Ibrahim Mously High School E N G L I S H A R T I C L E S : a / an , the Mr.

Abdelkarim Foulfoula
Student : ……………………………….……………… Class : ……………… All Levels – 2016 /2017

A USE indefinite article a / an C Use definite article the

1 To talk about a singular countable noun in a general To talk about a singular countable noun in a specific
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sense or when it’s mentioned for the first time: sense , or when it’s mentioned for the second time :

- In that picture, there’s a cat and a mouse. - The cat is chasing the mouse.
- In the room, there was an engineer and a mechanic. - The engineer is from Canada, and the mechanic is Spanish.

2 To talk about something or someone in general : 2 To talk about something or someone specifically :

- Teacher: Give me a pen, please.
- Student: Here you are, Sir !
- Mrs. Smith:My son is dying ! Please call an ambulance !
- Neighbor: I will, just calm down !
3 To indicate belonging to a particular group :
- Teacher : Give me the green pen, please .
- Student : Sure ! Here you are, Sir.
- Mrs. Smith: That’s the ambulance that carried my son.
- Neighbor: Oh, I see !
With one of a kind of a person, place, or thing both
3 speakers know of.

- I’m a student. My father is an English teacher. - The sun is shining today. ( There’s only one sun we know )
- A cow is a farm animal. - The moon is beautiful tonight. ( There’s only one moon)
- Your soup is in the kitchen. ( Only one kitchen in the house)
- Please turn on the TV ? (Only one TV set in the room)
4 Please note ! - The director was here. (Only one director in the building)

a) Use a before a noun that starts with a consonant: With superlatives:

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- a boy - a cute elephant
b) Use an before a noun that starts with a vowel:
For me, BMW is the best car ever, and Ferrari is the fastest
- an email - an intelligent boy.
and the most expensive one.
c) Articles come before a noun or a noun phrase:
- noun : a boy - noun phrase : an intelligent boy
5 To talk about a plural noun in a specific sense:

B Use zero article ( no article)
To talk about a plural countable noun in a general
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sense. Also, use none before months and days :
- The cats in the room belong to Sam’s grandmother.
- The tigers we saw at the circus were very friendly.
6 To talk about an uncountable noun in a specific sense :

- There are cats in this room. - I saw people waiting.
- Moroccans like to drink tea a lot. - Tigers eat meat.
- Is Monday the first day of January ?
2 To talk about an uncountable noun in a general sense:
- I don’t drink tea. - Milk is good for your growth.
- Do you like music ? - Oxygen is essential for life.
3 Geographical Use:
Use Ø (no article) with most countries, cities, and
continents:
- I live in Morocco. I’m originally from Meknes.
- This year, we’ll visit Canada and Brazil, and if time
allows, we’ll pay Asia a brief visit, as well.
1. Do you still live in___Paris ?
2. Carol's father works as ____electrician 8. ___Sun is a star, and___moon goes round it every 27 days.
PRACTICE
A: The tea they served at the wedding was great, indeed.
B : True, and the music they played was fantastic.
7 Geographical Use:
a) Use the with some countries , republics, and kingdoms:
He had lived in the Netherland for 5 years before he finally
decided to move to the United States of America. His brother
currently resides in the Republic of France, and his younger
sister works as a UN delegate in the Kingdom of Morocco.
b) Use the with ranges of mountains and chains of islands:
- The Albas / The Rockies / The Canary Islands …
c) Use the with names of rivers, seas, and oceans :
- The Nile river / The Mediterranean Sea /The Atlantic Ocean
d) Use the with specific geographical regions :
- The Middle East / The Gulf / The Arabian Peninsula / The
West / The East...

3. ___milk in the fridge is for____baby. 9. ___Bouregreg River is in___Morocco;it discharges to___ Atlantic Ocean.
4. My grandmother likes____flowers. 10. I tried on ___red dress and___ blue dress ; I bought ___ red dress.
5. ___Kingdom of Denmark is in __Europe. 11. ___First World War broke off in 1914. It mostly occurred in___Europe.
6. He is___ most energetic child in __ room. 12. I think____February is____coldest month of the year.
7. Take__pencil and draw__man or__ woman.13. ___Americans know little about____Arab Peninsula. So does ___West.