Unit 11 - Articles

Articles

Unit 11 - Articles

Listen carefully to these examples. The first sentence is correct, and the other sentences are incorrect.

1.

I play soccer and basketball. I like to study English but I don't like math. (Correct)

I play a soccer and a basketball. I like to study a English but I don't like a math. (Incorrect)
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2.
My bedroom has a door and a window. (Correct)

My bedroom has the door and the window. (Incorrect)

Please open the door. (Correct)

Please open door. (Incorrect)
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3.
Where do you live?

I live in Chicago.
(I live in a Chicago - Incorrect)

And what do you do?

I'm a vet. I help animals.
( I help an animals - Incorrect)

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Key Vocabulary

soccer basketball math bedroom door window please

open live Chicago vet help animal

Unit 11 Grammar

Articles are a kind of adjective, they show how particular or how general a noun is.

There are three kinds of article: the, a/an, and having no article, zero article.

2. A/An - Indefinite Article

A is used for indefinite things. For example:

- I have a book. I don't have a specific book, just any book in general.
- She lives in a house. Again, the house is just a general house, not a particular house.

A is also used only for singular countable nouns. For example:

- A book, a chair, a person, a building, etc.

An has the same meanng as a.
A is used in front of words starting with a consonant sound, such as b, c, d, g, p.
An is used in front of words that start with a vowel sound such as a, e, i, o, or u. For example:

- a bear, a fox, a newspaper.
- an apple, an egg, an umbrella.

An can also be used before words starting with "h".
Sometimes this is optional, for example: a hotel, or "an hotel". Here the "h" sound in hotel is pronounced.
Occasionally this is not optional, for example: an honor, not a honor. The "h" sound in honor is not pronounced, so this word actually starts with the vowel sound "o". As a result, we need to use an.

2. The - Definite Article

The is used for particular, definite things. For example:

The is used for something already mentioned.particular, definite thing. For example:

The is used for a particular, definite thing. For example:

3. Zero Article

Zero article is generally for when something is seen as neither definite nor indefinite, it simply exists.

Zero article is used in front of plural countable nouns. For example:
I like eggs. I like an eggs.
Flowers are beautiful. A flowers are beautiful.

Zero article is used in front of singular uncountable nouns. For example:
I like milk. I like a milk.
Soccer is fun. The soccer is fun.

Zero article is used in front of proper nouns. For example:
My name is Jeremy. My name is a Jeremy.
I live in London. I live in a London.

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These are guidelines not rules, and usage of all articles depends entirely on the current context and perspective of the speaker. Articles take a long time to master, especially if your native language does not have articles such as in Korean or Japanese. Try to understand what things are definite and what things are not from an English perspective, and as you experience more English your confidence and ability with articles will grow. Good luck!

Articles 1

"a", "an", and "the"

Articles can be very difficult for students to master, and there are many rules for there usage. Most fluent speakers however do not know these rules, which are cumbersome to learn. They will, however, have a very strong, innate understanding of the fundamental concept of articles - which is whether something is seen by the speaker as specific, or general.

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"Look at the man." - The man in this sentence is a specific man, not any man. We know there is a man nearby, and want to talk about this specific man.

"Look at a man" - This sentence is unusual. It means we should stop and look at any man.

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"I have a banana." - This means I have simply an apple, not any specific apple.

"I have the apple" - This sentence is unusual. It means we are eating a specific apple. Why is this apple special or different from other apples? We do not know.

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"a" and "an" mean the same thing.
"an" comes before words starting with a vowel - a, e, i, o, or u.
"a" comes before words starting with a consonant - all other letters such as b, c, ...

----- Choose the most likely answer.

1) I have _____ puppy.
a) a
b) the

2) Do you have _____ pet?
a) a
b) the

3) I like _____ puppy in the store.
a) a
b) the

4) Let's watch _____ movie.
a) a
b) the


5) What is the name of _____ movie?
a) a
b) the

Answers

1. = "a";
2. = "a";
3. = "b";
4. = "a";
5. = "b";

Articles 2

"a", "an", and "the"

We use the when we are talking about something which is specific. What is "specific"? When the speaker and the listener know what particular thing is being talked about, we often use the. When the speaker and listener do not both know what is being talked about it, we often use a.

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I need to go to the bank. - The bank is a specific building and concept.

I need to buy a dictionary.- The dictionary is not a special dictionary, it means a dictionary in general.

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Please open the window. - This refers to a specific window in a certain room, not just any window.

Please open a window(1). - This refers to any window. There is no reason to open any window, we want to open a specific window in our room. This sentence is therefore more unusual.

Please open a window(2). If we are in a large room with lots of windows, this sentence can make sense. There are lots of windows, so we can open any one, not a specific one. In a small room, there might be only one or two windows, so the window is more specific, and we would probably use the.

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What is specific, and what is general, changes constantly depending on the viewpoint of the speaker. Even in such a simple sentence, many different meanings are possible depending on the situation. This is why articles are difficult, their use is governed by the dynamic nature of an ever-changing present, not a general set of theoretical rules, and must be learned by conscious experience, not rote memorization.

Choose the most likely answer.

1) _____ post office is not open today.
a) A
b) The

2) Where is _____ post office?
a) a
b) the

3) Is there _____ post office near here?
a) a
b) the

4) What is _____ name of your cat?
a) a
b) the


5) It doesn't have _____ name.
a) a
b) the

Answers

1. = "b";
2. = "b";
3. = "a";
4. = "b";
5. = "a";

Articles 3

"a", "an", and "the"

In order to use articles correctly a strong understanding of whether something is seen as specific or general is necessary. With this principle in mind, it is possible to make various rules for the use of the, but it is recommended that these rules are not seen as strict grammatical laws, but rather as helpful examples of this underlying principle.

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