ARTICLES

What are articles?

q Determiners
q They come at the beginning of a nou phrase
q They tell us whether the information is new,
about quantity

Articles are:
Indefinite: a/an: a book/ an orange
Definite: the: the book
Zero article:------: in prison

How do we choose articles?

1. The kind of noun affects our choice
2. We can leave out articles before:
a) Plural nouns: dreams come true
b) Uncountable nouns: give me money
3. We can leave an article out before a singular
noun if we replace it with another determiner: that
book, her brother.

A /AN rules of thumb

A/AN + singular nouns; something new or unexpected.
Use:
1. With There is: there is a beer in the fridge.
2. The first time we mention something: I bought a
sandwich and a coke.
3. After have / have got: have you got a bike?
4. In naming things: its a rhinoceros
5.With occupation: Im an architect

The rules of thumb

The is used to signal people that they know or will know what we
are referring to.
The + noun
Use:
1. When we ave already mentioned what were talking

about: I bought a sndwich. THE sandwich was

mouldy.
2. When there is only one thing: The moon
3. With defining relative clauses: shoot the kid who
derailed the train.

THE rules of thumb

5. With of- before something which is defined or
restricted by a preposition phrase: were enjoying
the benefits of early retirement.
6. In superlative expressions: Its the best city in the
country.
7.In comparative expressions with same: give the
same as usual, please.
8. With particular adjectives: the first, the next, the
last

SUB -RULES
We use A/An:
a) With the sense of every in expressions of time
and quantity: forty times an hour
b) The; used in fixed expressions:
-Entertainment: I went to the cinema/the pub/the
shops
-Transport: I arrived at the airport/ the bus stop/the
station
-Musical instruments: I play the piano/the violin

Sub-rules
We use THE in the names of items in the following categories:
-Rivers: The Ganges
-Mountain ranges: The Himalayas
-Oceans: The Atlantic
-Deserts: The Sahara
-Groups of islands: The Maldives
-Hotels: The Hilton
-Cinemas: The Odeon
-Political bodies: Labour Party, the Government

Sub-rules
-Countries whose names include political terms or
plural terms: The Netherlands, The USA,The
Philippines, The Czech Republic.
-Newspapers: The Guardian, The Times

ZERO ARTICLE
-Belonging to institutions: hospital, church, school, prison, college,
university, sea (naving)
-Meals: she came to lunch
-Time expressions: next week, last year, on Sunday
-Work/ home/ bed: she left work; I got home; she went to bed
-After the verb be: She is at work/ I am at home/ She is in bed

-Name of people: Dominique

-Places: villages, towns, cities, parks, streets, Woods, forests:
Sherwood forest.