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Articles: 3 Books, 76 Trombones, 1,000,000 People

The document discusses the use of articles (a, an, the) in English. It explains that there are 3 articles and sometimes no article is used. It also distinguishes between count and uncount nouns. The main guidelines provided are: (1) Uncount nouns are used without articles or in plural; (2) "The" is used with specific uncount nouns. (3) "A/An" is used with count nouns the first time. (4) "The" is used the second time or when the listener knows the reference. (5) Plural count nouns are used without articles for general reference.

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Alexander RATNA
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50 views

Articles: 3 Books, 76 Trombones, 1,000,000 People

The document discusses the use of articles (a, an, the) in English. It explains that there are 3 articles and sometimes no article is used. It also distinguishes between count and uncount nouns. The main guidelines provided are: (1) Uncount nouns are used without articles or in plural; (2) "The" is used with specific uncount nouns. (3) "A/An" is used with count nouns the first time. (4) "The" is used the second time or when the listener knows the reference. (5) Plural count nouns are used without articles for general reference.

Uploaded by

Alexander RATNA
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Articles

The 3 articles in English are ​a​, ​an​ and ​the​.

The learner has to decide noun-by-noun which one of the articles to use*.

In fact, there are 4 choices to make, because sometimes no article is


necessary.

Native-speakers, of course, use the articles correctly without thinking in


everyday spoken language.

English learners, on the other hand, need to have some guidelines for
making the right choice - particularly those learners whose own language
does not have articles, such as Japanese or Korean.

The guidelines that follow here should help ESL students to a basic
understanding of English article use.

The most important first step in choosing the correct article is to


categorize the noun as ​count​ or ​uncount​ ​in its context**​:
- A ​count​ noun is a noun that ​can​ have a number in front of it: ​1 teacher,
3 books, 76 trombones, 1,000,000 people​.
- An ​uncount​ noun is a noun that ​cannot​ have a number put in front of
it: 1 water, 2 lucks, 10 airs, 21 oils, 39 informations. Once you have
correctly categorized the noun (using your dictionary if necessary), the
following "rules" apply:

Uncount nouns
● You cannot say ​a/an​ with an uncount noun.
● You cannot put a number in front of an uncount noun. (You cannot
make an uncount noun plural.)
● You use an uncount noun with no article if you mean that thing ​in
general​.
● You use ​the​ with an uncount noun when you are talking about a
particular example of that thing.

Count nouns
● You can put a number in front of a count noun. (You can make a
count noun plural.)
● You can put both ​a/an​ and ​the​ in front of a count noun.
● You m ​ ust​ put an article in front of a singular count noun.
● You use a plural count noun with no article if you mean all or any of
that thing.
● You usually use ​a/an​ with a count noun the first time you say or
write that noun.
● You use ​the​ with count nouns:
○ the second and subsequent times you use the noun in a piece
of speech or writing
○ when the listener knows what you are referring to (maybe
because there is only one of that thing)
● You use ​an​ (not ​a​) when the next word (adverb, adjective, noun)
starts with a vowel sound.
Note:
● The above rules apply whether there is or there is not an adjective
in front of the noun.
● Some nouns can be either ​count​ or ​uncount​, depending on the
context and meaning:
○ Do you have paper? I want to draw a picture. (uncount = a
sheet of paper)
○ Can you get me ​a​ paper when you�re at the shop? (count
= a newspaper)
● Uncount nouns are often preceded by phrases such as: ​a lot of ..
(luck)​, ​a piece of .. (cake)​, ​a bottle of .. (milk)​, ​a grain of .. (rice)​.
●
●

* Instead of an article, the noun can also be preceded by a determiner


such as ​this, that, some, many​ or ​my, his, our​, etc.

Following are some of the most important guidelines listed above, with
example sentences:
1. You use an uncount noun with ● I need help!
no article​ if you mean all or any ● I don't eat cheese.
of that thing. ● Do you like music?
2. You use ​the​ with an uncount ● Thanks for the help you
noun when you are talking about gave me yesterday.
a particular example of that ● I didn't eat the cheese. It
thing. was green!
● Did you like the music they
played at the dance?

3. You usually use ​a/an​ with a ● Can I borrow a pencil,


count noun the first time you say please?
or write that noun. ● There's a cat in the
garden!
● Do you have an mp3
player?

4. You use ​the​ with count nouns ● Where's the pencil I lent
the second and subsequent you yesterday?
times you use the noun, or when ● I think the cat belongs to
the listener already knows what the new neighbours.
you are referring to (maybe ● I dropped the mp3 player
because there is only one of that and it broke.
thing). ● Please shut the door!

5. You use a plural count noun ● I don't like dogs.


with no article if you mean all or ● Do they have children?
any of that thing. ● I don't need questions.
Give me answers!

6. The above rules apply ● I don't eat German cheese.


whether there is or there is not ● Can I borrow a red pencil,
an adjective in front of the noun. please?
● There's an extremely large
cat in the garden!
● I don't like small, noisy
children.

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