The Article
The Article
“ The article ”
Kyiv - 2010
1
Plan
Introduction………………………………………………………………3
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………24
References………………………………………………………………….25
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Introduction
The problem of grammatical value of article and its place in language — one of the
complicated questions of English grammar, and it is solved by various authors far
not unequivocally.
The problem of the place of article in English language is presented by two basic
theories: one of them considers combination of article to noun as the analytical
form of noun, another carries article to auxiliary parts of speech and treats article
plus noun as a combination of special type.
The aim of this work is to investigate how and where to use the article, its features
and complications of the usage and situations when there is no article with nouns.
The object of this work is indefinite article a, an and definite article the.
The subject of this work are sentences, where articles are used in different
situations.
The task of this work is to find out difficulties of the usage of the article, its
grammatical role, and also rules of its usage.
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I.Definition of article
The article is a structural part of speech used with nouns. There are two articles in
Modern English: the indefinite article and the definite article, also there is the zero
article.
The indefinite article has the forms a and an. The form a is used before words
beginning with a consonant sound (a book, a pen, a student). The form an is used
before words beginning with a vowel sound (an opera, an apple, an hour). The
article is pronounced [ә], [әn]; when stressed it is pronounced [ei], [æn].
The definite article has one graphic form the, which is pronounced in two ways:
[ði] before a vowel sound [ði æpl] and [ðә] before a consonant sound [ðә ‘pen].
The indefinite article has developed from the Old English numeral an (one), and as
a result of its origin it is used only with nouns in the singular.
The definite article has developed from the Old English demonstrative pronoun se
and in some cases it has preserved this demonstrative meaning in Modern English.
The use of the indefinite article implies that the object is presented as belonging to
a class.
The use of the definite article shows that a particular object is meant.
The absence of articles with class nouns in the plural, with abstract nouns and
nouns of material has grammatical significance: it shows that the nouns are used in
a general sense.
Articles directly concern to a noun, but if there is definition to it, articles are put
before all definitions.
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English articles include the indefinite article a/an and the definite article “the”.
Articles are used with nouns, and the choice of an article depends on the type of
the noun and on the context.
All nouns can be divided into two main groups: proper nouns (Mary Smith,
England, the Missouri River, Monday) and common nouns (a girl, a house, a
notion, a habit, water, cheese, furniture, time, information, health).
Proper nouns, also called proper names, include people’s names (James Ashton,
Mary Smith), geographical names (England, the Missouri River), names of
companies and organizations (the United Nations, Harvard University), names of
nationalities (an Italian, the Dutch), names of months and weekdays (August,
Monday) and many other notions, objects and places that are capitalized and used
as names.
Common nouns are divided into countable nouns (a girl, three girls, a house, two
houses, several notions, different habits) and uncountable nouns (water, cheese,
furniture, time, information, health).
Countable nouns are subdivided into concrete nouns (a girl, a house) and abstract
nouns (a notion, a habit). Countable nouns with regular plural form add the ending
s/es to form the plural.
Collective nouns are a subgroup of countable nouns; they denote groups of people
or animals regarded as units (a family, a crowd, the public, a herd).
Uncountable nouns are divided into concrete nouns / mass nouns (water, cheese,
furniture) and abstract nouns (time, information, health). The main distinguishing
feature of uncountable nouns is that they can’t be counted; consequently, they can’t
be used in the plural. Some uncountable nouns can be used as countable, with a
different meaning (glass - a glass, time - 3 times), and there are other cases when
uncountable nouns can turn into countable nouns.
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The indefinite article a/an is used with countable nouns in the singular. The
indefinite article a/an is not used with uncountable nouns (unless these are special
cases when uncountable nouns are used as countable nouns). The main function of
the indefinite article is to name one item belonging to a class of similar items.
The definite article “the” can be used with countable nouns in the singular and
plural, as well as with uncountable nouns. The main function of the definite article
is to point out a noun and make it definite and specific.
The indefinite article is rarely used with proper names. The definite article can be
used with certain proper names.
English articles are difficult for us because there are no articles in Russian.
Students often have a problem deciding where and which article to use.
Students sometimes try to avoid this problem by not using any articles with nouns,
for example, they use “my, his, her, our, your, their” or “some / any” instead of the
articles. Though it may be a fitting substitute in a number of cases, this method
doesn’t work everywhere.
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1.2 Articles with Countable Nouns
Countable nouns are nouns that can be counted, for example: a table (i.e. one
table), two tables; a house, three houses; an answer, several answers, etc.
1) A countable noun in the singular always requires an article (a/an or the).
The indefinite article a/an means “one, some, any, one item out of the group
of many similar items”.
I need a pen.
I have a question.
She is eating an apple.
The definite article “the” means “this, that, the only one, the one that we are
speaking about, the one that has been already mentioned”.
The pen that you gave me doesn’t write.
The question that you asked is difficult.
The indefinite article “a” is used before words beginning with a consonant,
e.g.: a problem, a cat, a hero, a house, a truck, a window. Its variant “an” is
used before words beginning with a vowel, e.g.: an actor, an eagle, an icon,
an owl, an umbrella. But “a” is used before the initial vowel “u” when it is
pronounced [yu:], before the initial letter “y”, and before the word “one”,
e.g.: a union, a useful book, a yellow bag, a young man, a one-way street, a
one-day stop. “An” is used before the initial consonant “h” in the cases when
“h” is not pronounced (i.e. “h” is mute), e.g.: an hour, an heir, an honor, an
honest man.
2) When you mention a countable noun in the singular for the first time
and/or mean “one, some, any”, use the indefinite article a/an.
He is a teacher.
A tomato is a vegetable.
I want to buy a new car.
I need a book about India.
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3) When you mention a countable noun in the plural for the first time and/or
mean “some, any”, don’t use any article. The article a/an can’t be used
with a plural noun because its original meaning is “one”.
They are teachers.
He likes tomatoes and cucumbers.
Elephants are clever animals.
Cities are becoming too big.
Books are necessary to students.
Atoms consist of particles.
There is a direct connection between the indefinite article and the plural. If a
countable noun with regular formation of the plural is used with the
indefinite article, it means that this noun can be used in the plural. The
opposite is also true: If a regular countable noun is used in the plural, it
means that this noun can be used in the singular with the indefinite article.
There are exceptions and special cases, of course, for example, countable
nouns with the same singular and plural form (a deer, three deer; a means,
various means), countable nouns used only in the plural (trousers, scissors,
goods, clothes) and some other cases.
4) If you need to single out a countable noun in the singular and make it
specific and the only one, use the definite article “the”. Usually, some
additional information is needed in the sentence to single out this noun,
for example, the of-phrase or a subordinate clause.
He is the teacher that I told you about.
I need the new book by Dr. Brown.
The result of his actions was awful.
The story that I’m reading is very sad.
I bought the table that cost fifty dollars.
5) If you need to point out a countable noun in the plural and make it
specific, use the definite article “the”. Usually, some additional
information in the sentence is needed to point it out, for example, the of-
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phrase or a subordinate clause. The definite article here means “these,
those”.
She bought the books by Professor Baker.
The students in my English class are lawyers and economists.
The cars that I like are expensive.
She asked the neighbors on the tenth floor to help her.
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1.3Articles with Uncountable Nouns
Uncountable nouns can’t be counted. They are not used in the plural, do not take
the plural ending s/es, are not used with the indefinite article a/an, and agree with a
singular verb.
Several terms are used in reference to these nouns in English: uncountable nouns,
noncount nouns, non-countable nouns. Some linguistic sources use the term “mass
nouns” for all types of uncountable nouns.
In general, uncountable nouns include concrete mass nouns (liquids, gases, solid
substances, etc.), various abstract notions, names of scientific subjects and fields of
study, names of languages, names of sports and other activities; names of natural
phenomena, etc.
1) An uncountable noun is not used with the indefinite article. If you are
speaking about an uncountable noun in general, don’t use any article.
I’d like coffee with milk, please.
She prefers green tea.
Do you play tennis?
I want to buy new furniture.
She likes classical music.
He likes history and German.
Water consists of hydrogen and oxygen.
She believes in justice.
2) When you need to point out an uncountable noun, use the definite article
“the”. Usually, some additional information is needed in the sentence in
order to use the definite article “the”, for example, the of-phrase or a
subordinate clause. The definite article here is close in meaning to “this,
that”.
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The water in this well is poisoned.
Take out the garbage, please.
The tea that she served smelled of mint.
The power that this man has is huge.
Uncountable nouns, usually concrete mass nouns, may be used in the plural
with the ending s/es to show different kinds and varieties, for example: the
teas of India, blended teas, soft cheeses, low-fat cheeses, French wines,
whole-wheat breads, hard wheats, stainless steels, iron ores, Chinese silks,
various wools. Such use is quite common in scientific and special literature.
In general speech and writing, mostly the singular form is used, for example:
different kinds of soft cheese, varieties of black tea, types of stainless steel,
varieties of wool, etc. Some uncountable mass nouns are often used in the
plural to show different kinds in general speech and writing, e.g. fruits, fruit
juices, wines.
This dress is made of silk.
Many fruits and combinations of fruits are used to make various fruit juices.
I like red wine. I’d like a glass of white wine, please.
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1.4Articles in Set Expressions
Articles in set expressions may not follow the rules of the use of articles. In
many set expressions there is an additional difficulty of using the right
preposition. Consequently, set expressions should be learned by heart,
there’s no other way.
at the beginning,
by the way
get to the point
in the center (of the city)
in the face of (danger)
in the middle (of the book)
in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening (but: at noon, at night)
make the bed
off the point, beside the point
on the road
What’s the difference?
What’s the matter?
What’s the point?
Set expressions with the indefinite article a/an
a grain of truth
at a glance
at a time
have a cold
for a long time
as a result
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take a break
Set expressions without any article
on board (the plane)
in fact
play football, play tennis, play chess
Take care!
face to face
make money
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1.5Articles with People’s Names
He asked the Monster about it. He asked, “Monster, what do you think about it?”
The definite article “the” is required when the surname is used in the plural to
show the members of the family together, or just the husband and wife as a family.
The articles the, a/an may be used with people’s names in some other situations,
e.g.:
The Linda that I knew 10 years ago turned into a malicious hag.
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II.Article Usage in English
For better or for worse, English is blessed with articles. This causes a considerable
amount of confusion for speakers of most of the world's other languages, who
seem to get on rather well without them. The good news is that English began
dropping the complex case systems and grammatical genders still prevalent in
other European languages a very long time ago. Now we are left with just two
forms of the indefinite article (a & an) and one form of the definite article (the).
Perhaps more than anything it is the transition from being a language with
synthetic structure to one which is more analytic that has helped gain English the
kind of unrivalled worldwide acceptance it enjoys today.
Even between British and American usage one finds subtle differences in nuance
or emphasis. For example, Americans usually say someone is in the hospital, much
as they could be at the bank or in the park. To the British this sounds like there is
only one hospital in town or that the American is thinking of one hospital in
particular that he or she patronizes. The Brits say an ailing person is in hospital,
just as they would say a child is at school or a criminal is in prison. This is because
they are thinking more of the primary activities that take place within those
institutions rather than the buildings in which they are housed. If, however, you are
merely visiting one of these places, you are at the hospital, at the school or at the
prison — both British and Americans agree here that what we have in mind is the
building itself.
Our town has a theatre, a university, a large park and a conference hall.
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Many Chinese still believe an Englishman always carries an umbrella.
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We use the in such cases:
The definite article the is used in front of any noun the listener or reader
already knows about.
I have two cars: a Ford and an Audi.
The Ford is white and the Audi is silver.
The is also used when the existence of something is common knowledge or
comes as no surprise because of the context in which it is mentioned.
Last week a fighter plane crashed into a field but the pilot managed to eject
safely.
Yesterday I spent the afternoon at home.
I put my clothes into the washing machine and went outside to sit in the
garden.
The definite article is used in front of things generally regarded as unique.
The sun, the moon, the sea, the sky, the Arctic Circle, the environment, the
capital, the air, the ground, etc.
Because nouns preceded by superlative adjectives and ordinal numbers are
by their very nature unique, they too require the definite article.
It was the worst day of my life!
The captain was the first person to leave the burning tanker.
Irregularity: Spoken American English drops the in dates.
June twenty-first.(American)
June the twenty-first.(British)
The twenty-first (day) of June.
The definite article is used in front of countable nouns representing a whole
class or category of something.
The computer has changed our lives.
It is left up to the consumer to decide which one to buy.
We all have a responsibility to look after the old and infirm.
The whale is the largest mammal.
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The is used in front of oceans, seas, rivers, island and mountain chains,
deserts, countries with plural names, and noun forms of points of the
compass.
The Pacific, the Mediterranean, the Amazon, the West Indies, the Rockies,
the Sahara, the Netherlands, the Far East, etc.
The is used in place names and titles including of.
In the case of official job titles, the is usually dropped if there is only one
such incumbent at any given time.
It is unlikely the Queen of Denmark has ever swum in the Bay of Bengal.
Margrethe II is (the) Queen of Denmark.
Donald was elected chairman of the board.
The is also used in proper names consisting of noun(s) and/or adjective(s) +
noun.
The Empire State Building, the English Channel, the White House, the
Festival Hall, the Rolling Stones, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the
British Museum, etc.
The is used in hotel names, for newspapers, for currencies.
The Hilton Hotel, the Savoy, the Sheraton
The Times, the Baltimore Sun, the Daily Mail
The U.S. dollar has risen against the yen but fallen against the euro.
The is used for many larger organizations and institutions (not commercial
enterprises), including those with initials that are normally spelled out.
Acronyms (initials read as whole words) are treated in the same way as
regular names (proper nouns) and so do not require any article. If you are
uncertain, please monitor usage in the media or consult a dictionary.
The Commonwealth, the Fed, the EU, the WHO, the BBC, the FDA, the
IAEA, etc.
But: OPEC, NATO, ICANN, etc.
In front of people's names, however, the is only used to avoid confusion.
I'm the David Appleyard that lives in Japan.
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The is used with the names of musical instruments.
Richard Clayderman plays the piano.
The can be used instead of a possessive form when referring to parts of the
body and items of clothing
She was hit on the head by a snowball (= a snowball hit her head).
Joe grabbed the youth by the collar (= Joe grabbed the youth's collar).
Many forms of entertainment are preceded by the definite article the, but not
the medium of television.
I go to the cinema/movies, the theatre, the circus, the ballet and the opera.
In the daytime I listen to the radio, but in the evenings I like to watch
television.
If, however, they are used for any other purposes, the is required.
She sat on the bed while she changed her socks.
He entered the church to photograph its interior.
The decorators forgot a ladder in the prison and the place was empty when
they came back for it.
Articles are not needed in more abstract expressions of situation like to/at
sea, to/at/out of work, in/out of town, in/out of office, etc.
My uncle first went to sea at the age of 15. He used to spend months at sea.
I go to work every day. I was at work yesterday.
Jack's been out of work for almost a year.
What's on in town (= my local town) this weekend?
Julie's out of town (= the town she lives in) until Thursday.
This government has been in office for about a year now. The opposition
parties would dearly love to vote them out of office.
If, however, you start talking about somewhere concrete or some place in
particular, then the definite article the is required.
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Sally spent all day in the office (= her workplace). She didn't get out of the
office much before 7 o'clock.
No article is needed before television as a medium, only as an appliance.
Carol saw her brother on television.
Compare:
She had an indoor antenna on the television.
There is no article before a noun followed by a categorizing letter or
number.
The students have just read section C.
The Chicago train is about to depart from track 5.
Her flight leaves from gate 32.
He fell asleep on page 816 of "War and Peace".
She is staying in room 689.
To give added punch, articles are often dropped in the titles of books,
movies, music and other works of art.
Even if an article exists in the original title, as in J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Lord
of the Rings', people tend to omit this when making reference to it in
everyday speech or writing.
"Journey into Hell" sounds even more exciting than "The Journey into Hell".
"Have you read 'Lord of the Rings'?"
In order to save space, articles are usually dropped in headlines.
"Iraqi Head Seeks Arms"
"Stolen Painting Found by Tree"
"Police Confirm Shotgun Attack on Bullet Train"
Conclusion
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In this work investigated how and where to use the article, its features and
complications of the usage and situations when there is no article with nouns.
The indefinite article has the forms a and an. The form a is used before words
beginning with a consonant sound (a book, a pen, a student). The form an is used
before words beginning with a vowel sound (an opera, an apple, an hour). The
article is pronounced [ә], [әn]; when stressed it is pronounced [ei], [æn].
The definite article has one graphic form the, which is pronounced in two ways:
[ði] before a vowel sound [ði æpl] and [ðә] before a consonant sound [ðә ‘pen].
The indefinite article has developed from the Old English numeral an (one), and as
a result of its origin it is used only with nouns in the singular.
The definite article has developed from the Old English demonstrative pronoun se
and in some cases it has preserved this demonstrative meaning in Modern English.
We found out the ways of their usage. And with the help of examples we could
understand their usage more exactly.
We found out difficulties of the usage of the article, its grammatical role, and also
rules of its usage.
Passing to the situational estimation of the article uses, we must point out that the
basic principle of their differentiation here is not a direct consideration of their
meanings, but disclosing the informational characteristics that the article conveys
to its noun in concrete contextual conditions.
References
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1. Alexander L.G. Longman English Grammar Practice for intermediate
students. Longman, 2005.
2. Dictionary of contemporary English. Pearson Longman, 2007.
3. Dooley Jenny, Evans Virginia. Grammarway 4. Express Publishing,
2007.
4. John Eastwood. Oxford Practice Grammar. Oxford University Press,
2001. - 432 p.
5. Martin Hewings. Advanced Grammar in Use. Cambridge University
Press, 1999. – 342 p.
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