THE FLATMATES

Language point:
Articles
BBC Learning English The Flatmates

The Flatmates Articles

You can see this language point online at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode17/languagepoint.shtml

There are three types of articles in English. The definite article (the), the indefinite
article (a or an) and the zero article (when we dont use a, an or the).

Here are some of the rules about when we use each of them:

The indefinite article (a or an)

To refer to something (that is singular and countable) for the first time in a
conversation or piece of text:
Shes got a dog and a cat.
Do you want to see a film tonight?

With job titles, professions or to explain what people do:

Shes an artist.
Alice is a nurse.
Helens a student.
Hes a house-husband.
Note: Hes an unemployed. Hes unemployed.

With expressions of quantity:

a pair of, a few, a little, a piece of, a bit of, a hundred, a thousand, a million,
an hour, a day, a week

The definite article (the)

To refer to something (that is singular or plural, countable or uncountable)
when both the writer and reader, or speaker and listener, know which thing
is being referred to:
Shes got a dog and a cat. The dog is friendly but the cat always scratches me.
Do you want to see a film tonight? Yes, lets see the new Harry Potter one.

With rivers, seas and mountain ranges:

the Thames, the Atlantic, the Alps

Where there is only one of these things or people:

the White House, the moon, the UN, the EU, the president

With superlative adjectives:

Shes the best in the class at English.
Theyre the fastest team in the race.

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BBC Learning English The Flatmates

The zero article (when we dont use any article)

To refer to something (that is plural or uncountable) when talking about
things in general:
France makes very good cheese.
She hates that kind of music.
That shop sells fantastic cakes, sweets and chocolates.

With streets, cites, countries, mountains:

Fifth Avenue, Beijing, India, Mount Fuji

With some places and some modes of transport:

to/in bed, at home, to/at work, at/to school/college/university,
by bus/train/car, on foot

Vocabulary:
To put someone on hold (used in business telephoning): To ask a phone caller
to wait (usually music is played while s/he is waiting).

Would you like to try an online quiz about this language point? Go to:
http://bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode17/quiz.shtml

Or you can download the quiz from:

http://bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode17/quiz.pdf

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