DEFINITE AND INDEFINITE ARTICLES

In English there are three articles: a, an, and the. Articles are used before nouns or noun
equivalents and are a type of adjective. The definite article (the) is used before a noun to
indicate that the identity of the noun is known to the reader. The indefinite article (a, an)
is used before a noun that is general or when its identity is not known. There are certain
situations in which a noun takes no article.

As a guide, the following definitions and table summarize the basic use of articles.
Continue reading for a more detailed explanation of the rules and for examples of how
and when to apply them.

Definite article

the (before a singular or plural noun)

Indefinite article

a (before a singular noun beginning with a consonant sound)

an (before a singular noun beginning with a vowel sound)

Count nouns - refers to items that can be counted and are either singular or plural

Non-count nouns - refers to items that are not counted and are always singular

COUNT NON-COUNT
NOUNS NOUNS

Rule #1 a, an (no article)

Specific identity not known

Rule #2 the the

Specific identity known

Rule #3 (no article) (no article)

All things or things in
general

For the purposes of understanding how articles are used, it is important to know that
nouns can be either count (can be counted) or noncount (indefinite in quantity and
cannot be counted). In addition, count nouns are either singular (one) or plural (more
than one). Noncount nouns are always in singular form.
For example, if we are speaking of water that has been spilled on the table, there can be
one drop (singular) or two or more drops (plural) of water on the table. The
word drop in this example is a count noun because we can count the number of drops.
Therefore, according to the rules applying to count nouns, the word drop would use the
articles a or the.

However, if we are speaking of water in general spilled on the table, it would not be
appropriate to count one water or two waters -- there would simply be water on the
table. Water is a noncount noun. Therefore, according to the rules applying
to noncount nouns, the word water would use no article or the, but not a.

Following are the three specific rules which explain the use of definite and indefinite
articles.

Rule #1 - Specific identity not known: Use the indefinite article a or

an only with a singular count noun whose specific identity is not known to the
reader. Use a before nouns that begin with a consonant sound, and use an
before nouns that begin with a vowel sound.

 Use the article a or an to indicate any non-specified member of a group or category.

I think an animal is in the garage

That man is a scoundrel.
We are looking for an apartment.

 Use the article a or an to indicate one in number (as opposed to more than one).

I own a cat and two dogs.

 Use the article a before a consonant sound, and use an before a vowel sound.

a boy, an apple

◊ Sometimes an adjective comes between the article and noun:

an unhappy boy, a red apple

 The plural form of a or an is some. Use some to indicate an unspecified, limited

amount (but more than one).

an apple, some apples

Rule #2 - Specific identity known: Use the definite article the with any noun

(whether singular or plural, count or noncount) when the specific identity of
the noun is known to the reader, as in the following situations:

 Use the article the when a particular noun has already been mentioned previously.
 I ate an apple yesterday. The apple was juicy and delicious.

 Use the article the when an adjective, phrase, or clause describing the noun clarifies
or restricts its identity.

The boy sitting next to me raised his hand.

Thank you for the advice you gave me.

 Use the article the when the noun refers to something or someone that is unique.

the theory of relativity
the 2003 federal budget

Rule #3 - All things or things in general: Use no article with plural count

nouns or any non count nouns used to mean all or in general.

Trees are beautiful in the fall. (All trees are beautiful in the fall.)
He was asking for advice. (He was asking for advice in general.)
I do not like coffee. (I do not like all coffee in general.)

Additional Information Regarding the Use of Articles

1.When indicating an unspecified, limited amount of a count or non count noun,

use some.

My cousin was seeking some advice from a counselor (not advice in general or advice
about everything, but a limited amount of advice).

I would love some coffee right now (not coffee in general, but a limited amount of
coffee).

We might get rain tomorrow. Some rain would be good for the crops (a certain amount
of rain, as opposed to rain in general).

There are some drops of water on the table (a limited number, but more than one drop).

2.Non count nouns are those which usually cannot be counted. Following are some
common examples:

◊ Certain food and drink items: bacon, beef, bread, broccoli, butter, cabbage, candy,
cauliflower, celery, cereal, cheese, chicken, chocolate, coffee, corn, cream, fish, flour,
fruit, ice cream, lettuce, meat, milk, oil, pasta, rice, salt, spinach, sugar, tea, water, wine,
yogurt

◊ Certain nonfood substances: air, cement, coal, dirt, gasoline, gold, paper,
petroleum, plastic, rain, silver, snow, soap, steel, wood, wool
◊ Most abstract nouns: advice, anger, beauty, confidence, courage, employment, fun,
happiness, health, honesty, information, intelligence, knowledge, love, poverty,
satisfaction, truth, wealth

◊ Areas of study: history, math, biology, etc.

◊ Sports: soccer, football, baseball, hockey, etc.

◊ Languages: Chinese, Spanish, Russian, English, etc.

◊ Other: clothing, equipment, furniture, homework, jewelry, luggage, lumber,

machinery, mail, money, news, poetry, pollution, research, scenery, traffic,
transportation, violence, weather, work

 Geographical names are confusing because some require the and some do not.

◊ Use the with: united countries, large regions, deserts, peninsulas, oceans, seas,

gulfs, canals, rivers, mountain ranges, groups of islands

the Gobi Desert

the United Arab Emirates
the Sacramento River
the Aleutians

◊ Do not use the with: streets, parks, cities, states, counties, most countries,

continents, bays, single lakes, single mountains, islands

Japan
Chico
Mt. Everest
San Francisco Bay

Examples of the Use of Articles

I do not want a gun in my house (any gun).

The gun is in his closet (implies there is a specific gun).
I am afraid of guns (all guns in general).

She sent me a postcard from Italy (an unspecific postcard - not a letter, not an e-mail).
It's the postcard that I have in my office (one specific postcard).
Getting postcards makes me want to travel (any postcard in general).
I have a dog (one dog).
The dog is very friendly (the dog that I have already mentioned).
Dogs make great pets (dogs in general).

Greta needs furniture in her apartment (furniture is a noncount noun).

She is going to select the furniture that she needs (the specific furniture that she
needs).
She hopes to find some furniture this weekend (an unspecified, limited amount of
furniture).

Indefinite Articles: a and an

"A" and "an" signal that the noun modified is indefinite, referring to any member of a
group. For example:

 "My daughter really wants a dog for Christmas." This refers to any dog. We don't
know which dog because we haven't found the dog yet.

 "Somebody call a policeman!" This refers to any policeman. We don't need a

specific policeman; we need any policeman who is available.
  "When I was at the zoo, I saw an elephant!" Here, we're talking about a single,
non-specific thing, in this case an elephant. There are probably several elephants
at the zoo, but there's only one we're talking about here.

Remember, using a or an depends on the sound that begins the next word.

So...

 a + singular noun beginning with a

consonant: a boy; a car; a bike; a zoo; a dog

 an + singular noun beginning with a

vowel: an elephant; an egg; an apple; an idiot; an orphan

 a + singular noun beginning with a consonant sound: a user (sounds like 'yoo-

zer,' i.e. begins with a consonant 'y' sound, so 'a' is
used); a university; a unicycle

 an + nouns starting with silent "h": an hour

 a + nouns starting with a pronounced "h": a horse

o In some cases where "h" is pronounced, such as "historical," you can

use an. However, a is more commonly used and preferred.

A historical event is worth recording.

Remember that these rules also apply when you use acronyms:

Introductory Composition at Purdue (ICaP) handles first-year writing at the University.

Therefore, an ICaP memo generally discusses issues concerning English 106 instructors.

Another case where this rule applies is when acronyms or initialisms start with consonant
letters but have vowel sounds:

An MSDS (material safety data sheet) was used to record the data. An SPCC plan (Spill
Prevention Control and Countermeasures plan) will help us prepare for the worst.

If the noun is modified by an adjective, the choice between a and an depends on the

initial sound of the adjective that immediately follows the article:

 a broken egg

 an unusual problem
  a European country (sounds like 'yer-o-pi-an,' i.e. begins with consonant 'y'
sound)

Remember, too, that in English, the indefinite articles are used to indicate membership in
a group:

I am a teacher. (I am a member of a large group known as teachers.)

 Brian is an Irishman. (Brian is a member of the people known as Irish.)

 Seiko is a practicing Buddhist. (Seiko is a member of the group of people known

as Buddhists.)

Definite Article: the

The definite article is used before singular and plural nouns when the noun is specific or
particular. The signals that the noun is definite, that it refers to a particular member of a
group. For example:

"The dog that bit me ran away." Here, we're talking about a specific dog, the dog that
bit me.

"I was happy to see the policeman who saved my cat!" Here, we're talking about
a particular policeman. Even if we don't know the policeman's name, it's still a particular
policeman because it is the one who saved the cat.

"I saw the elephant at the zoo." Here, we're talking about a specific noun. Probably
there is only one elephant at the zoo.

Count and Noncount Nouns

The can be used with noncount nouns, or the article can be omitted entirely.

 "I love to sail over the water" (some specific body of water) or "I love to sail
over water" (any water).

 "He spilled the milk all over the floor" (some specific milk, perhaps the milk you
bought earlier that day) or "He spilled milk all over the floor" (any milk).

"A/an" can be used only with count nouns.

 "I need a bottle of water."

  "I need a new glass of milk."

Most of the time, you can't say, "She wants a water," unless you're implying, say, a
bottle of water.

Geographical use of the

There are some specific rules for using the with geographical noun.

Do not use the before:

 names of most countries/territories: Italy, Mexico, Bolivia;

however, the Netherlands, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, the United
States

 names of cities, towns, or states: Seoul, Manitoba, Miami

 names of streets: Washington Blvd., Main St.

 names of lakes and bays: Lake Titicaca, Lake Erie except with a group of lakes
like the Great Lakes

 names of mountains: Mount Everest, Mount Fuji except with ranges of mountains

like the Andes or the Rockies or unusual names like the Matterhorn

 names of continents (Asia, Europe)

 names of islands (Easter Island, Maui, Key West) except with island chains
like the Aleutians, the Hebrides, or the Canary Islands

Do use the before:

 names of rivers, oceans and seas: the Nile, the Pacific

 points on the globe: the Equator, the North Pole

 geographical areas: the Middle East, the West

 deserts, forests, gulfs, and peninsulas: the Sahara, the Persian Gulf, the Black

Forest, the Iberian Peninsula

Omission of Articles

Some common types of nouns that don't take an article are:

  Names of languages and nationalities: Chinese, English, Spanish, Russian (unless
you are referring to the population of the nation: "The Spanish are known for
their warm hospitality.")

 Names of sports: volleyball, hockey, baseball

 Names of academic subjects: mathematics, biology, history, computer science

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%20article%20is%20used,the%20dog%20that%20bit%20me.