The Article

Use of a/an

1. We use a/an before singular countable nouns.

A student a book an idea

We do not use a/an before plural countable nouns.

We do not normally use a/an before uncountable nouns.

We do not use singular countable nouns alone,

without a/an, the, my, this, etc. I'm a student.

2. We use a/an when the listener or reader does not know exactly which person or thing we mean.

There is a book on the table. (We don't know which book.)

He met a girl last night. She works in a bank.

(We don't know which girl, or which bank.)

3. We use a/an when we say what someone or something is.

I am an optimist.

Are you a bus driver?

It was a good movie.

She is a vegetarian.

Hill is a really nice person.

What a lovely dress!

4. We can use a = some: a number of, a few of, a group of, a pair of

A pair of jeans.

A number of students

5. In measuring

Three times a week.

Fifty kilometers an hour.

3.50 a kilo.

$15000 a year.

Formally, per can replace a/an.

• How often? Once a week; 8 hours a day; once a month; …

6. F We use a/an + noun meaning only one

(There is a pen on the desk) and one + noun when we want to emphasize that there is only one

(There is only one pen on the desk, not two.)

Use of the

1. We use the with singular countable nouns, plural countable nouns, and uncountable nouns.

the man the shoes the water

2. We use the when the listener or reader knows exactly which person or thing we mean:

3. We use the to talk about people and things that we have already mentioned.

I met a girl and a boy. I didn't like the boy much, but the girl was very nice.

My father bought a shirt and some shoes. The shoes were quite expensive

4. We use the when we say which people or things we mean.

Who is the man over there talking to Sue?

4. We use the when it is clear from the situation which people or things we mean.

'Where s Simon?' 'He's in the bathroom.' ( = the bathroom in this house)

Are you hot? I'll open the window. ( == the window in this room)

4. We use the before the same

Your pullover is the same color as mine.

These two photos are the same.

7. We use the cinema, the theatre with a general meaning. Which do you prefer, the cinema or the theatre

• The cinema, the theatre, the radio, but television.

We heard the news on the radio.

There is not a theatre in this town.

We watched the news on television.

I am going to buy a new radio.

There is a cat on TV. There is a cat on the TV.

The cat is on TV. The cat is on the TV.

8. Bed, work, home

To go to bed, to be /to stay in bed ‘It is time to go to bed.

• BUT I sat down on the bed (a particular piece of furniture)

Go to work, finish/start work, be at work What time are you at work?

Go home/come home/be at home’ It is late. Let’s go home.

9. We use the when there is only one of something e.g. the moon, the sky, the earth, the world, the ground, the environment, the town, the country (side), the sea(side), the mountains, the rain, the wind, the sun(shine), the snow .

I enjoy lying in the sun

Would you like to travel round the world?

I enjoy going for long walks in the country.

They often go to the mountains at weekends.

I like the sound of the rain.

• But space: There are millions of stars in space.

Another meaning: I was trying to park my car, but the space was too small.

10. Prison, School, Church, Hospital, University.

We don’t use the when we are thinking of the general idea of these places.

When I leave school I want to go to University.

Excuse me, where is the University, please? (the building)

He was sick, so he was taken to hospital.

Jill went to the hospital to visit him. (as a visitor)

11. We sometimes use the with a singular countable noun to talk about something in general. For example, with the names of animals, flowers and plants.

The dolphin is an intelligent animal.

The orchid is a beautiful flower. (the dolphin = dolphins in general; the orchid = orchids in general)

The tiger is threatened with extinction.

The dollar is the currency (= money) of the United States.

12. National groups; groups as a whole. ( THE English, Italian, French, Swiss, Japanese)

The French eat in restaurants more than the English.

Note that all these words end in –sh, -ch, -ese ( the English, the Irish, the French, the Dutch, the Japanese, the Chinese ).

With other nationalities we use a plural noun ending in –s with or without the: (the) Indians, (the) Germans, (the) Italians, (the) Mexicans, (the) Scots, (the) Turks

Single examples are not formed in the same way: a Frenchman/woman, an Englishman/woman.

13. Other groups

If these are clearly plural: The Social Democrats, The Rolling Stones; Note: Pink Floyd, Queen (no article)

14. Titles

These tend to be 'unique'. The director of studies

If the title is post-modified (has a description coming after the noun), the is more likely, but not essential.

She became President in 1998.

She became (the) President of the United States in 1998.

The may be part of the title, and so is capitalized.

Newspapers: The Independent, The Sunday Times;

Titles of books and films etc do not have the unless there is post-modification. The Phantom of the Opera.

15. Musical instruments

The is included if ability to play is mentioned. Jane plays the flute. A description of playing might not use the.

Jane played a flute and Paul played a recorder.

16. Emphatic use.

This is heavily stressed and emphasizes the following noun.

This hotel is the place to stay.

This book is the one that I was telling you about

17. Most and the most:

Most without an article means ‘the greater part’.

I live in London most of the time.

This is the most expensive hotel in town

18.Means of transport

We use by car/bus/train/plane etc, without an article, to talk about how we travel. We went to Rome by train.

We also say on foot (= walking) I came home on foot.

On the train, on the 6.25 train, on a bike, on a motorbike,

In my\his\a car, in a taxi…

19. The + adjective

We use the + adjective (without a noun) to talk about groups of people, especially:

the young, the old, the elderly, the rich, the poor, the unemployed, the homeless, the sick, the disabled, the injured, the dead

The young = young people, the rich = rich people etc.:

Do you think the rich should pay more taxes to help the poor?

The homeless need more help from the government.

These expressions are always plural in meaning. You cannot say 'a young' or 'an unemployed'.

You must say 'a young man', 'an unemployed woman' etc.

Note also that we say 'the poor' (not 'the poors'), 'the young' (not 'the youngs') etc.

20. Meals We do not normally use an article with the names of meals.

What time do you usually have breakfast?

When would you like to have dinner?

But we use the when we specify

I enjoyed the dinner we had last night.

We can also say a/the meal

We had a meal on the plane.

We also use a/an when there is an adjective before Breakfast/lunch/dinner/ etc. They had a large breakfast.

21. Nouns denoting parts of the day and names of seasons

In spring, in autumn, in winter…In the afternoon, in the evening, in the morning….

Early morning, early evening, early spring, early autumn….

Late summer, late autumn, late evening….

At down, at night, at daybreak ….

A warm summer evening, a cool night.