THE DEFINITE ARTICLE

THE INDEFENITE ARTICLE

A\AN

THE ZERO ARTICLE

To identify a noun already mentioned

E.g. A dog has been barking all day and here is the dog now, standing outside the gate.

Before a singular countable noun when it is mentioned for the first tine and represents no particular thing or person

E.g. Could you lend me a pen?

Man, used to represent the human race

E.g. If oil supplies run out, man may have to fall back on the horse.

To identify a noun following by the modifiers

E.g. The dog that has been barking all day has finally stopped barking.

With a noun complement (дополнение) + names of profession.

E.g. It was an earthquake. He is an actor.

Before titles or ranks

E.g. Lord Oliver, Grand Duke (Bеликий князь)

Context known to both writer and reader

E.g. Have you been to the mountains recently? (mountains nearby that are known to everyone).

In expressions:

A lot of, a great many, a great deal of, a couple, a dozen

Before abstract nouns

E.g. Men fear death.

Identification of a class, especially in a generalization

• Followed by a noun, often singular

E.g. The nuclear threat is frightening.

• Followed by an adjective

E.g. The elderly are often lonely

With certain numbers: a hundred, a thousand

Before names of meals

E.g. The Scots have porridge for breakfast. But! The wedding breakfast was held in her father’s house.

The beginning of a phrase containing an appositive

E.g. This is my friend, the one I was telling you about.

Before half when half follows a whole number

E.g. one and a half kilos (1^1/2). But! Half a kilo (1/2).

Before names of games.

E.g. He plays golf.

When the object is unique: the earth, the sea, the sky, the equator, the stars etc.

Construction a + half + noun

E.g. a half-holiday, a half-portion.

Before parts of the body and articles of clothing (these prefers possessive adjectives)

E.g. He took off his coat.

Before a noun which by reason of locality can represent only one particular thing

E.g. Please pass the wine. (the wine on the table).

With ⅓, ¼ etc.

E.g. a third, a quarter etc.

Nature, where it means the spirit creating and motivating the world of plants and animals etc.

E.g. If you interfere with nature you will suffer for it.

The + singular noun can represent a class of animals or things

E.g. The deep-freeze has made life easier for housewives.

In expressions of price, speed, ratio etc.

E.g. 5p a kilo, sixty kilometers an hour.

To refer to all members of a class

E.g. Man proposes, God disposes. (man in the sense of all human beings).

Before a member of a certain group of people

E.g. The small shopkeeper is finding life increasingly difficult.

In exclamations before singular, countable nouns

E.g. Such a long queue! But! What pretty girls!

To distinguish one class from another

E.g. Dogs, and squirrels, are domestic animals.

Before certain proper names of seas, rivers, groups of islands, chains of mountains, plural names of countries, deserts, regions

E.g. The Atlantic, the Netherlands, the Sudan, the Sahara, the Alps, the Thames.

• Before names consisting of noun + of + noun

E.g. the Bay of Biscay, the Cape of Good Hope, the Gulf of Mexico, The Tower of London.

• Before names consisting of adjective + noun

E.g. The Arabian Sea, the New Forest, the National Gallery.

• East/west/south/north + noun

E.g. The West Indies. But! West Germany, South Africa.

Before Mr/Mrs/Miss + surname

A Mr. Smith means “a man called Smith” unknown to the speaker

To refer to an indefinite number but not necessarily to all members of a class

E.g. The edge of the field was marked by trees.

Before names of choirs ['kwai‌‌ə], orchestras, pop groups, names of newspapers, ships etc.

E.g. The Bach Choir, the Beatles, The Times, The Great Britain (ship).

Before a predicate noun after to be

E.g. Mrs. Seckson is a good friend

With plural nouns after be

E.g. Most of my friends are students.

With names of people

• The + plural surname = “the … family”

E.g. the Smiths

• The + singular name + clause/phrase (to distinguish one person from another of the same name)

E.g. We have two Mr. Smiths. Which do you want? – I want the Mr. Smith who signed the letter.

• Before titles containing of

E.g. the Duke of York

With uncountable nouns to mean a kind of, with kind of, certain

E.g. This man has an honesty that we all appreciate.

With institutions and practices felt to be unique

E.g. People are angry with the Congress.(there is only one Congress in the country).

But! People are angry with the city council. (one of many).

Letters written to two or more unmarried sisters jointly may be addressed The Misses + surname

E.g. The Misses Smith.

Names of languages

E.g. He was learning Chinese.

Before the names of sport and academic subjects

E.g. She plays badminton and basketball.

She’s taking economics and math. Her major is Religious Studies.

With seasons

E.g. In spring, we usually clean the house.

With diseases

E.g. He’s dying of pneumonia.

With time of day

E.g. We’ll be there around midnight.