How Definite is Indefinite?

Specific or Non-Specific? Children beginning English have an advantage as they learn article rules with basic nouns, such as a cat, a dog, an elephant and the cows. In many cases, a/an and the can be used interchangeably without drastically affecting the meaning. If the noun is general or non-specific, the indefinite article a or an can be used. If you are providing information about a specific noun, the is required. Here are a few article examples: We watched a movie last weekend. The movie nominated for an Oscar. Count and Non-Count Words that follow plural rules are known as countable nouns. Countable nouns also follow the basic rules for indefinite and definite articles. However, its the non-countable nouns you have to watch out for. Non-countable nouns include words that cant be pluralized or already represent more than one. Noncountable nouns include mice, money, foliage, pain, milk, water etc. If you cant add an S, the word uses the. For example: The pain is unbearable. When the master is away, the mice will play. Zero Article Non-count and generic plural words are often used without articles. Languages, academic courses, sports and many geographic terms, including the names countries, cities, states and streets are zero article words. Here are a few zero article examples: Would you like wine with dinner? Would you like milk with your coffee? Everyone loves brownies. The class is learning Swahili. Time is money. Vowels, Silent Letters and Acronyms Using an instead of a isnt always straight forward. In fact, some vowels require an a phonetically. When a word like university begins with the name of its first letter, it can be paired with an a. The letter H also presents some trouble because it can be silent as in an hour or pronounced like a historian. Here are a few article examples: Mr. Berg is a history teacher. John is a university student. Clara wants a unicorn.

The Exceptions Some words are naturally challenging because they dont follow the rules. Fortunately, some of these exceptions have their own guidelines. While countries, cites and states dont require articles, nationalities, rivers, forests, deserts and some general geographic regions do require articles. For example: The banks of the Nile are fertile farmlands. Toms family went to Kansas to see the Great Plains. Acronyms are tricky because letters can have vowel-like sounds like em or ef. For example: Mara is working on an MBA. Jack is an FBI agent. Choosing the right article doesnt need to be difficult. First, determine if the noun is singular or plural and definite or indefinite. Its also important to note whether the noun is countable or not. Use a or an with indefinite singular nouns, the for plural articles or definite nouns, and zero articles for non-count plurals. With so many nouns and phonetic variations, there will be plenty of time to practice these tips.