Watch this video to get a basic understanding of articles in English before reading the article.

Why are articles needed in English?

Did you know that the article is a part of speech that does not exist in Russian?

We change stress and word order to give a phrase a flavor that is strictly fixed in English.

See how the meaning of the phrase changes:

• I like the car.
• I like the car.

Do you sense a catch? In the first case, it is not clear what kind of machine we are talking about, but in the second we are talking about a specific machine.

In English, words cannot be interchanged, so articles are used to give the desired connotation to a phrase A, An And The.

Article rules

The concept of the article in English grammar is associated with the category of definiteness. Simplified, the article rule sounds like this:

Remember!

If we are talking about an unknown object, then the indefinite article A / An. If we are talking about something specific, then an article is placed before it The.

Assignment: What articles should be used in the following examples?

We bought a car.

We bought the car we saw yesterday.

Click on the arrows to get the answer.

Clue.

Article The descended from This(this) - you can point with your finger.
A / An descended from One(one).

That's why the article A/An used only in singular!

In a simplified form, the grammatical rules of articles can be represented as follows:

Plural noun?
Countable noun?
Have you heard of him before? (indefinite or definite article)
Are we talking about something in common?

What is the difference between the articles A and An?

Let's repeat!
Indefinite article A/An(which comes from one) We put only before in the singular!

So what's the difference between A And An?

Article A is placed before words that begin with consonants (a c at,a h ouse, a y ard), and An- before words that begin with vowels (an a pple, an h our).

Let this picture pop up before your eyes when you choose your food a And an.

When do we use the indefinite article?

1. When we classify an object, we attribute it to a certain group of objects.

• A cow is an animal. - A cow is an animal.
• An apple is a fruit. - An apple is a fruit.

2. When we characterize an object.

• My mother is a nurse. - My mother is a nurse.
• He is an idiot! - He's an idiot!

The scourge of all Russian speakers is articles. While this is clear and obvious to any European, it always seems to our brother that the British deliberately came up with such short words in order to confuse and mislead. But everything is much simpler than it seems.

Yes, in English (and almost any other) language, a noun does not exist without some kind of qualifying word. Whether it is an article, an adjective, a pronoun is not the point. The main thing is that Tamara and I go in pairs; the noun needs a pair: acat, mycat, thatcat, bigcat.

Now the good news: there are only two articles. Uncertain a and certain the. True, there is another variation - an. But this is a purely phonetic trick: it is impossible to say aapple(try it yourself - the feeling of stuttering is guaranteed), that's why they say anapple. And now a few nuances.

3.1.1 Indefinite article(The Indefinite Article)

It is used when it is unimportant/unknown (underline as appropriate) what subject we are talking about:

Take a pen. - Take a pen.

This means that you are simply asked to pick up a pen. None hidden meanings and hints. Compare:

Take the pen.- Take THIS/THAT pen.

Here it is already clear that you need to take a certain pen and no more. For example, the one who writes worse (so that she can get better results for herself).

The indefinite article was formed from the numeral one(one), and not at all from the first letter of the English alphabet, as you might think. Therefore, it’s easy to remember that you need to use it ONLY with a countable noun in the singular (you can’t say that you have one money). Such an article indicates a CLASS of objects, without highlighting any specific object.

I have got a dog.
But: I have got dogs.

3.1.2 Definite article(The Definite Article)

Unlike its counterpart, it was formed from demonstrative pronouns (this, that, these, those). Therefore, it can be used with both plural and singular nouns.

The man is rather angry.- This guy is pretty evil.
The bus near the green house is not yours!- That bus near the green house is not yours!
Thegirlsinourgrouparesokind. - The girls from our group are so kind. (meaning specifically the girls from the group)

3.1.3 Indefinite articlevsdefinite

On the one hand, it seems that everything is clear even from the name of the article: indefinite for a certain object, and definite for a specific one. However, there are nuances.

When we use the indefinite article:

. The noun is part nominal predicate(peace of mind! You can, of course, rummage through Wikipedia. But it’s enough to at least know that after any of the forms of the verb tobe, tohave article is used a)
Iamateacher. This is a lamp. There is a dress in her hands. She was a beautiful girl.

. Meaning "one".
I need an hour to be ready. - I need 1 hour to be ready.
Ican’ tsayaword. - I can't say a single word.

. A noun denotes a class of objects/living beings/people. Usually translated as any/any.
Astudentcangetupquicklywhenhereallyneedsit. - Any student will get up quickly in the morning if he really needs it.
A child will be happy to have a new toy.- Every child will be happy with a new toy.

. Before the name of the profession.
My father, a teacher of German, is rather furious today.

. In exclamatory sentences and intensifying constructions after what, such, quite, rather:
She is such a pretty girl! She's so pretty!
What a nasty child! What an impossible child!
It was quite a nice day. It was a pretty good day.

When we put the DEFINITE article:

If the situation makes it clear that we are talking about a specific subject.
Look at the woman! Her dress is so bright!- Look at that woman. Her dress is so bright!
Whereisthebook?!! - Well, where is (this) book?
Take the flowers and go away!- Take your flowers and get lost!

If this object has already been mentioned in the conversation.
When I came home there was a woman in the hall. Later I found out that the woman was my aunt. When I came home, there was a woman in the hall. Later I found out that this woman is my aunt.

If there is a clarification/definition that distinguishes the object from others.
The car of my boyfriend is not good enough.- My friend's car is not so good.
Showmetheletterinyourhands! - Well, show me the letter that is in your hands.

If the object is one of a kind: thesun, theEarth.

If you need to designate the entire class of objects at once:
The cat is independent.- A cat is an independent creature.
The apple-tree grows in Russia as well.- Apple trees also grow in Russia.

3.1.4 When we do not put ANY article(zero article) :

Before uncountable abstract nouns.
I appreciate kindness. I appreciate kindness.

Before plural nouns, when in the same situation they would put an article in the singular a.
There are books on the table. There are (some) books on the table.

Before proper names (first names, surnames, cities, streets, continents, islands):
I live in Kiev. America was found in 1492.

But! Used before oceans, seas, rivers, waterfalls, straits, countries in the plural (for example, the Philippines), countries with the words union/federation/kingdom/republic, and groups of islands/lake the:
The Netherlands, the Russian Federation, the Black Sea, the Atlantic Ocean.

Before the names of days of the week, months, seasons.
I like winter.
Let's go there on Friday

When the recipe for the vinaigrette in your head, mixed from articles, is finally known, we suggest chewing the dish thoroughly. Again in simple words And clear examples Let's focus on the key points of using definite and indefinite articles.

Have you exhaled? Did you manage to get confused? You can check by taking a test on this topic and many others. Let's test and practice :)

Despite the fact that initially the category of articles is absent in the consciousness of a Russian-speaking person, for the vast majority of modern European languages ​​it is extremely significant and is absorbed literally with mother’s milk. Therefore, today we will look at how to use the article a/an, the in English correctly so that you never make mistakes in the future.

Rules for using the article a

This article is called an indefinite article and always accompanies countable nouns in the singular, that is, those that can be counted or listed. The very essence of the article is expressed in the fact that it, together with an, is a remainder of the Old English word meaning "one". That's why the article a used exclusively with words in the singular. In addition, cases of using this particular article include the following:

• First mention of the item. For example, if the speaker is talking about his new notebook to a friend, he will say: Yesterday I bought a nice notebook. The notebook is green and pink. As you can see, the indefinite article was used for the first time a, in the second already definite article - everything is in accordance with the established rules.
• When naming a profession or type of activity, for example: She’s a doctor. I am a teacher.
• After the constructions there is, it is, that is, this is, for example: This is a beautiful dress. There is a computer on the table.
• If a noun is preceded by an adjective describing it, then the article will not destroy their connection, but will come before the adjective, for example: I’m a young boy. In that vase there was a beautiful red rose.
• After the words quite, such: Such a smart woman!
• In expressions denoting quantity, namely: a lot of, a couple, a dozen, a way too, a great many, a great deal of.
• In structures where a replaces the preposition per(in, for): 7 Euros a kilo, twice a day, etc.
• In exclamatory sentences of the following type: What a nasty weather! What a good puppy! What a tasty pancake!
• Sometimes accompanied by proper names, namely: Two days ago I met a Mrs. Black, which translates to “Yesterday I met some Mrs. Black."

Article an

It should be noted right away that this article is not independent and is only a form of the article described above a. Therefore for an The same rules of use are characteristic, but the main condition for its use is the presence of a situation in which the countable word in the singular begins with a vowel. Example: I’ve bought an apple. In his bag there is an orange. An umbrella is what I really need now!

Combinations you need to learn

For each article ( a/an, the) there is a set of certain stable combinations, by remembering which you can be sure that you will not fall flat on your face. Often it is on them that the compilers of all kinds of exams like to catch people learning the language.

For articles a/an You need to remember the following basic stable phrases:

• To be in a hurry - to be in a hurry, to hurry.
• To be at a loss - to be in difficulty, perplexed.
• To be in a rage - to be furious, furious.
• To have a headache - to have a headache.
• To have a toothache - to have a toothache.
• In a loud voice - in a loud voice.
• In a low voice - in a quiet, low voice.
• In a whisper - in a whisper.
• It’s a pity - what a pity; It's a pity that...
• It’s a shame - shame.
• It’s a pleasure - it’s a pleasure (to do something).

Definite article

The definite article is identical to the demonstrative pronoun “this” and “that” and is used with nouns in both singular and plural in the following situations:

• If we are talking about an object that has already been mentioned in the conversation, or the context allows us to understand which specific object from the set is being spoken about, for example: Yesterday I went in the cinema and saw a film. The film was absolutely not interesting.
• With words that serve as a nomination for unique objects, things or phenomena, one of a kind, namely: sun, sky, Earth, moon.
• After prepositions indicating a place, for example: There is a dog in front of the door.
• With adjectives in the superlative form.
• If one object implies a whole category, for example: The dog is a mammal (a dog is a mammal; this means not just one dog, but their total set).
• With ordinal numbers, namely: the second grade, etc. However, it is important to note here: if the numeral denotes a number, the article is not used at all, for example: Lesson 3, Section 6, page 172, etc.
• When mentioning cardinal directions: in the south.
• With a surname, if the whole family is meant, and not an individual member: the Petrovs (Petrovs).
• In sustainable designs that need to be remembered: in the morning/evening/afternoon, to the theater/cinema, to the market/shop.
• Always with the words: same, next, only, very, previous, last, left, right, upper, very, central, following, main.
• Together with adjectives that have passed into another part of speech, to nouns (such words are called substantivized), namely: The rich (rich people) and others.

The definite article is also used with geographical names of all:

• rivers (the Neva);
• oceans (the Pacific Ocean);
• seas (the Red Sea);
• lakes (the Baikal; however, if there is the word lake, for example Lake Superior and etc., the use of the article is not required at all);
• channels;
• straits and bays;
• mountain ranges (the Alps);
• deserts (the Victoria Desert);
• archipelagos and islands (the British Isles);
• states, if their name contains the words Kingdom, Federation, Republic (for example, the Dominican Republic), if the name is in the plural (the Netherlands) or is an abbreviation (the USA);
• in two cases of exceptions: the Gambia and the Bahamas;
• with the names of cinemas, theaters, newspapers ( The New York Times), magazines, hotels.

And again idioms

Another portion of stable phrases, actively used in everyday speech by the British and everyone who can speak their language, but with an article the, looks like this:

• To tell (or speak) the truth - to tell the truth. You can remember with the help of association: there is only one truth, there are many lies (that’s why they say a lie).
• To play the piano - play the piano.
• In the day-time - in daytime, during the day.
• To read in the original - read in the original (i.e. not in translation).
• On the one hand… on the other hand… - on the one hand (one opinion)…, on the other hand (another opinion).
• It’s out of the question - there can be no question of this.

So, when the basic rules for how the article is used a/an, the, considered, it’s time to deal with the zero article and find out why these categories were formed in the English language, but not in Russian. In addition, it is also necessary to develop the theoretical basis through practical exercises.

Without article

There is a certain set of situations when the use of an article is not required (zero article, or “zero”). This includes the following cases:

• If the word is used in the plural and in a general sense, for example: Children like bonbons (in general, all children (any) love candy).
• WITH uncountable nouns, if no defining or descriptive units are given: My father likes music.
• With proper names (countries, cities, human names).
• With nominations for days of the week and months, for example: September, monday.
• With the words breakfast, lunch, dinner.
• When a word already has determiners in the form of possessive and demonstrative pronouns, as well as the words any, every, some.
• Along with the names vehicles travel: I prefer traveling by plane.
• With words denoting sports.
• With nouns denoting parents, family, educational institutions (if there is no specification and clarification): Are you at college?
• With words expressing insufficiency: few, little.
• With names of holidays (Easter, Christmas).
• With nominations of diseases (flu, cancer).
• And also in a number of stable combinations.

How English developed. Articles a/the: history of appearance

It must be said that articles did not exist in languages ​​immediately. In addition, even foreigners who have a system of articles in their native languages ​​cannot always understand the system of this functional part of speech in another language. For example, the system of articles is considered the most sophisticated and complex German language, however, many people in Germany admit that they absolutely cannot understand the pattern of using English articles, and vice versa.

Article a/an, the, as well as zero - all this is natural for a native English speaker today, and it’s clear why. The fact is that the history of the English language as a whole is the history of a grammatical revolution. At a certain period of its development, this representative of the Indo-European language family took and changed the conjunction “pronoun + noun”, so characteristic, for example, of Slavic languages, on the connective “noun + article”.

Resources that can help you practice the material

Today articles a/the, the rules of use of which were discussed above, sometimes become a stumbling block at the very beginning of the journey of learning English. Therefore, this article has collected resources and materials that will help solve the difficulties that have arisen:

1. Duolingo is a site where all topics, including articles a/the, the use and examples of which have already been covered in detail in the article, are provided with visual tables and explanations.
2. Njnj is a seemingly unremarkable service, but useful at least for a one-time visit. Here anyone can practice articles a/the; the exercises contain the keys.
3. Lim-english - site for the final stage. Here you can fix articles a/the; The tests, among other rules, cover this section and ask you to test yourself by answering 20 questions.

Afterword

As you can see, there is nothing wrong with articles. Yes, it is extremely unusual for a Russian-speaking person just starting to get acquainted with foreign languages ​​to use them, but here, as you know, the main thing is experience and practice. Regular practice, watching films and listening to original music will quickly help you accept and understand the category of articles.

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

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

a b ook, 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 a word begins with a vowel sound, use 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 sound, so we use the article an (an hour), although the first letter in writing is a consonant h. Or, for example, the word yacht (yacht) written with a vowel y, but the consonant sound [j] is pronounced, so we choose a (a yacht). Usage different forms the same article helps to make speech harmonious, easy, and natural. Try to pronounce an apple or an book, and you will feel how difficult and uncomfortable it is.

Remember:

Indefinite article a/an used only with singular:

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

If the noun is used in the plural form, then there is no indefinite article. The absence of an article before a noun is usually called the "zero article".

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

When to use the indefinite article a/an

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 exactly we are talking about.

Yesterday I bought a handbag. — Yesterday I bought a handbag.
Up until this point, I hadn’t even talked about how I was going to buy a bag. That is, I mention this for the first time (my interlocutor knows nothing 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 specific bag we are talking about:

Yesterday I bought a handbag. The handbag is very beautiful. — Yesterday I bought a handbag. 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. — Yesterday I bought a handbag. 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, some, one of a group of the same objects or people. In other words, when we talk about an object or person in general, without having a specific one in mind skirt, work, pen 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 work. (some kind of work)
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 specific object or person, but about anyone, then further, if we need to re-designate it, we do not use personal pronouns or the definite article the. And 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 don’t need a car (they don’t need any car at all, not just a 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 it to describe or give any information about something that has already been mentioned earlier. In this case, an adjective is often used before the noun. Please note that although the article comes before an adjective, it refers to a noun:

It is a beautiful place. - This is a beautiful place. (describe what this place is)
He is a clever boy. - He's a smart boy. (we characterize what kind of boy he is)
Do you live in a big house? — Do you live in 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's a teacher.
I am a doctor. - I am a doctor.

№4

Historically indefinite article a/an came from the numeral one (one). Hence the possibility in some cases to replace the article a/an numeral one. Such a replacement 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 independently or before a noun:

This toy costs a thousand roubles. = This toy costs one thousan d roubles. — 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 precisely with the origin from the numeral one (one) and the meaning of the singularity of the indefinite article is associated, which is especially evident when expressing measures of time, distance, weight or quantity:

This chocolate bar costs a dollar. — This chocolate bar costs a dollar. (=one dollar, we can replace a dollar on 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 one hour)
Can I have a kilo of tomatoes, please? — Can I have a kilogram of tomatoes, please? (=one kilogram, we can replace a kilo on one kilo)

Please note that the numeral one instead of an article a/an should only be used when you want to emphasize that you are talking about just one thing 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 just say that I have a sister)

The meaning of the singularity of the indefinite article can be seen in some stable phrases, conveying a one-time action:

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

№5

Indefinite article a/an also used when it is necessary to indicate the quantity per unit of measurement. 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. A noun denoting this same 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) in the case when they have an adjective with them. Typically, such use of the indefinite article is characteristic of book style and expresses the author’s desire to emphasize the individual, special character of this or that abstract concept.

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

Note

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

The article is a functional part of speech in English. Always used with a noun and refers to the inherent characteristics of the noun. There are some rules for using articles in English.

Indefinite article

There are two forms of the indefinite article: a and an.

This article originates from the ancient Greek numeral “an”, which translates as “one”. The consequence of this is that it is used only before countable nouns used in the singular. When using the plural, the article an is not used or can be replaced by some pronouns such as some and any.

The indefinite article a is used:

1) before consonants (a blade - blade, a tree - tree, a garden - garden);
2) before the letter u (a university - university, a universe - universe, a utility - benefit);
3) before the letter h (a horse - horse, a helmet - helmet, a hero - hero).

The indefinite article an is used:

1) before the vowels o, i, a, e (an apple - apple, an elephant - elephant, an ivory - ivory);
2) before the letter u [^] (an uncle - uncle, an umbrella - umbrella, an unambiguity - unambiguity).

Definite article

The definite article has one form, the. The origin of this article goes back to the word that (that). This article can be used with both plural and singular nouns.

There are also rules for the use of articles in English in relation to certain groups of nouns.

The article is not used before the names of squares and streets. This rule also applies to the names of metro stations, airports and parks. For example: Fifth Avenue - 5th Avenue, Red Square - Red Square, Domodedovo Airport - Domodedovo Airport.

When using hotel names in speech or writing, the definite article is usually used: the Hotel Riga - Riga Hotel, the Hotel Europe - Europe Hotel, the Hotel Hennies - Hennies Hotel.

The use of names of days of the week, months and seasons requires some care in relation to articles.

1) So, the names of the days of the week are used without articles. The same applies to the names of months and seasons, found both in pure form, and in combination with some frequently used adjectives (last - past, next - next). Examples: last winter - last winter, in summer - in summer, on Monday - on Monday.

2) If we are talking about situations that are facts, that is, some description is being made, then the indefinite article is used. Examples: It was a rainy week in Moscow (This week in Moscow was rainy). I saw some trees in the garden on a Sunday (on one of the Sunday this year) (I saw some trees in the garden on Sunday).

3) If we are talking about a strictly defined situation or event, then the article the is used with the names of seasons, months and days of the week. Often in such sentences we are talking about exact date or time period. Examples: The meeting was in the January of 2012 (The meeting was in January 2012). New company was located in the winter (The company was founded in winter).

The use of words denoting times of day also has its own characteristics in terms of the use of articles.

1) The article the is used when talking about a certain period of the day. Examples: The morning is good time to do exercises. The night was cold (The night was cold).

2) The article the is also used if the noun occurs with the preposition in. Examples: I saw you in the evening (I saw you in the evening). The sun shines in the morning (The sun shines in the morning).

3) If these nouns perform the function of a complement in a sentence, then they are used without an article. Examples: I wish it was morning (It’s a pity that it’s not morning). He likes evening (He loves evenings).

4) In combination with prepositions, they are used without articles (by day - during the day, at night - at night, from morning till night - from morning to evening).

5) When using an adjective together with a similar noun, use the indefinite article. Examples: What a wonderful day! It was a terrible evening (It was a terrible evening).

When using words that describe objects that are unique and unique, the definite article is used (the moon - the moon, the earth - the earth, the sun - the sun).

There are also some noun combinations that do not use an article. Characteristic feature Such combinations are the repetition of the same noun (from time to time - from time to time, day by day - day after day).

When using geographical names, the definite article the is used (this applies to the names of rivers, seas, oceans, mountains, states, cities). Examples: the Altai - Altai, the Ukraine - Ukraine, the Gulf of Mexico - Gulf of Mexico.