7 Articles:

Indefinite and Definite

The Rules of the

Game

Focus on Grammar 3
Part V, Unit 22
By Ruth Luman, Gabriele Steiner, and BJ Wells
Copyright © 2006. Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
 Chess
Chess
Chess is a game for two players. Each player
begins with a set of sixteen white or black
pieces. Some chess sets are plain, but some are
very unusual. The players take turns moving
their pieces on a board with 64 squares. Each
type of piece moves in a different way. The
Queen is the most powerful piece, but the King
is the most important. The primary goal in chess
is to checkmate your opponent’s King. The
game is over when a King cannot avoid capture.
 Indefinite
Indefinite Nouns
Nouns 11
A noun is indefinite when you and your listener do not
have a specific person, place, or thing in mind.

Let’s play a You’ll need

game!
game some luck
to beat me.
 Indefinite
Indefinite Nouns
Nouns 22
Use the indefinite article a / an with singular
count nouns that are indefinite.

singular count noun

Chess is a game for two players.

singular count noun

You may capture an enemy piece.

 A
A or
or An
An 11

Use a before consonant sounds.

consonant
with a A chessboard has 64 squares.
consonant
sound

vowel
with a
consonant Chess is a unique game.
sound
 A
A or
or An
An 22

Use an before vowel sounds.

consonant
with a The game lasted over an hour.
vowel
sound

vowel
with a
vowel Chess is an interesting game.
sound
 Indefinite
Indefinite Nouns
Nouns 33
Use no article (  ) or some with plural count nouns
and non-count nouns that are indefinite. Some means
an indefinite number.

plural count noun

Some chess sets are very unusual.

non-count noun

Most players enjoy competition.

 Identifying
Identifying Nouns
Nouns 11
Use a / an with singular count nouns to
say what someone or something is.

singular count noun

Chess is a board game.

singular count noun

Chess is an interesting game .

 Identifying
Identifying Nouns
Nouns 22
Use no article (  ) with plural count nouns and
non-count nouns to say what someone or
something is.
plural count noun

Kings, queens, and bishops are chess pieces.

pieces

non - count nouns

Some chess sets are made of marble or glass.

glass
 Make
Make General
General Statements
Statements
Use no article (  ) with plural count nouns and
non-count nouns to make general statements.

plural count noun

Players often play with chess clocks.

non - count noun

Special software is needed to play chess online.

 Practice 1 Complete the sentences with
a, an, some, or  (no article).


Example: Can you play ______chess?

 pawns move one square at a time.

1. In chess, ______
an interesting game.
2. Chess is ____

a white square.
3. The white Queen begins on ______

a Queen.
4. A pawn can be promoted to ______

an insult.
5. A verbal call of “check” is ______

a tie.
Some games end in ______
6. ______
 Definite
Definite Nouns
Nouns
A noun is definite when you and your listener both know
which person, place or thing you are talking about.

Right here. It’s

Where is the
part of the
chessboard?
furniture.
 The
The 11
Use the with most common nouns (count and
non-count, singular and plural) that are definite.

plural count noun

Players with the white pieces move first.

singular count noun

The queen is the most powerful piece.

non - count noun

Some players record the time between moves.

 The
The 22
Use the when a person, place, or thing is
unique.

There’s
only
The player who checkmates is the winner.
winner one
winner.

There’s
only
People can play chess on the web. one
web.
 The
The 33
Use the when the context makes it clear
which person, place, or thing you mean.

Will you let

me win
the game?
They know
he is
talking
about their
card game.
 Complete the sentences with a,
Practice 2 an, the, some, or  (no article).

It started in China, but people play Mahjong all over

the world. Mahjong is played with ______
______  tiles. They
 bamboo or ivory. ______
are made from ______ The tiles
 flowers, numbers, or ______
display ______ a unique
a wall.
animal. Players shuffle the tiles by building ______
Mahjong
There are several mahjong patterns such as a Chow and a
A Kong contains four tiles of ______
Pong. ______ the same
An Eye contains two tiles of the same
number and suit. ______
the game is to collect
number and suit. The object of ______
a set of fourteen tiles in four groups of three tiles and
______
a matched pair. Now you can download ______
______ 
the Internet.
Mahjong and play it over ______
 References
References

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