www.ez-english.narod.ru www.ez-english.narod.ru
THREE LITTLE WORDS
A Foreign Student’s Guide to English Articles.
by Elizabeth Claire
www.ez-english.narod.ru www.ez-english.narod.ru
INTRODUCTION
0.1
The three words that are used the most often in the English language are
0.2
A, an,
and
the
are a part of speech called
articles.
Whenever you see or hear an article, you can expect a noun to follow. (A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea.)
0.3
Sometimes the noun follows directly after a, an or
the:
a face an apple the pencil
0.4
Sometimes there are
adjectives
between
a, an
or
the.
and the noun. (An adjective is a word that tells about or describes a noun.) a happy face an old rotten apple the short fat pencil
www.ez-english.narod.ru www.ez-english.narod.ru
0.5
If you leave out
a, an,
and
the,
or if you use them incorrectly, your meaning may still be clear. But it will not sound right to Americans. In some cases it can make a very big difference in the meaning of what you say. a. He has black hair. b. He has a black hair.
0.6
In speaking, the articles are not stressed. They are said quickly and are joined with the word that follows them. It's very hard to hear
a, an,
and
the
when Americans are talking. These little words seem to disappear!
0.7
Some languages do not have articles. In other languages there are many forms of articles and they are used in ways different from the way English uses them. Because of these differences, almost everyone learning English has some trouble with
a, an,
and
the
.
This book was written to help you.
Reward Your Curiosity
Everything you want to read.
Anytime. Anywhere. Any device.
No Commitment. Cancel anytime.