A/an

The

No article

1. singular countable nouns:

• a student

1. when it is clear in the situation which thing or person we mean:

• Turn off the light, please. (= the light in this room)

1. plural countable nouns:

• students

2. uncountable nouns, used in the meaning of countable nouns:

• I bought a paper to read. (= a newspaper)

but

• I need paper to write on. (= material for writing on)

2. when we are thinking of a specific thing:

• I mended the computer yesterday (= my computer)

2. uncountable nouns:

• water, ore

3. when we mention thing or person for the first time:

• A man was sitting opposite me.

3. only one of something:

• The captain is on deck. (there is only one captain on a ship)

3. in the word television

but

The television = the television set

4. singular:

• nationality can be singular a Japanese, a Sudanese, a Swiss

4. we say: the sky, the sea, the ground, the country, the environment

4. noun + article: room 127 (in a hotel) question 3 (in an exam)

5. if the plural noun of a nationality ends in –s:

• an Italian -> Italians;

• a Turk -> Turks;

5. before same:

• the same

5. prison, hospital, university, college and church (as a general idea of these places)

6. usually the radio

6. bed; work; home

7. with most places: the cinema, the bank, the theatre, the post office

7. go to sea; be at sea; go/be on voyage

8. when we mean a type of something:

• The computer is my favourite device.

8. about things or people in general:

• My favourite subject is physics.

9. the + adjective (without a noun) to talk about groups of people:

• the young

• the unemployed

9. man (= human beings in general/ the human race)

10. the + nationality adjectives ending in –ch or –sh:

• the English

• the Spanish

ending in –ese:

• the Chinese

• the Japanese

• the Sudanese

10. before names of people, continents, countries, states, islands, cities, towns, mountains etc.:

• Jack

• Europe

• Bermuda

• Cairo

• Everest

11. in names with Republic, Kingdom, States:

• the United Kingdom

• the Republic of Belarus

11. Mr./Mrs./Captain/Doctor etc. + a name:

• President Johnson

• Doctor Johnson

mount (= mountain) and lake in the same way

• Mount Etna

12. with plural names of people and places:

• the Taylors

• the Rocky Mountains

12. names of companies, airlines etc.:

• Sony

• Apple

• IBM

13. before adjectives and adverbs in a comparative degree:

• The sooner you come back the better.

13. with prepositions from, to:

• from side to side

• from day to day

14. if a noun is an object to a verb:

• to lose sight

• to take part

A/an

a lot of, a great deal of, a good deal of, a great number of, a good many, a great many много

a few несколько

a little немного

all of a sudden внезапно

as a result of в результате чего-либо

as a matter of fact фактически, на самом деле

at a time одновременно, за один раз

at a speed of со скоростью в

for a short (long) time в течение ко­роткого (долгого) времени, на ко­роткий (долгий) срок

at a time when в то время когда

in a loud (low) voice громким (ти­хим) голосом

on a large (small) scale в большом (малом) масштабе

it is a pity жаль

to be in a hurry спешить

to be in a position быть в состоянии

to be at a loss быть в затруднении

to have a good time хорошо про­вести время

to have a mind намереваться

to have a headache испытывать го­ловную боль

to have a cold быть простуженным

to go for a walk пойти гулять

to take a seat сесть

The

in the morning утром

in the evening вечером

in the afternoon днем, после полудня

in the night ночью

in the country за городом, в деревне

on the right (left) справа (слева)

on the one (other) hand с одной (другой) стороны

on the whole в целом, в общем

the day before yesterday позавчера

the day after tomorrow послезавтра

the other day на днях

What is the time? Который час?

to tell the time говорить который час

to go to the theatre (the cinema, the pictures) ходить в театр (кино) to play the piano (the violin) играть на пианино (на скрипке)

to tell the truth говорить правду

to pass the time проводить время

to run the risk подвергаться риску

No article

at night ночью

at dinner (breakfast, supper) за обе­дом (завтраком, ужином)

at home дома

at school в школе (на занятиях)

at work за работой

at sunset при заходе солнца

at first sight с первого взгляда

at peace в мире

at table за столом (т. е. за обедом, завтраком, ужином)

at war в состоянии войны

by mistake по ошибке

by name по имени

in time вовремя

in debt в долгу

in demand в спросе

in sight в поле зрения

in fact в действительности

in conclusion в заключение

on board a ship на борту судна

on deck на палубе

on demand по требованию

on credit в кредит

on sale в продаже

by tram (train, boat, bus, etc.) трам­ваем (поездом, пароходом, автобу­сом и т. д.)

by air воздушным путем

by water водным путем

by sea морем

by land сухопутным путем

by day днем

by post (air mail) по почте (воздуш­ной почтой)

by heart наизусть

by chance случайно

day after day день за днем

day and night днем и ночью

side by side бок о бок

to be in town быть в городе (в зна­чении: не в отъезде, не за горо­дом)

to be in bed лежать в постели

to go to bed ложиться спать

to go to school ходить в школу (учиться)

to go to town поехать в город (в зна­чении: поехать в город из его окре­стностей)