Articles

Definite Article; Indefinite Article; No Article

Definite Article - the
We use the before singular or plural nouns when:

 The listener knows what particular

person/thing you are talking about. Did you get the keys?

 You have already mentioned the She’s got two dogs. The black
thing you are talking about. one is very old.

 Talking about geographical points

the South Pole; the Equator
on the globe.

 Talking about rivers, oceans ans the Amazon; the Atlantic; the
seas. Caribbean

 We know there is only one of a the sun; the world; the White
particular thing. House
Indefinite Article – a/an
A/An is used before countable nouns when:

 mentioned for the first time. There’s a new student in the class.

 To refer to one of a group or

He’s an electrician.
class e.g. professions

 With some expressions of

quantity a pair of shoes; a hundred; a dozen

A/An vs One
 A is more commonly used. We use
one to be more precise, to emphasize He’s got one dog and three cats.
the number.
a or an
 The indefinite article is a or an. But how do we know when to say a and when to
say an?
 It depends on the SOUND at the start of the following word. (It does not depend
on the way we WRITE the following word, it depends on the way we SAY it.)

a + consonant SOUND vowel LETTER but consonant SOUND

If the following word starts with
a consonant SOUND, then we a European country you-ro-pe-an
say a:
•a cat a one-day conference won-day
•a game of golf
a university you-ni-ver-si-ty
•a human emotion

an + vowel SOUND consonant LETTER but vowel SOUND

If the following word starts with
an honest man on-est
a vowel SOUND, then we say an:
•an apple an hour our
•an easy job
•an umbrella an FBI agent eff-bee-eye
Zero Article
No article is used:

 To talk about things in general. Parents worry about their children.

 To talk about sports. He plays tennis.

 Before uncountable nouns to

talk about them generally. Alcohol is bad for you.

 Before the names of countries, Portugal has a great history.

except with
a) Nouns like “states, kingdom, the United States; the United
union, republic”; Kingdom; the Czech Republic; the
b) Multiple areas Netherlands

 Before proper nouns. He met Charles at the cinema.

 To talk about the institution instead go to hospital – to be sick

of the building itself. go to the hospital – to visit