Articles

A, an, the
A, an ----- indefinite articles. It is a shortened form of one.
The-_____ definite articles. It is a shortened form of this, that, these, those.
A, an The
1.use before words beginning 1 before a noun which is
with a consonant sound. mentioned for the second time.
A book, a car, a university There was a golden cat. The cat is
An is used before words beginning very clever.
with vowels.
An apple, an hour
2. a, an are used When the noun 2 used before a noun made
is mentioned for the first time. definite by the addition of a
Once upon a time there was a cat. phrase or a clause.
The cat was…
I buy a book, a ruler, an eraser
a ) The girl with an umbrella is my
friend.
b) I like the book you bought
yesterday.

3.before certain expressions of 3 before which there is only one.

quantity, price, speed, etc.
A dozen, The earth, the sun, the moon,
the sky, the sea, the weather, the
climate
4 used before the names of rivers,
mountains, seas, oceans, names
of some countries, nationality

The Pacific, the Naing, The Sahara,

The National Museum, The United
State of America,
Nationality- the Austrians, the
Brazilians, the Egyptians, the
Russians. the Chinese
 5.Used before superlative and an
adjective used to represent a class
of people.

The poor, the young, the blind,

the deaf

Complete the dialogues with a, an, or the. Capitalize as necessary.

1. A: I have_____ idea. Let’s go on____ picnic Saturday.
B. Okay.
2. A: Did you have fun at ______ picnic yesterday?
B: Sure did. And you?
3A: You’d better have______ good reason for being late!
B: I do.
4.A: Did you think _____ reason Mike gave for being late was believable?
B: Not really.
1. A: Where’s my blue shirt?
B: It’s in______ washing machine.
A: That’s okay. I can wear______ different shirt.
6.A: I wish I had ______ washing machine.
B: So, do I. It would make it a lot easier to do our laundry.
7.A: Have you seen my boots?
B: They’re in______ closet in ________ front hallway.
8.A: Can you repair my car for me?
B: What’s wrong with it?
A: ________ radiator has________ leak, and one of_______ windshield
wipers don’t work.
9.A: What happened to your bicycles?
__________ front wheel is bent. B: I ran into_______ parked car when I swerved to
avoid____ big pothole.
 Omission of the article
Infront of Plural countable nouns used in general statement.
Examples:
a. Women need better pay. (general)
The woman I met this morning need better pay.
b. Flowers are beautiful. (general)
The flowers in your garden are beautiful. (particularized).
c.Cats don’t like cold water. (general)
The cats at our home don’t like cold water. (particularized)
II. Before titles coming before Proper Noun.
General Aung San
Dr. Tin Htun
III. In front of the names of proper noun: person, town, animals and abstract
nouns.
Examples:
Yangon, Jung Kook, Aung Lah San, Aung Nat (dog),
Honesty, beauty, health, success
Honesty is the best policy.
I live in Yangon.
I saw Aung Lah San yesterday.
IV.Meals: We use no article with words like: breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner, supper.
Dinner is served.
Let’s have lunch.
The lunch I ordered still hasn’t arrived.
V. We use no article in front of nouns like school and hospital, go to school, at
school, in hospital when we are referring to their normal purpose.
Examples:
a. He goes to school.
b. He is in hospital.
c. Jane is at school.
d. I go to church.
e. I am sleeping in bed.

He goes to the school for a meeting. (not refer to it purpose)

There is a meeting at the school.
I am going to make the bed.
Other nouns like this are: bed, church, class, college, prison, town,
university, work
Exercise Page 52 (Longmen)