized modern technical thought. Такое отсутствие артикля, следовательно, может быть выделено в качестве третьей разновидности нулевого артикля - его «изолирующей» разновидности.

Итак, нулевой артикль существует в трех функционально-семантических

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разновидностях: во-первых, в виде вводящего нулевого артикля множественного числа существительных ("Introductory plural zero"); во-вторых, в виде вводящего нулевого артикля несчисляемых существительных ("introductory uncountable zero"); в-третьих, в виде изолирующего нулевого артикля существительных а аб­страктном употреблении ("isolation zero").

Все три варианта нулевого артикля следует отличать от стилистического опущения неопределенного или определенного артикля, в частности, от опуще­ния артикля в заголовках, в текстах рекламы, в телеграфном стиле, в разговор­но-фамильярном стиле. Ср.:

Cottage on sea-shore for sale. Lowest price imaginable.

Arrive same day Smith.

Hope project finished waiting for details.

Отмеченные варианты нулевого артикля следует отличать и от отсутствия артикля в некоторых устойчивых словосочетаниях и конструкциях, задаваемых отдельными списками. Ср.: in point of fact, on purpose, from morning till night, man and wife и т.д.

Как видим, в английском языке выделяются три типа собственно артиклево-го употребления существительных: определенный (указательный артикль), неоп­ределенный (вводящий артикль) и нулевой («вводяще-множественный», «вводя-ще-несчисляемый» и «изолирующий» варианты нулевого артикля). Эти типы со­ставляют парадигму, выражающую грамматическую категорию артиклевой детер­минации существительного. Существительное, соединяясь с тем или иным ар­тиклем, принимает «артиклевую форму», выражал именно то грамматическое значение, которое нужно говорящему для* передачи своих мыслей в конкретном коммуникативном контексте речи.

Итак, артикль - это не пассивный, контекстно-обусловленный спутник суще­ствительного, а активное средство выражения категориальной семантики особого рода. Данную семантико-категориальную природу артикля и следует учитывать в первую очередь для правильного речевого использования артикля, представляю­щего собой одну из важнейших строевых принадлежностей современного анг­лийского языка.

Авторы

• См.: М.Я, Блох. Теоретическая грамматика английского языка. М., 1983. - С 74 и след.

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Part I. ELEMENTARY KNOWLEDGE OF ARTICLES

Exercise I. Comment on the use of the definite and Indefinite article. In each case find an English equivalent of the article.

1. A knock was heard. 2. A week passed sadly away. 3. I dropped the subject. 4. I paused for a moment. 5. The clock said five. 6. The sea was choppy. 7. They heard a cry from the next field. 8. The air was cool and clear and full of promise. 9. An old man like me cannot talk about such things to a boy. 10. Do you need an umbrella? 11. He sat down on the chair near the door. 12. A liar is not believed when he tells the truth. 13. Did Ann get the job she applied for? 14. A drop of water wears away a stone. 15. The woods are fine, and so is the camp, and so is the weather, and so is the whole world.

Exercise 2. Insert articles if necessary. Pay attention to the use of the article with the noun-subject in the sentences with the introductory "Where".

1. 1 am sure there was ... sound on ... stairs. 2. There was ... sheet of ... paper in front of Winslow. Roy seized it, and began to write quickly. 3. Over ... wall, to my left there appeared ... face.

4. We ate in ... dining-room and there was ... clean tablecloth.

5. Was there ... postmark on ... envelope? 6. There was ... question I wanted to ask you. 7. There was ... dust in my eyes, ... dust in my throat when I came up from ... lowlands in ... evening. 8. You must go while there still ... time. 9. Between us there was .,. respect and confidence. 10. At ... railroad station he learned that there would be ... two-hour wait before ... next train. 11. There was ... small orchestra playing in ... room. 12. There was ... light knock on ... door leading from ... corridor. 13. There was ... rattling of ... trays in ... hall as ... afternoon tea was brought round. 14. Then there was ... casual letter after months of silence. 15. There isn't always ... expla­nation for everything. 16. On ... following Wednesday evening there was ... dinner-dance at ... country-club. 17. In ... evening there was ... great meeting of boys in ... School House Hall.

Exercise 3. Use the proper article. Pay particular attention to the use of the indefinite article before the noun-subject.

1. ... study was not ... very large room. There was not much light in ... room and there were ... bars fixed in ... window, but it was very comfortable. At ... farther end of ... room there was ... square table covered with ... red and blue tablecloth. On one side there was ... sofa; and there was ... strong wooden chair, so that ...

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three boys could sit and work together. On each side of ... room there were ... cupboards filled with ... schoolbooks, on ... shelf there were some cups, and two candlesticks.

2. ... room was about five feet six inches long and five feet wide. On ... shelves were six school-books, and some books about ... science and birds. On ... table there was ... big electrical machine. On one wall there was ... cage with ... bird in it. On ... other was ... small axe and some climbing irons. In ... candle box there was ... young family of ... mice.

3. There was ... wood-burning stove with ... chimney that went up through ... roof, and this kept us warm in ... winter. There was ... paraffin burner on which to boil ... kettle or cook ... stew and there was paraffin lamp hanging from ... ceiling

Exercise 4. Use the proper article. Pay attention to the use of the article before the noun-predicative.

1. "She is ... wonderful woman," said ... girl softly. 2. He was ... thin little boy, but his face looked sixteen. 3. ... editor was ... tall neat man of forty. 4. I am ... critic, and I'm ... novelist. 5. Dave is ... old friend. 6. It was ... true story. 7. Now, I understand, he's ... writer. 8. It was ... fine day, early in June, and ... air in King Street was bright. 9. His father was ... good soldier. 10. She was ... mother with three children. 11. That's ... good idea; let's arrange it like that. 12. I was told you were ... very good driver, and you are. 13. Look, Michael, I think this is ... great idea. 14. Now at last it was ... different world. 15. That's ... dreadful place for ... vacation. 16. Sir Warren was ... widower, but he didn't have any real money. 17. I'm ... professor of ... history at Bemis College. 18. ... British hospital was ... big villa built by ... Germans before ... war. 19. Honestly, his face is ... open book. 20. She was by nature ... sunny soul, and had always taken ... smallest excuse to be amused. 21. She's ... born actress. 22. He was ... marvellous story-teller. 23. She was (and is) ... good actress and ... very intelligent Woman. (These qualities do not always go together.) 24. When I was ... boy, times were bad for ... lot of people in ... England.

Exercise 5. Use the proper article. Pay attention to the use of the article with the noun-object,

I. 1. "I have ... daughter, "said Моr. "about fourteen. Her name is Felicity." 2. ... lady Franklin seemed to expect ... answer. 3. "I think he has ... fresh gentle face," she said firmly. 4. "We must send ... telegram to Grant and Sibyl," said Duncan. 5. Shall I order ... taxi? 6. "It must be ... wonderful thing to have grown-up son," said Miss Carter. 7. But I shall write ... post-card to Doctor Wing now. 8. She had ... pleasant voice and only ... trace of ... German accent. 9. He had ... wide mouth, ... magnificent teeth and ... very

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good manners. 10. He left ... door open and ... cool breeze came in. 11. Dave disapproves of ... way I live, and is always urging me to take ... regular job. 12. She had ... top half of ... house. 13. I am not ... person who can tell ... lie. 14. He did not have ... car of his own and there was no question of his having gone for ... drive. 15. He was wearing ... old navy-blue sweater and ... old cap on his head. 16. It is so silent. You can hear ... mouse moving. 17. I've never had ... weight problem. 18. He wore ... great green uniform and ... helmet like the Germans.

II. 1. Before leaving we had ... serious talk. 2. We had ... beautiful gossipy time. 3. I shall now go and have ... afternoon sleep. 4. Id spite of aspirins with my lunch I still had ... headache. 5. Tom was having ... bad rime and at last he was knocked off his legs on to ... ground. 6. She made ... speech in your favour. 7. He appears to have ... good sense of humour. 8. He gave ... look round ... room. 9. I made ... awful mistake ... first day. 10. He gave me ... blank stare. 11. He gave ... cry of pain. 12. Each time I gave him ... nod and ... smile. 13. Sony to put it like that but you won't seem to take ... hint 14. Oh, why do women take everything so intensely and make such ... fuss!

Exercise 6. Use the proper article. Point out the nouns which denote an object (fit a person) already mentioned.

I 1. He stopped and shook hands with me. He was walking with ... stranger. He did not introduce me to him. ... stranger nodded and smiled as we parted. 2. They found ... tea shop. ... tea shop was nearly empty. 3. ... mountains were ... long way away and you could see ... snow on their tops. ... snow looked very white and pure and unreal. 4. "Ah, good morning, Miss Chase," he said. ... girl answered with ... smile. 5. ... taxi had been ordered to take them to ... station. ... taxi was due in ... few minutes, and Felicity was still not ready. 6. About ... greatcoat he did not tell him, for could he not have spoken of it without ... tears.

II The Loyal Mongoose.

One day ... man brought home ... little mongoose as ... pet for his child. ... baby was very happy but his mother was not. She was afraid ... mongoose might bite him.

As ... days passed, ... mongoose grew up. It was fond of playing with ... child. One day ... mother had to go to ... market. She put her baby in ... cradle and asked her husband to look after him. ... father sat by ... cradle and rocked it Soon ... child fell asleep. ... mongoose sat on ... floor near ... cradle. ... father went to ... garden.

After some time ... mother returned. She carried ... basket full of ... vegetables. _ mongoose was waiting for her. It had ... blood all over its face. She was shocked because she thought ... mongoose had killed her baby. She threw ... heavy basket at ... mongoose. It was crushed to ... death. ... woman rushed into ... house. She found ...

child smiling. He raised his hands urging her to pick him up. Near ... cradle was ... dead snake. ... mongoose had killed ... snake to save ... child.

Exercise 7. Insert articles if necessary. Pay particular attention to the noun predicatives modified by limiting attributes.

1. This was ... first house I had in my mind to come to. 2. My father was ... fine mechanic. So, almost from birth, I began training to be ... mechanic 3. It wasn't ... respect he wanted, it was ... love. 4. This was ... door I normally used. 5. My father without ... slight­est doubt, was ... most marvellous and exciting father any boy ever had. 6. Now at last it was ... different world. 7. This was ... moment you'd been looking forward to. 8. The City is ... smallest city in ... United Kingdom, if not in the world. 9. Ansell? Wasn't he ... pleas­ant fellow who asked us to lunch? 10. It was ... poorest room Hilary had ever seen. 11. You are ... dearest little daydreamer in ... world. 12. "It's not ... real coffee, I'm afraid," she apologized. 13. He was ... only man from whom she would ask for help.

Exercise 8. Comment on the use of articles with abstract nouns.

1. Money attracts money. Graham Beresford had inherited it, he made it, inevitably, he had married it, too. 2. "Queen Anne is dead."-A sarcastic way of saying: That's old news. I heard it weeks ago." 3. He, too, had forgotten the state of the weather. 4. I never laugh at other people unless-unless they do bad work. 5. "It will be lovely weather in the country," said Dick. 6. Then again, though you don't know it yourself, you shirk hard work. 7. Sunday after Sunday, putting on his best clothes, he had walked over to the untidy house north of the Park, first to see Maisie's pictures, and then to criticize and advise upon them as he realized that they were productions on which advice would not be wasted. 8. He had broken the news to his family after dinner on a Saturday night.. "I'm going to South Africa to find diamond. I'll be on my way next week." - **Why do you not tell us where you're getting the money to go," his brother Ivan asked. "It's half-way round the world. You have no money." - "If I had money," Jamie retorted, "I wouldn't have to go looking for diamond, would I? Nobody there has money. Г11 be an| equal with all of them." 9. "The first thing I'm going to do is to put you back in my will, where you belong," - "I don't care about the money I only care about you." 10. Alexandra was overjoyed when she heard the news about Eve and her grandmother.

Exercise 9. Insert the definite article before abstract nouns if necessary.

1. When I heard ... news I felt perfect relief. 2. From J information we've got he agrees with the diagnosis of the doctor

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3. Doreen took ... money and counted it over carefully. 4. The essayer was in the canteen waiting when Jamie McGregor entered. He had obviously spreading ... news, because when Jamie walked in there was a sudden respectful rush. 5. "Well! I hear there is ... good news." Van der Merwe beamed. 6. The following morning Jamie went to see about ... work at the shipyard. 7. We came in to look for ... work. 8. Dr. Teeger said, "I'm afraid ... news is bad, Mrs. McGregor. Your husband has had a severe stroke." 9. When Kate arrived home that afternoon, Margaret broke ... news to her. 10. "Did Tony tell you he's going to have an exhibition, Mrs. Black-well?" - "Yes, he did. It's ... wonderful news." 11. "I've just had ... terrible news," he said. "My father suffered another heart attack." 12. From ... information we've got he agrees with the diagnosis of the doctor. 13. ... weather of late has been ideal. 14. ... very strange weather we are having. 15. An obsession drives to ... hard work. I myself have always worked like a demon. 16. ... weather in London is intolerably hot and the temperature seems to increase the traffic noise. 17. "And what's ... weather like outside?"

Exercise 10. Insert articles if necessary.

I. What ... shocking weather we are having! Too much rain and too little sunshine. ... sky has been covered with clouds for ... week. In ... mornings there is ... mist and in ... evenings there's ... fog. ... only good thing about it is there hasn't been much wind. But I see ... storm is coming according to ... weather forecast and we shall probably have a good deal of ... thunder and ... lightning. ... weather is not usually like this at this time of ... year. We don't get much rainfall anyway.

Usually we get ... east wind with a great deal of ... snow or ... hail and ... ice about this time of ... year. We often get a lot of ... cold weather but I've never known so much rainy weather.

II. The Storm.

... heavy clouds covered ... sky, obscuring ... moon and ... stars. ... night became black and ... heavy silence and ... feel of ... air told of ... coming storm.

Suddenly ... wind rose, sweeping, threatening and cold, over ... countryside. And with it came ... rain, ... heavy pelting rain first in ... large single drops but soon turning into ... downpour. ... leaves of trees whispered and hissed wetly under ... rain. ... flashes of ... lightning lit ... drowning countryside illuminating ... silver veil of ... heavy rain. ... peals of ... thunder rolled across ... sky and ... earth shook and quaked under its blows.

Then ... storm passed. ... lightning ceased and ... thunder died to ... sudden silence which only ... running and gurgling water broke.

Exercise 11. Translate into English.