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Lesson 03

The document is a revision guide for third-year students at the University of Algiers 02, focusing on the use of articles in the English language. It defines articles, explains the types (definite, indefinite, and zero articles), and provides examples and practice activities. The guide aims to help students understand when and how to use articles correctly in sentences.

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4 views

Lesson 03

The document is a revision guide for third-year students at the University of Algiers 02, focusing on the use of articles in the English language. It defines articles, explains the types (definite, indefinite, and zero articles), and provides examples and practice activities. The guide aims to help students understand when and how to use articles correctly in sentences.

Uploaded by

houhouda294
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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University of Algiers 02 - Faculty of Foreign Languages - Department of French

Third-Year LMD - Semester 5 - Groups 8, 9 & 10

Module: Foreign Language (English)

Teacher: Ms Khechmoune Farah

Revision: Articles

1) -Definition: articles are words used to modify a noun which can be a person,
place, object, or idea. Articles are placed before the noun to show if it is specific
or general. In English, there are three articles: a, an, and the.
- Articles are not gender specific; hence, they remain the same when
speaking of both genders.

-Examples:
 She adopted a cat from the shelter.
 He bought a car yesterday.
 The policewoman caught the thief.
 The mailman delivered the mail on time.
 The children bought an orange from the market.
 We stayed at an old hotel by the beach.

2) Types of Articles:

a) Definite Article ‘The’ is used:


- before a specific noun; that is, when both the speaker and the listener are thinking
about the same thing.
- before a noun which has become definite as a result of being mentioned a second
time. ( We saw a good film last night. It was the film you recommended)
- before singular countable nous. (Thank you for the banana)
- before plural countable nouns. (Thank you for the bananas)
- before uncountable nouns. (Thank you for the water)
- before unique nouns; that is, nouns of which there is only one. (The earth is round)
- before names of rivers, oceans and seas. (The Atlantic Ocean, The Yellow
River, The Dead Sea)
- before names of newspapers. (The New York Times, The Guardian)
- before names of famous places, artworks, monuments. (The Statue of
Liberty, The Starry Night, The White House)
- before superlatives. ( The longest river in the world)
b) Indefinite Articles “A/An”: The indefinite articles are used before singular
countable nouns when mentioned for the first time , and represent no particular thing
or person. In simpler words, “An/A” are used when speaking of something
nonspecific.

-Examples:
 Can you give me an apple?
 We need a table in this room.
 I need an umbrella because it is raining.

-The difference between ‘an’ and ‘a’:


-‘a’ is used before nouns starting with a consonant sound. ( a book, a plate, a flower)
-‘an’ is used before nouns starting with a vowel sound. ( an egg, an apple, an insect)
-For words where the “h” sound is pronounced, ‘a’ is used. ( a hat, a hotel)
- For words where the “h” is silent, ‘an’ is used. ( an honor, an hour)
-PS:the rule is not whether the word following the article starts with a consonant or
vowel, but whether it starts with a consonant or vowel sound.

3) Zero Article 'Ø':In some instances, articles are not necessary.


- Before abstract nouns. ( Jealousy, Love, Kindness)
- Before holidays, special times of the year, months, days of the week, and seasons.
(Easter, Monday, Ramadan, Women’s Day, spring)
- Before means of transportation and communication.
( He came by train, She informed me by phone)
- Before countries, towns, and proper names.
( Charlie lived in Chicago in America)
4) Practice:

-Activity 01:Complete the sentences with a/an, the, or Ø. Capitalize as


appropriate.

1- Ø Beef is a kind of Ø meat.


2- ...... beef we had for dinner last night was excellent.
3- Jim is wearing ..... straw hat today.
4- I love...... my friends! They are .... best.
5- I’ve got .... brother, ....my brother is .... teacher.
6- My grandfather had ..... long life.
7- That book is about ..... life of Helen Keller.
8- Tommy wants to be .... engineer when he grows up.
9- Alex, would you please answer ..... phone?
10- Everyone has .... problems in...life.
11- In .... recent newspaper article, I read about ..... Australian swimmer who was
saved from .... shark by .... group of dolphins.
12- I threw away ..... old basket that was falling apart.

-Activity 02:Read the passage given below, identify and underline the articles used in
it.
One day, a dog which was very hungry was crossing the street. Suddenly he saw
a shop selling meat. Since the dog hadn’t eaten for a few days, he could not control
his hunger. When the shopkeeper wasn’t looking, the dog took a piece of meat and ran
away. The dog ran till it came near a clear stream to enjoy his food. As he was about
to eat the meat, he saw his own reflection in the water. He didn’t understand that it
was his own reflection in the clear water; he thought there was another dog with a
piece of meat. So without thinking twice, he opened his mouth to bark at the other dog;
as soon as he did that, his piece of meat fell into the stream.

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