Uses of the definite article the. What are articles in English for?

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Indefinite article a/an in English (the indefinite article) has two forms:

a[ə] - used before consonants. That is, if the word begins with a consonant sound, it is used a:

a b ok, a t able, a m an, a g irl, a c computer, a t omato, a yacht [ jɒt], a unit[ ˈj uːnɪt]

an[ən] - used before vowels. That is, if the word begins with a vowel sound, it is used an:

an a pple, an e ngineer, an i dea, an o range, an a nswer, an hour [ˈ aʊə(r)]

Please note that the choice of the form of the indefinite article is determined not by spelling, but by pronunciation.

For example, the word hour starts with a vowel, so we use the article an (an hour), although the first letter is a consonant h. Or, for example, the word yacht (yacht) spelled with a vowel y, but the consonant sound [j] is pronounced, so we choose a (a yacht). The use of different forms of the same article helps to make speech harmonious, light, natural. Try to pronounce a apple or an book and you will feel how difficult and uncomfortable it is.

Remember:

Indefinite article a/an used only with in the singular:

a pen(pen), a story(history), a chair(chair), a child(child), a flower(flower)

If the noun is used in the plural form, then the indefinite article is absent. The absence of an article before a noun is commonly referred to as the "zero article".

pens(pens), stories(stories), chairs(chairs), children(children), flowers(flowers)

When the indefinite article a / an is used

Below you will find a description of the main uses of the indefinite article. a/an in English.

№1

Indefinite article a/an used when we first mention an object or person. In this case, we assume that our interlocutor does not know what or who we are talking about.

Yesterday I bought a handbag. — I bought a bag yesterday.
Up until this point, I hadn't even said that I was going to buy a bag. That is, I mention this for the first time (my interlocutor does not know anything about this bag), hence the indefinite article a/an.

If you continue to talk about this bag, then the noun handbag (bag) will already be used with the definite article the, since this time the interlocutor knows which particular bag we are talking about:

Yesterday I bought a handbag. The handbag is very beautiful. — I bought a bag yesterday. The handbag is very beautiful.

Although most often a personal pronoun is used instead of a noun, it sounds more natural and avoids repetition:

Yesterday I bought a handbag. It is very beautiful. — I bought a bag yesterday. She is very beautiful.

№2

Indefinite article a/an is used when we are not talking about a given (specific) object or person, but simply about any, about some, about one of a group of the same objects or people. In other words, when we talk about an object or a person in general, not meaning a specific skirt, work, handle or dog:

I want to buy a skirt. — I want to buy a skirt. (some kind of skirt, I don’t know which one yet; I only know that I want a skirt, not a dress)
He refused to look for a job. He refused to look for a job. (any job)
give me a pen, please. - Give me a pen, please. (any, any)
It is a dog. - This is a dog. (some dog, any dog)

When we are not talking about a certain object or person, but about any, then further, if we need to re-designate it, we do not use personal pronouns or the definite article the. Again, we use the indefinite article a/an or pronoun one.

She wants a car but he says they don't need one. She wants a car, but he says they don't need it.
or
She wants a car but he says they don't need a car. She wants a car, but he says they don't need a car.
She wants to have a car (not a motorcycle, not a bicycle, but some kind of car, so a car), but he says that they do not need a car (they do not need any car at all, and not some specific one). Since in the second part of the sentence we are again talking about any / indefinite machine, we again use a car.

№3

Indefinite article a/an we also use to describe or give some information about what has already been mentioned before. In this case, an adjective is often used before the noun. Note that although the article comes before the adjective, it refers to the noun:

It is a beautiful place. - This is a beautiful place. (describe what this place is)
He is a clever boy. - He is a smart boy. (characterize what kind of boy he is)
Do you live in a big house? — Do you live in a big house? (we ask which house)

When we talk about a person's profession or work, we also use the indefinite article a/an:

She is a teacher. - She is a teacher.
I am a doctor. - I am a doctor.

№4

Historically indefinite article a/an derived from the numeral one (one). Hence the possibility in some cases to replace the article a/an numeral one. Such a substitution is possible when the article a/an essentially means "one". For example, this meaning of the indefinite article is observed in numerals a hundred (one hundred), a thousand (thousand), a million (million) and in the word a dozen (dozen) when they are used alone or before a noun:

This toy costs a thousand rubbles. = This toy costs one thousan d rubbles. This toy costs a thousand rubles (one thousand rubles).
give me a dozen, please. = Give me one dozen, please. - Give me a dozen, please (one dozen).

It is with the origin of the numeral one (one) and the meaning of the singularity of the indefinite article is connected, which is especially evident when expressing measures of time, distance, weight or quantity:

This chocolate bar costs a dollar. This bar of chocolate costs a dollar. (=one dollar, we can replace a dollar on the one dollar)
I'll call you in an hour. - I'll call you in an hour. (=in one hour, we can replace an hour on the one hour)
Can I have a kilo of tomatoes, please? — Can I have a kilo of tomatoes, please? (=one kilogram, we can replace a kilo on the one kilo)

Please note that the numeral one instead of the article a/an should be used only if you want to emphasize that it is about one object or person, that is, when you want to be very precise:

I have got one sister. - I have one sister. (not two sisters, not three, but only one)
I have got a sister. - I have a sister. (in this case, I'm just reporting that I have a sister)

The meaning of the singularity of the indefinite article can be seen in some stable phrases that convey the one-time action:

have a look- take a look
have a snack- have a snack
have a try- try, try
have a rest- relax
have a good time- have a good time
give a chance- give a chance
give a hint- hint
give a lift- give a ride
make a mistake- make a mistake
play a trick- play a trick

№5

Indefinite article a/an also used when it is necessary to indicate the quantity per unit of measure. For example, when we talk about the price of oranges per kilogram, the amount of wages per month, the number of classes per week, or the speed of a car per hour. The noun denoting this very one unit of measurement will be used with the indefinite article.

The oranges were 80 rubles a kilo. - Oranges cost 80 rubles per kilogram.
She works 8 hours a day. She works 8 hours a day.
I go to aerobics twice a week. — I go to aerobics twice a week.

№6

Indefinite article a/an can also be used with some uncountable abstract nouns (for example, humor - humor, hatred - hatred, anger - anger, magic - magic) when they carry an adjective. Usually such use of the indefinite article is characteristic of the book style and expresses the author's desire to emphasize the individual, special character of this or that abstract concept.

Note that in the case described above, the use of the indefinite article is optional. If you do not want to emphasize in a certain way the special character of any emotion, character trait, etc., the article a/an may not be used.

On a note

To learn how to use the indefinite article a/an more or less automatically, try forming this rule in your head: use the indefinite article with singular countable nouns when there is no other reason to use the definite article the or some other determiner (possessive or indefinite pronoun).

Today we will talk about the rules for using articles in English. There is no such concept in Russian grammar, so this topic is considered one of the most difficult. But in our article we will try to clarify everything. Using understandable examples, we will show when the definite article the is put, and in what cases - the indefinite article a / an or the zero article.

General rules for the use of articles in English

Why do we need an article in English? Its main function is to indicate the definiteness or indefiniteness of a noun. Therefore, there are two articles in English - the indefinite article a / an (indefinite article) and the definite article the (definite article). There is also such a thing as zero article (zero article).

The choice of one of the articles is inextricably linked with:

Indefinite article a/an is used with singular countable nouns.
Definite article the can be used with countable nouns (regardless of their number) and with uncountable nouns.
Zero article used with uncountable nouns or plural countable nouns.

I heard a story(a countable noun in the singular). - I've heard history.
It is good advice(uncountable noun). - This one good advice.
I liked the films(countable noun in plural). - I liked it films.

Students often make three typical mistakes when choosing an article:

Use the indefinite article a/an with plural countable nouns:
I'd like to buy a books. - I would like to buy books.
Use the indefinite article a/an with uncountable nouns:
I love a modern furniture. - I love modern furniture.
Use countable nouns in the singular without an article:
You should visit doctor a doctor. - You should go to doctor.
Give this toy to dog the dog. - Give me this toy. dog.

If a noun is used with an adjective, then we put the article before the adjective.

It is a hot day. - Today hot day.
It is the hottest day of this week. - This hottest day for this week.

We do not use the articles a, an, or the if the noun is already preceded by:

(my - mine, his - his);
(this - this, that - that);
numeral (one - one, two - two).

This is my house. - This my house.
I have one sister. - I have one sister.

The main principle of choosing the article in English: we put the indefinite article a / an when we are not talking about a particular object, person or phenomenon, but about one of many. If we are talking about something or someone specific, we use the definite article the.

Articles are not translated into Russian, but if you try to translate the meaning, then the indefinite article means “one”, the definite one means “this”, “that”.

I need a pure. - I need handbag. (one bag)
I need the pure I took yesterday. - I need handbag which I took yesterday. (the same, specific handbag)

A/An	The
I had an orange for lunch. - I ate for lunch. Orange. (some one orange)	The orange was delicious. - Orange was delicious. (the same orange that I ate for lunch)
My parents bought a car. - My parents bought car. (any one car, we don’t know which one)	The car is incredible. - A car amazing. (the same car that my parents bought)
Would you like to watch a film? - Would you like to have a look movie? (don't know which movie yet)	Sure, let's watch the film has been released this week. - Sure, let's see. movie which came out this week. (specific movie)

Watch two video clips: the first is about any movie, and the second is about a specific one:

To make it easier for you to remember the general rules for using articles in English, we suggest that you keep our author's scheme for yourself.

The indefinite article a/an in English

The choice of the indefinite article a or the indefinite article an depends on the sound with which the word following the article begins.

Put the article a if the word starts with a consonant: a f ilm /ə fɪlm/ (film), a c ake /ə keɪk/ (pie), a p lace /ə pleɪs/ (place).

Put the article an if the word starts with a vowel: an a rm /ən ɑːm/ (hand), an e gg /ən eɡ/ (egg), an i nteresting /ən ˈɪntrəstɪŋ/ book (an interesting book).

note:

The words house (house) and hour (hour) begin with the letter h. In the word house /haʊs/ the first sound is a consonant, so we put the article a - a house before it, and in the word hour /ˈaʊə(r)/ the first sound is a vowel, which means we choose the article an - an hour.

The words university (university) and umbrella (umbrella) begin with the letter u. In the word university /juːnɪˈvɜː(r)səti/, the first sound is a consonant, which means we need the article a - a university, and in the word umbrella /ʌmˈbrelə/ the first sound is a vowel, which means we use the article an - an umbrella.

In addition to the general rules, there are special cases of using the indefinite article a / an:

When we classify someone or something, that is, we indicate to which group, type, genus this someone or something belongs.
She's a nurse. - She works nurse.
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink. - "Coca-Cola" - non-alcoholic carbonated drink.
To indicate singularity when expressing measures of time, distance, weight, quantity, periodicity.
Lemonade costs $2 a liter. - Lemonade costs two dollars per ( one) liter.
I drive at 50 kilometers an hour. - I drive at a speed of 50 kilometers in ( one) hour.
I want a hundred roses. - Want hundred (one hundred) roses.

You will find more information on this topic in the article " The indefinite article in English".

The definite article the in English

In the general rules, we told the main cases of using the article the, now we will consider many special cases:

The definite article the is used with one-of-a-kind, exceptional objects: the sun (sun), the environment (environment), the internet (Internet).
The adjective will help to make objects unique: the tallest building (the tallest building), the best singer (the best singer), the most expensive car (the most expensive car).
And thanks to the words only (the only one), same (the same), first (the first) objects also become unique: the same exam (the same exam), the only person (the only person), the first time (the first time).
Yuri Gagarin was the first person in space. - Yuri Gagarin was first person in space.
To describe or refer to a group of objects, a class as a whole, use the construction "the + singular countable noun".
The Cheetah is the fastest animal in the world. - Cheetahs are the fastest animals in the world. (we are not talking about one cheetah, but about an animal species)
I play the piano. - I play piano.
I consider the telephone to be the most important invention. - I think that phone is the most important invention.
Also, when talking about a group of people, use the construction "the + adjective". Note that the verb in this case will be plural.
For example: the young (youth), the poor (poor), the homeless (homeless).
The young always argue with their parents. - Young people always arguing with his parents.
The same construction is used with adjectives that end in -ch, -sh, -ese, if all representatives of a nation are meant.
For example: the French (French), the English (English), the Chinese (Chinese).
The French are charming. - French people adorable.
The Vietnamese are very hard working. - Vietnamese very industrious.
When referring to all family members as a group of people, use the definite article the and the plural surname: the Joneses.
Often the definite article the is used with names:
- buildings (hotels, cinemas, theaters, museums, galleries, restaurants, pubs) - the Plaza hotel (Plaza hotel), the Odeon (Odeon restaurant), the Kremlin (Kremlin), the Red Lion pub (Red a lion");
- newspapers (the article is part of the name and is capitalized) - The Times (The Times newspaper), The Guardian (The Guardian newspaper);
- sporting events - the FIFA World Cup (world football championship);
- historical periods and events - the Bronze Age (Bronze Age), the Vietnam War (Vietnam War);
- famous ships and trains - the Mayflower (ship "Mayflower");
- organizations, political parties, institutions - the Red Cross (Red Cross), the Democratic Party (Democratic Party);
- with those names that have the preposition of - the Leaning Tower of Pisa (Leaning Tower of Pisa), the University of Cambridge (Cambridge University)
The definite article the is also used with some geographical names:
- with countries that contain the words states (states), kingdom (kingdom), federation (federation), republic (republic), emirates (emirates) in the name - the United States of America (United States of America), the United Kingdom (UK) , the Dominican Republic (Dominican Republic), the Russian Federation (Russian Federation);
- with the names of rivers, seas, canals, oceans, deserts, groups of islands, chains of mountains: the Amazon (Amazon), the Maldives (Maldives), the Black Sea (Black Sea), the Sahara (Sahara), the Panama Canal (Panama Canal) ).
With the words theater (theater), cinema (cinema), radio (radio), when we talk about pastime.
I often go to the cinema with my friends. - I often go to cinema with friends.

Zero article in English

In English, there are nouns with which the article is not used, such an article is called zero.

The article is not used in the following cases:

With uncountable nouns that denote food, substances, liquids, gases and abstract concepts.
I don't eat rice. - I do not eat rice.
With plural countable nouns when we are talking about something in general.
Wolves are predators. - Wolves- predators. (all wolves)
With names, surnames of people.
James like golf. - James loves golf.
With titles, ranks and forms of address, followed by the name - Queen Victoria (Queen Victoria), Mr Smith (Mr. Smith).
With the names of continents, countries, cities, streets, squares, bridges, parks, isolated mountains, individual islands, lakes.
He went to Australia. - He went to Australia.
With the names of pubs, restaurants, shops, banks and hotels that have a last name or first name that ends in -s or - "s - McDonald" s, Harrods.
With the names of sports, games, days of the week, months, meals, with the word TV (television).
Let's meet on Thursday and watch TV. - Let's meet at Thursday and see television.
I don't play football in February. - I don't play football in february.
With the words church (church), college (college), court (court), hospital (hospital), prison (prison), school (school), university (university), when we talk about them in general as public institutions. However, if we mean a building, we use the definite article the or the indefinite article a/an, depending on the context.
Noah is at school. - Noah in school. (He's a student)
His mother is at the school on a parents' meeting. - His mother in school at the parent meeting. (she came to a certain school building)
In some fixed expressions, for example:
- go to bed / be in bed;
- go to work / be at work / start work / finish work;
- go home / come home / arrive home / get home / be at home;
- go to sea / be at sea.
My husband is a night-watchman, so he goes to work when I go home. - My husband is a night watchman, so he he's going to work, when I I am going home.
Did you go to sea while I was in bed? - You went to sea, while I was in bed?
When describing a mode of transportation with the preposition by: by bus (by bus), by car (by car), by plane (by plane), by foot (on foot).

Finally, we offer to pass our test to consolidate the new material.

Test for the use of articles in English

If it seems to you that the meaning of speech will be clear even without the use of articles in English, you are right. You will be understood, but for native speakers it will sound about the same as for us the speech of foreigners without genders and cases: “I want water”, “My car is fast”. If you want to speak English fluently and fluently, we recommend that you save this article for yourself.

Please note that we have given the basic rules for using articles in English. In addition to them, there are many more nuances, exceptions and special cases that students with a level and above study.

Hi all! Each language has its own rules that lend themselves to logic and explanation, and there are exceptions that are subject only to cramming. If your native language is Russian and you study English, then you are very lucky. You will have to learn a lot less rules. When studying irregular or modal verbs, you may not agree with me. But believe me, there are far fewer rules and exceptions in English than in Russian. Definite article

Many cases of using, for example, articles in English can be reduced to a few basic rules, and in other cases, you need to learn how to find the logic of these same rules. Well, the rest, of course, you just have to memorize :). In this article, I will tell you about the basic rules for using the Definite Article in English.

You already know from previous lessons that there are two types of articles in English: uncertain (a/an) and definite (the), expressed by the given singular form. Individualizing "The", like the definite, came from the Old English language, where it served as a demonstrative pronoun "that"(this that).

By pointing at something or someone, you rid your speech of any uncertainty, and the interlocutor will immediately understand what you are talking about. " The"That's why it is called definite, because when it is used, it is immediately clear about what object, person or event and it's about: The sandwich on the table(identifies a specific book lying on a specific table).

In this way, Definite Article sometimes used when the person or thing mentioned is known to both the listener and the speaker (from the environment, context previously mentioned in the conversation): It is a table - this is a table. The table is at the wall - the table is near the wall.

Basic Rules for Using the Definite Article

The fact that Definite Article is derived from a demonstrative pronoun determines the basic rules for its use. "The", unlike "a/an", can be used in any number and placed before any nouns. But in what situation? So, the definite article is used before:

One of a kind items: The Moon moves around the Earth. — The moon moves around the earth.
Items that have a definition: The boy that has stolen a picture, was caught. The boy who stole the painting has been caught.(Which boy? - who stole the painting)
Objects from a restricted collection or group: The wheel of the lorry was missing. The truck didn't have a wheel.(One of the 4 or 6 wheels of the truck was missing).

Article The

These are the basic rules for using Definite Article.

In general, try to do this: put the pronoun “this” or “that” before the noun.If the meaning of the sentence or phrase does not change, then feel free to sculpt "The", and if it changes, then before an uncountable noun. in units we put “a / an”, and if this is a plural noun, then we don’t put the article at all!Simply and easily! But you need to know the rules, so let's continue.

The definite article with proper nouns

The definite article is used with the following proper names:

Astronomical names: the Sun, the North Star

Geographical names: the South Pole, the Hague, the Crimea

Mountain ranges: the Alps, the Urals

Rivers: the Thames, the Oka

Seas and oceans: the Baltic Sea, the Atlantic Ocean

Parts of the World: in the North, to the West

Channels: the Panama Canal, the English Channel

Names of some countries: the USA, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom

Nationalities: the Russians, the Americans

Deserts: the Sahara, the Gobi

City districts: the Bronx, the City

Names of institutions, unique buildings: the Kremlin, the White House

Vessel names: the Queen Elizabeth

Newspaper titles: the Times, the Guardian

Families: the Ivanovs, the Forsytes, the Simpsons

The definite article can also be used for additional clarification:

You are not the light-minded John I knew. You are no longer the flippant John I once knew. She married George Brown the George Brown who owns the local oil company. She married George Brown, but this is not the George Brown who owns the local oil company.

and before nicknames:

Nicky the Tall is a famous robber in this town. Tall Nicky is a famous robber in this city.

The indefinite article in English

Indefinite article (a) came from the numeral one and is used, as a rule, with singular nouns denoting countable items.

The indefinite article in English can have three meanings: classifying, generalizing and numerical.

The article in a classifying (accounting) meaning refers an object to a particular class or group of objects:

There is a ball on the grass. The ball is on the grass. (not a shuttlecock, not an elephant, not a man) It is a golf ball. This is a golf ball. (not for football or tennis) I smell an omelette. I can smell the omelet. (not soup or porridge)

That is, a noun with a classifying article assigns an object to a certain class, but does not directly refer to it.

This meaning also includes the use of the indefinite article in exclamatory sentences with the word what:

What a tall man! What a tall man!

and before singular countable nouns with words rather, quite, such And most(very):

It's quite a difficult question. This is a rather difficult question.

The article in a general sense means that the noun is a representative of a certain class, and everything that is said about it in the sentence can be attributed to other objects of this class:

A limerick is a short comic verse consisting of five lines. A limerick is a short humorous rhyme of five lines. A kitten is a young cat. A kitten is a young cat.

Unlike classifying articles, which introduce a new concept or information, that is, the most important part of the sentence, generalizing articles only open the statement.

Numerically, indefinite articles express their original meaning of the number "one":

We could stay in Prague for only a day. We could only stay in Prague for one day. This task will take me an hour. This task will take me (one) hour.

Also, articles in a numerical value can take on the meaning of “glass”, “portion”, “variety”, etc.:

I'd like whiskey. I would like (one) glass of whiskey. Let's drink a coffee or two? Shall we have a cup or two of coffee? a very expensive wine

27.11.2014

An article is a word that defines a noun.

There are two kinds of articles in English: definite (the) and indefinite (a/an).

Based on the names, respectively, the indefinite article is used when we are talking about a phenomenon that we meet for the first time, a subject in general, and a definite article is used when we are talking about something specific, or already encountered in a conversation.

The concept of the article is present in many languages of the world, but in the same number of languages it is absent.

So don't panic if your native language doesn't use articles.

The data will help you make fewer mistakes when speaking English.

It is very important to be able to use the correct articles in your speech or writing.

1. With the names of countries and continents

In this case, we do not use articles at all, BUT if the country name consists of parts, such as USA, UK, UAE, then our article appears the, and will be: the USA, the UK, the UAE, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands.

This also applies to continents and islands: usually we do not use the article, but if the name is collective, the definite article is the place to be.

For example: Africa, Europe, Bermuda, Tasmania BUT the Virgin Islands, the Bahamas.

She lived in America.
They live in England.
My friend is from the Czech Republic.

2. With the words breakfast, dinner, lunch

When it comes to eating in general, there is no article. But if you're talking about a specific breakfast, dinner, or lunch, use the.

For instance:

I don't eat breakfast.
We didn't like the dinner.

3. With job titles, professions

In this case, the indefinite article is used. a/an.

For example:

I want to be a politician.
My younger brother wants to be a vet.

4. With the names of the cardinal points

Usually the names of the cardinal directions are capitalized, so they are easy to recognize: the North, the South, the East, the West .

True, if a noun indicates a direction, then it should be used without an article and written with a small letter.

For example:

They went east.
The North is cooler than the South.

5. With the names of oceans, seas, rivers and canals

Remember that the definite article is always used with the names of these bodies of water.

For example: The Amazon, the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, the Suez Canal .

I would like to swim in the Red Sea, and you?
The Amazon is the longest river in the world.

6. With the names of unique phenomena

It means that a phenomenon or an object exists in one copy, one in its kind, in particular, the sun, the moon, the inter net , the sky , the earth.

For instance:

The sun is a star.
We looked up at all the stars in the sky.
He is always on the internet.

7. With uncountable nouns

This category of nouns implies those units and concepts that we cannot count. Plus, as an identification mark in most cases, they do not have an ending. -s- plural indicator.

But do not forget that there are ten exceptions to one rule, that is, if you are talking in general about any uncountable concept, there will be no article, but again, if the case is special, use the.

For example:

I like bread/milk/honey.
I like the bread/the milk/the honey. (Specifically this and nothing else.)

8. With surnames

If we are talking about members of the same family, you can put the article the before the surname. Thus, you designate a group of people, a family with one word.

For instance:

The Smith are coming for dinner today.
Have you seen the Jonson recently?

These are not all uses of articles in English. However, to begin with, remember these rules, gradually deepening your knowledge.

Uses of the definite article the. What are articles in English for?

When the indefinite article a / an is used

№1

№2

№3

№4

№5

№6

On a note

General rules for the use of articles in English

The indefinite article a/an in English

The definite article the in English

Zero article in English

Basic Rules for Using the Definite Article

Other uses of the definite article

The definite article with proper nouns

The indefinite article in English

1. With the names of countries and continents

2. With the words breakfast, dinner, lunch

3. With job titles, professions

4. With the names of the cardinal points

5. With the names of oceans, seas, rivers and canals

6. With the names of unique phenomena

7. With uncountable nouns

8. With surnames