DETERMINATIVES (THE) AND

INDETERMINATIVES (A, AN) ARTICLES

TEACHER: JAVIER PARDO Y.

 DEFINITE ARTICLES AND INDEFINITE
ARTICLES

 A/AN, THE
 The determiners  a/an and the are called
"articles". They are the most common of all
determiners. They come at the very beginning of a
noun phrase. We divide them into "indefinite" and
"definite" like this:
  Indefinite articles Definite article

a/an the
 

use with singular countable all nouns

nouns only

use for A non-specific person specific people or things

or thing (singular) (singular or plural)
 We use indefinite to mean non-
specific. Indefinite is general. We use definite to
mean specific. Definite is particular. When we are
talking about something in general, we
use a or an. When we are talking about something
in particular, we use the.
 Think
of the sky at night. In the sky we see
MILLIONS of stars and ONE moon. So normally
we would say:

I saw a star last night.

I saw the moon last night.

OTHER EXAMPLES

- Who has a red pen?

- Teacher, I have one.
Can be any pen.

- The pen is red.

I'm talking about exactly that pen.
a/an the

I was born in a town. The capital of France is Paris.

John had an omelette for I have found the book that I

lunch. lost.

James Bond ordered a drink. Have you cleaned the car?

We want to buy an umbrella. There are six eggs

in the fridge.
Have you got a pen?
Please switch off the TV when
you finish.
 EXERCISE
 Fill in the blank with the appropriate article, a, an,
or the, or leave the space blank if no article is needed.

1- I want ____ apple from that basket.

2- ____ church on the corner is progressive.

3- Miss Lin speaks ____ Chinese.

4- I borrowed ____ pencil from your pile of pencils and

pens.
5- One of the students said, "____ professor is late
today.“

6 - Eli likes to play ____ volleyball.

7- I bought ____ umbrella to go out in the rain.

8- My daughter is learning to play ____ violin at

her school.
9- Please give me ____ cake that is on the counter.

10- I lived on ____ Main Street when I first came

to town.

11- Albany is the capital of ____ New York State.

12- My husband's family speaks ____ Polish.

13- ____ apple a day keeps the doctor away.

14- ____ ink in my pen is red.

15- Our neighbors have ____ cat and ____ dog.

16- I have ______ dog.

17- ______ hospital is far.

18- I want _______ truth.

19- You need ______ Little help.

20- My wife plays _______ piano.

 ANSWERS
 Fill in the blank with the appropriate article, a, an,
or the, or leave the space blank if no article is needed.

1- I want an apple from that basket.

2- The church on the corner is progressive.

3- Miss Lin speaks __--__ Chinese.

4- I borrowed a pencil from your pile of pencils and

pens.
5- One of the students said, “the professor is late
today.“

6 - Eli likes to play _--__ volleyball.

7- I bought an umbrella to go out in the rain.

8- My daughter is learning to play _--_ violin at

her school.
9- Please give me the cake that is on the counter.

10- I lived on the Main Street when I first came to

town.

11- Albany is the capital of _--_ New York State.

12- My husband's family speaks __--__ Polish.

13- An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

14- The ink in my pen is red.

15- Our neighbors have a cat and a dog.

16- I have a dog.

17- The hospital is far.

18- I want the truth.

19- You need a Little help.

20- My wife plays __--__ piano.

THANKS