ARTICLES

Indefinite Article Definite Article No Article (0)

A/ An + singular The+ singular count N. 0+ non-count N.
count Noun The+ non-count N. 0+ plural count N.
The+ plural count N.

The Uses of Articles

1. Use a/an with singular count nouns that are not specific.
A: Let’s buy a video game.
B: Good idea.( A and B are not talking about a specific video game.)

2. Use some or no article with plural nouns and with non-count nouns that
are not specific.
*There are (some) games on the shelf. (count/plural)
( The speaker doesn’t mention which games or the number of games.)
A: I had to buy (some) medicine.
B: Oh! Are you sick? ( B doesn’t know what kind of medicine A bought.)

3. Use the with nouns that are specific for you and your listener. You can
use the with most nouns, count and non-count, singular or plural.
A: I bought the video game yesterday.(count/singular)
B: Great! We’ve been talking about it for a long time. Is it fun?
( B knows which game A means. They’ve spoken about it before.)

4. Use the when a person , place, or thing is unique- there is only ONE.
*There is a hole in the ozone layer.
*The moon is 250,000 miles away.
*The earth goes round the sun.
*I’m going away at the end of this month.
*Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system.
*Points of the compass: the North,the South,the East and the West

5. Use the when the context makes it clear which person, place, or thing
you mean.

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 A: Who are you? B: I’m the pilot. (They work on a plane, A is a new
crew member.)
6. A noun is often indefinite the first time a speaker mentions it. It is usually
definite after the first mention(that is, the second mention).

* An evil magician is trying to conquer the world. The magician is very

powerful.
*You have some gold. Use the gold to buy magic tools.
*Buy medicine too.The medicine makes you stronger.

7. Use a/an for singular count nouns when you classify/define (say what
something or someone is=occupations.)
A: What do you do for a living?
B: I’m a pilot.
*A square is a shape with four sides.
*A pencil sharpener is an instrument with a blade inside and it is used to
make pencils sharp.

8. Use no article for plural count nouns and for non-count nouns when you
classify/define.
A: What are those?
B: They’re magic tools.
A: And what’s that?
B. It’s gold. I’ve just won it.
9. Use no article with plural coun nouns and non-count nouns to make
general statements.
* Sue loves video games. ( video games in general)
* Music is relaxing. (music in general)
10.Use a/an with rates, speeds and expressions of frequency.
*The car was going at 50 km an hour.
*The rent is 500 dollars a month.
*He goes shopping twice a week.

11.Use a/an for large numbers, fractions with singular count nouns, weights
and distances.

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 a hundred a kilo a third (1/3) a fifth (1/5)
a million a litre a meter and a half
12. Use no article with the names of continents, countries, cities, single ,
İslands and mountains.

Africa/Europe/North America England/France Cairo/ İstanbul

Mount Everest / Mount Agrı Sicily/Bermuda

BUT; the mountain ranges , group of islands, countries with

republic,kingdom,states….etc. Use the .

the Himalayas/ the Alps/ the Toros/the Andes

the Canaries/the Philippines/the Hawaiian Islands
the United Kingdom/ the United States/ the Dominican Republic
the Lebanon/the Sudan/the Netherlands(certain countries)

13.Use the with the names of oceans,seas,peninsula, rivers,canals and

deserts.

the Atlantic Ocean/the Pacific Ocean the Black Sea/the Red Sea
the Kızılırmak/the Mississippi/the Nile the Suez Canal/the Panama Canal
the Sahara/the Mojave
BUT; Use no article with Lakes Lake Van/Lake Michigan /Lake
Superior

14. Use no article with home, school, university, hospital, prison, church
when you speak about the place in general (when we think of the
purpose of the institution). Use the when you refer to something just as
a building.
*Jack is in hospital. (He is ill.) / The bus stopped outside the hospital.(the
building)
*She’s at school. (She is a student.) /I walked passed the school .(the
building.)
*He was sent to prison. (He is a criminal.)
*She’s at Cambridge University.

15.Use the+ adjective to talk about groups of people.

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*The rich get richer everyday and the poor get poorer day by day.
*Special schools must be founded for the disabled.
*The old should be respected. (The old people)
*The government promised to help the homeless.
*The unemployed have no social security.

16.Use the with the nationality adjectives.

* The French are good at cooking.(The French people)

*The Chinese invented printing.
* The Japanese are very industrious people.
* The English are known to be cold.

17.Use the with the type of entertainment.

* We went to the cinema/the theatre/the opera.

* She plays the guitar very well.
* He knows how to play the piano.
* I listened to the news on the radio
BUT; television without the,only when it is referred to as a device.
* I watched a good movie on television last night.
* Will you please turn down the TV?
* Let’s turn off the television and have a chat.

18.Use the with somebody in an official position.

the Pope/the President/the Queen

19. Use the with the name of a whole family or group.

The Jones/ the Mitchells/the Beatles

20. Use the in speech when telling the date.

March the twenty-fifth/the twenty-fifth of March

21.Use the when you mention sb’s part of body.

*She hit him on the ear./ He punched him on the nose.

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 22.Use no article with breakfast/lunch/dinner.
* Shall we go out for dinner tonight? / I usually have lunch at 1 o’clock.
* Did you have breakfast?
BUT; use the or a/an when they are used with an adjective or with a
specific meaning.
*We had a wonderful dinner together.
*I left home after a hasty breakfast.
*The breakfast that we had at that hotel was awful.
23. Use no article with a way of travelling: go by car/bus/train/plane/go on
foot. BUT; I took the 10 o’clock bus back home last night.(specific one)
I took a taxi to school because I was late.(any one of a group of things)
24. Use no article with abstract ideas and concepts.
*Health is one of the most important things in life.
*Love and hatred are close friends.
25. Use the with superlatives.
* What is the longest river of the world?
* She is the smartest student in the class.
26. Use a/an after what/such/rather to emphasize what we are saying.
* What a day it’s been! / It’s rather a high price, isn’t it?
* He’s such a fool! / What a pity!
27. Use a/an with certain words that express an amount: a few/a little/a
lot/a large amount of/a great deal of
28. Use no article with airports/train stations/shops or banks named after
people/ church/cathedral.
Gatwick Airport/Atatürk Airport Charing Cross Station/Haydarpaşa
Train Station
Harrod’s/Mark&Spencer/Barclays Bank/St Martin’s Church/St Paul’s
Cathedral

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