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Definite, Indefinite and Zero Article

The document discusses the use of definite, indefinite, and zero articles in English. It provides 11 rules for using the definite article "the", 5 rules for the indefinite articles "a" and "an", and 16 cases where no article is used, such as with names of countries, languages, meals, and uncountable nouns. The definite article is used to refer to something already mentioned or known to both the speaker and listener. The indefinite article introduces a new thing or person. No article is used with plural nouns and in certain fixed expressions involving time, location, and transportation.

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Claudio Colussi
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46 views3 pages

Definite, Indefinite and Zero Article

The document discusses the use of definite, indefinite, and zero articles in English. It provides 11 rules for using the definite article "the", 5 rules for the indefinite articles "a" and "an", and 16 cases where no article is used, such as with names of countries, languages, meals, and uncountable nouns. The definite article is used to refer to something already mentioned or known to both the speaker and listener. The indefinite article introduces a new thing or person. No article is used with plural nouns and in certain fixed expressions involving time, location, and transportation.

Uploaded by

Claudio Colussi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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DEFINITE ARTICLE

a singular countable the hat


“The” can be used in front of a plural countable the hats
an uncountble the water
“The” is used:
1. to refer to something which has already been mentioned:
Example: An elephant and a mouse fell in love.
The mouse loved the elephant's long trunk,
and the elephant loved the mouse's tiny nose.
2. when both the speaker and listener know what is being talked about, even if it has not been
mentioned before:
Example: 'Where's the bathroom?'
'It's on the first floor.'
3. in sentences or clauses where we define or identify a particular person or object:
Examples: The man who wrote this book is famous.
'Which car did you scratch?' The red one.
My house is the one with a blue door.
4. to refer to objects we regard as unique:
Examples: the sun, the moon, the world
5. before superlatives and ordinal numbers:
Examples: the highest building, the first page, the last chapter.
6. with adjectives, to refer to a whole group of people:
Examples: the Japanese, the old
7. with names of geographical areas and oceans:
Examples: the Caribbean, the Sahara, the Atlantic
8. with decades, or groups of years:
Example: she grew up in the seventies
9. in time sequences (the beginning, the middle, the end; the first/last; the next; the following
day; the present, the past, the future):
Example: In the past, people had fewer expectations.
Note that though many time references require “the”, many do not:
Example : next week, on Tuesday, last year
10. in fixed time expressions (all the while, at the moment, in the end, etc.):
Example: I’m afraid Mr. Jay can’t speak to you at the moment.
11. with parts of the day (in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, the day):
Example: In the evening, we went out.

INDEFINITE ARTICLE
A / an
Use 'a' with singular countable nouns starting with a consonant sound,
'an' with singular countable nouns starting with a vowel sound.
Examples:
A boy
An apple
An hour
The indefinite article is used:
1.to refer to something for the first time:
An elephant and a mouse fell in love.
Would you like a drink?
I've finally got a good job.
2.to refer to a particular member of a group or class:

1
Examples:
-with names of jobs:
John is a doctor.
Mary is training to be an engineer.
He wants to be a dancer.
-with nationalities and religions:
John is an Englishman.
Kate is a Catholic.
-with musical instruments:
Sherlock Holmes was playing a violin when the visitor arrived.
(BUT to describe the activity we say "He plays the violin.")
-with names of days:
I was born on a Thursday.
3.to refer to a kind of, or example of something:
The mouse had a tiny nose.
The elephant had a long trunk.
It was a very strange car.
4.with singular nouns, after the words 'what' and 'such':
What a shame!
She's such a beautiful girl.
5.meaning 'one', referring to a single object or person:
I'd like an orange and two lemons please.
The burglar took a diamond necklace and a valuable painting.
Notice also that we usually say a hundred, a thousand, a million.

ZERO ARTICLE
We often use no article in front of a plural countable hats
an uncountable water
There is no article:
1.with names of countries (except unions and associations):
Germany is an important economic power.
He's just returned from Zimbabwe.
(But: I'm visiting the United States next week.)
2.with the names of languages and academic subjects:
French is spoken in Tahiti.
English uses many words of Latin origin.
Indonesian is a relatively new language.
Geography is my favorite subject.
3.with the names of meals:
Lunch is at midday.
Dinner is in the evening.
Breakfast is the first meal of the day.
4.with people's names (if singular):
John's coming to the party.
George King is my uncle.
(But: we're having lunch with the Morgans tomorrow.)
5.with titles and names:
Prince Charles is Queen Elizabeth's son.
President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.
Dr. Watson was Sherlock Holmes' friend.
(But: the Queen of England, the Pope.)

2
6.After the 's possessive case:
His brother's car.
Peter's house.
7.with professions:
Engineering is a useful career.
He'll probably go into medicine.
8.with names of shops:
Can you go to Boots for me?
9.with years:
1948 was a wonderful year.
Do you remember 1995?
10.With uncountable nouns:
Rice is the main food in Asia.
Milk is often added to tea in England.
War is destructive.
11.with the names of individual mountains, lakes and islands:
Mount McKinley is the highest mountain in Alaska.
She lives near Lake Windermere.
Have you visited Long Island?
12.with most names of towns, streets, stations and airports:
Victoria Station is in the centre of London.
Can you direct me to Bond Street?
She lives in Florence.
They're flying from Heathrow.
13.in some fixed expressions, for example:
at school in prison
at work in bed
at home in class
on holiday in town
on air (in broadcasting)
14.for transport (by air, by bike, by bicycle, by boat, by bus, by car, by land, by plane, by sea,
by ship, by train, on foot):
We travelled all over Europe by bus.
15.for days, months, seasons and holidays:
Mondays are always difficult.
June is my favorite month.
Christmas is the time for family reunions.
with seasons “the” is optional:
We get a good crop of apples in (the) autumn.
16. for times of the day and night:
before
at dawn/sunrise/sunset/noon/midnight/dusk/night/4 o’clock
after
We will meet at midnight.

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