IELTS

ENGLISH FOR IELTS

UNIT 5

Articles

The three articles in English are the, a and an. We call the the definite article and a/an the
indefinite article.

What are they?

• Articles are determiners.
• They come before nouns or noun phrases.
• They tell us whether the information provided is new, known or reveal quantity.

Articles
Definite Indefinite Zero
The a/an
-
You don’t know which one I
Generalizations
You know which one I mean mean

The Definite Article

The definite article the is the most frequent word in English. The definite article (the), as the
name suggests, is used for talking about people or things that are known to the speaker, already
mentioned earlier, described in some detail or unique.

Context:

• Referring backwards:
Example:
While I was shopping, I saw a couple with two little boys.
I thought I recognized the couple, but not the children.

• Referring forwards:
Example:
The prizes are for the children who win.
(the ones that will win)

• External reference:
Example:
Isn’t it your turn to pick up the kids?
(our kids; we both know whom I’m referring to)

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Other uses of the

• We use the definite article in front of a noun when we believe the hearer/reader knows exactly
what we are referring to because there is only one; unique objects.
Examples:
The Pope is visiting Russia.
The moon is very bright tonight.
The Shah of Iran was deposed in 1979.
Do you trust the government? (our country’s)

• Ordinal numbers
As with superlatives, there can be no other number one, or number ten (first, tenth)
N.B. In a similar vein, words like same, next, last, only, wrong, right usually take the.
Examples:
The first time I saw that movie was in 1989.
We used to go to the same school.
I’ll catch up with him the next time he’s in town.
What is the right answer?

• to say something about all the things referred to by a noun:

Examples:
The wolf is not really a dangerous animal.
The kangaroo is found only in Australia.
The heart pumps blood around the body.

It’s another way of generalization, compare:

Wolves are not really dangerous animals.
Kangaroos are found only in Australia.
Hearts pump blood around the body.

This “generalisation” is also common with scientific instruments, investments and musical
instruments
Examples:
Life would be quieter without the telephone.
The flute is far easier to play than the tuba.

• With adjectives like rich, poor, elderly, unemployed to talk about groups of people; if followed
by a verb, the + adjective takes the plural form.
Examples:
Life can be very hard for the poor.
I think the rich should pay more taxes.
She works for a group to help the disabled.

• Use the definite article with some countries and a few city names:
• countries whose names include words like kingdom, states or republic:
Examples: the United Kingdom; the Kingdom of Nepal; the United States; the People’s Republic of
China.

• countries which have plural nouns as their names:

Examples: the Netherlands; the Philippines

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 • With nationalities
These work much in the same way as the adjectives in the previous slide, except if they end
in –an.
Examples:
The English are known for their politeness.
The Dutch are traditionally able seafarers and keen mapmakers.
The Turks are an ethnic group or nation living primarily in Turkey.
The Scots are a lively bunch.

• geographical features, such as mountain ranges, groups of islands, rivers, seas, oceans and
canals:
Examples: the Himalayas; the Canaries; the Atlantic; the Atlantic Ocean; the Amazon; the Panama
Canal.

• well known buildings or works of art:

Examples: the Empire State Building; the Taj Mahal; the Mona Lisa; the Sunflowers

• organisations:
Examples: the United Nations; the Seamen’s Union

• hotels, pubs and restaurants*:

Examples: the Ritz; the Ritz Hotel; the King’s Head; the Déjà Vu

*Note: We do not use the definite article if the name of the hotel or restaurant is the name of the
owner, e.g. Brown’s; Brown’s Hotel; Morel’s; Morel’s Restaurant, etc.

• families:
Examples: the Obamas; the Jacksons

• With historical references

Examples:
The Bronze Age took place over 5,000 years ago.

• With unique titles and positions (without the name)

Examples:
Gallese is the goalkeeper for the Peruvian national team.
The CEO of the company is visiting all branch offices next month.
The Queen of England is the longest-reigning British monarch. (Note: Queen Elizabeth II is the
longest-…)

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The indefinite article: a and an

• A/an depending on the sound that comes after.

• It is used for talking about people or things that are not known to the reader or listener. It has
not been mentioned earlier.
• It is not common ground; we are introducing something new.
• Basic rule, use a/an with singular countable nouns.

1) We use the indefinite article, a/an, with countable nouns when the hearer/reader does not
know exactly which one we are referring to:
Example: Police are searching for a 14-year-old girl.

2) We also use it to show the person or thing is one of a group:

Examples:
Police have been searching for a 14-year-old girl who has been missing since Friday.

3) We do not use an indefinite article with plural nouns and uncountable nouns:
Examples:
Anyone who has information should contact the local police on 0800349781.

4) We use a/an to say what someone is or what job they do:

Examples:
My brother is a doctor.

5) We use a/an with a singular noun to say something about about any one member of a class:
Examples:
A man needs friends.

Putting or not an article – the zero article

This is to show you the general principles of how articles work in English. This is a solution
designed to enable you to get articles right 7/8 times out of 10 and it is practical in that you can
use it for yourself in the exam without a reference book beside you.

When do we omit articles?

• Ask yourself two:

1. ask if is it general or particular
2. ask if is it a countable or uncountable noun

• We usually use no article to denote things in general.

• We prefer no article when thinking about an unlimited quantity or no quantity at all.

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Some basic concepts first

Concept 1 – general and particular

Ask yourself what the difference is between “pollution” and “the pollution”.
Look at these two examples:

Pollution is one of the major issues facing mankind in the 21st century.
Here “Pollution” is general

Perhaps the first step is to combat the air pollution in the cities caused by factories.
Here by contrast “The pollution” – is particular and refers to an instance of pollution.

Concept 2 – countable and uncountable

First you need to see that some words in English are countable and others uncountable, or both.

Countable nouns are words we can put in the plural or use with “a”. Often they are “thing” type
words such as newspaper
e.g.
newspapers and a newspaper

Uncountable nouns are those words we cannot put in the plural or use “a” with. Often they are
idea/abstract/concept words such as information
e.g.
informations is wrong, so is an information, we need to say information or the information

Flexible nouns are words which are sometimes countable and sometimes uncountable. These are
often the ones that may catch you out. You really want to decide if you are talking about the thing
or the idea. Look at the word university
e.g.
He is going to university next year. (uncountable)
He wants to go to a university close to his family. (countable)

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Singular and plural agreement

An important part of IELTS writing is the editing or checking process.

This should focus on mistakes:

1. you make personally
2. you know how to find and correct
3. mistakes that will affect your band score

For almost all candidates this should include problems with singular and plural agreement as this
is a common mistake that is quite easy to spot and which can kill your band score.

Typical problems with singular and plural agreement

Let’s find the mistakes:

1. There are a wide range of common problems here.

2. This problems can be caused by writing too quickly
3. One of the reason is writing one word at a time and not using phrases.
4. The use of some phrases cause difficulty.
5. These mistakes, which are less easy to identify, is not that uncommon in complex sentences.
6. Checking for mistakes and avoiding mistakes is equally important.
7. Even strong candidate need to concentrate on articles.
8. That do not mean they won’t make careless mistakes too.
9. There is a variety of point of views about how you should check your writing.
10. I tend to agree with the persons who say that you should check at the end of every sentence.

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Globalisation vocabulary

Notes
You should note some very useful world phrases: all around the world, all over the world, in all
four corners of the world, worldwide, the other side of the world

Thinking globally (and locally)

Globalisation is a good word, but you do need some alternatives. These options allow you to use the
word “global” in different ways and thinks about different aspects of globalisation.

Note: Ubiquitous is a nice word that means “everywhere”

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Co-operation and integration

Exercise - The global village

1. There is little doubt that improved communications have had a major impact on how we lead
our lives, not least because it is now possible to talk to someone on the other _____ of the world
whenever we want.
A half
B side
C place
D part

2. One symptom of this trend is how McDonalds has become ______________, it is almost
impossible to find a town where Big Macs are not for sale.
A everywhere
B ubiquitous
C all over
D worldwide

3. There is still a disparity between the standard of living in less ___________ countries and the
richer nations.
A developed
B developing
C development

4. The credit crunch is one example of how there are negative aspects to having a global__________.
A trade
B multinational corporation
C economy
D transport system

5. This problem requires __________ cooperation just because it reaches beyond the borders of any
one country.
A national
B world
C domestic
D international

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6. The WTO has helped reduce tariffs on global ______ and this has changed the marketplace.
A economy
B transport
C trade
D communication

7. In the world today, it is not possible for governments to adopt policies on immigration
unilaterally. Generally speaking, this _______________ approach has been beneficial.
A universal
B multilateral
C combined

8. One key feature of globalisation is that economies around the world have become much more
closely ____________.
A combined
B joined
C separated
D integrated

Not everyone likes globalisation

Here is some useful globalisation vocabulary to help you write and speak about the negative sides
of globalisation.

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Globalisation means progress (to some people) or just things getting bigger

Globalisation means trade (and wealth for some people)

Exercise - Is globalisation a good thing?

1. Many people object to globalisation on the grounds that it interferes with national _____________.
A sovereignty
B independence
C cooperation

2. Many people object to the practice of ___________ production to countries where labour happens
to be cheaper, partly because this leads to unemployment.
A foreign
B service
C outsourcing
D sending

3. It is possible to argue that there is a strong connection between globalisation and the steady
_______ of cultural identity in some parts of the world.
A loss
B growth
C erosion
D falling

4. Some people fear that globalisation may lead to increased _____________ and that this will
simply make the world a less interesting place.
A standards
B standardization
C standard of living
D standard of life
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The ______-globalisation protesters do their cause no good if they demonstrate violently.
A pro
B anti
C ante
D non

LISTENING

A. You are going to listen to two people, Amy and Bill, discussing globalisation.
Who expresses the following opinions?
Write A for Amy and B for Bill.

1. Globalisation could harm the regional way of life.

2. Globalisation can help people who live within a small area.
3. Worldwide, more people eat traditional food than fast food.
4. Peole can enjoy products from many different cultures today.
5. Large overseas companies have control over the non-alcoholic drink market.
6. If not for globalisation, companies from different countries would not join together to do
business.
7. People who travel prefer to see unusual and exiciting things instead of symbols used by big
companies.
8. Experiencing something from another country does not take away your feeling of belonging to
your country.
9. A range of different cultures can be reflected in food bought overseas.
10. No single company has complete control over the fashion industry.

B. Now listen again and write the words or phrases from the conversation that mean the same as
the words in bold in A.

1. way of life = culture

2. within a small area = ________________________
3. worldwide = ________________________
4. from many different cultures = ________________________
5. large overseas companies have control over = ________________________
6. join together = ________________________
7. unusual and exciting = ________________________ symbols = ________________________
8. feeling of belonging to your country = ________________________
9. a range of different cultures = ________________________
10. has complete control over = ________________________

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Source: Cambridge Vocabulary for IELTS
Author: Pauline Cullen
Published in: Cambridge, England
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Date of Publication: 27 Mar 2008
Pages: 68
Adapted by: Marcela Chavez

Source: Cambridge Grammar for IELTS

Author: University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations
Published in: Cambridge, UK
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Date of Publication: 5 Oct 2006
Pages: 5
Adapted by: Marcela Chavez

Source: Cambridge English, Complete Ielts Bands 4-5 Student’s Book

Authors: Guy Brook-Hart & Vanessa Jakeman
Published in: Cambridge, UK
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Date of Publication: 23 February 2012 Edición de circulación restringida sustentada en la
Pages: 8,9,12 Legislación sobre Derechos de Autor
Adapted by: Marcela Chavez DECRETO LEGISLATIVO 822
“Artículo 43ª.- Respecto de las obras ya divulgadas lícitamente, es permitida
sin autorización del autor.
Source: Achieve IELTS 2, Student a. La reproducción por medios reprográficos, para la enseñanza o la
Book realización de exámenes en instituciones educativas, siempre que no haya
Authors: Louis Harrison, Caroline fines de lucro y en la medida justificada por el objetivo perseguido, de
artículos o breves extractos de obras lícitamente publicadas, a condición
Cushen, Susan Hutchison de que tal utilización se haga conforme a los usos honrados y que la
Published in: London, UK misma no sea objeto de venta u otra transacción a título oneroso, ni tenga
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Ltd. directa o indirectamente fines de lucro.”
Date of Publication: 18 May 2006 ............
Pages: 54-56
Adapted by: Marcela Chavez

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