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lec # 10

The document explains the concept of articles in English, distinguishing between definite articles (the) and indefinite articles (a, an). It outlines the functions of each type, including their use in referring to unique or specific nouns versus non-unique or nonspecific nouns. Additionally, it highlights certain nouns that do not take articles and provides examples for clarity.

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4 views

lec # 10

The document explains the concept of articles in English, distinguishing between definite articles (the) and indefinite articles (a, an). It outlines the functions of each type, including their use in referring to unique or specific nouns versus non-unique or nonspecific nouns. Additionally, it highlights certain nouns that do not take articles and provides examples for clarity.

Uploaded by

ifracreate
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Articles

Asma Saeed
Functional English
FST/MLS/HND
• An article is a word that is used to indicate that a
noun is a noun without describing it. For example,
in the sentence Nick bought a dog, the
article a indicates that the word dog is a noun.
• Articles can also modify anything that acts as a
noun, such as a pronoun or a noun phrase.
• Often, a sentence needs an article before a noun in
order to make grammatical sense. For example,
• Incorrect: I have box.
Correct: I have a box.
Types of articles
there are main two types of articles

1:- Definite articles

2:- Indefinite articles


Definite Articles
• In English, the only definite article is the word the. A
definite article has several roles that it performs.
• 1. A definite article is used to refer to unique things or
groups. A definite article can indicate that something is
unique and only one of it exists.
• She gazed at the moon. (The Earth only has one moon)
• We sailed on the Pacific Ocean. (There is only one body of
water named Pacific Ocean.)
• 2. A definite article is used to refer to specific things that
both the speaker and the listener know the identity of.
• Harold went to the store. (Both the speaker and the
listener know specifically which store Harold went to.)
• The kids are playing outside. (Both the speaker and
listener know the identity of the kids.)
• In writing and speech, the word the is typically used
after the speaker or writer first introduces a thing
that they are talking about. The word the then
references back to this same thing. For example,
• We saw birds by the lake. The birds were building
nests. (The word the indicates that the birds in the
second sentence are the same birds mentioned in
the first sentence.)
Indefinite Articles
• n English, there are two indefinite articles: a and an. A is
used before consonants or consonant sounds, and an is
used before vowels or vowel sounds. Indefinite articles are
basically the reverse of definite articles and have several
different roles.
• 1. Indefinite articles are used to refer to things that aren’t
unique.
• Raquel is a doctor. (Raquel is just one of the many doctors
in the world.)
• France is a country. (France is one of many countries.)
• 2. Indefinite articles are used to refer to nonspecific things.
• I am looking for a job. (I am not looking for a specific job.)
• Please hand me an envelope. (You can hand me any
envelope you can find.)
indefinite articles
3. Indefinite articles are used to refer to things that
the speaker and listener don’t know the identity of.
• Vick has a dog. (We know Vick owns a dog, but we
don’t know anything about it.)
• A woman is standing outside. (We don’t know who
the woman is.)
• In writing and speech, indefinite articles are often
used to introduce the first mention of a noun. Once
the noun has been introduced, it is then possible to
use a definite article.
• Unlike definite articles, it is considered
grammatically incorrect to use indefinite articles
with plural nouns.
Nouns that don’t take
articles
• Some nouns do not take articles. Unfortunately, there is no
general rule for when this happens, and you’ll just need to
learn these instances as you encounter them. Some
common types of nouns that don’t typically use articles
include:
• Languages: I studied Russian. She
speaks Spanish and Portuguese.
• Sports: He plays football. We watched basketball on TV.
• School subjects: She loves math. He is bad at chemistry.
• Names: Meghan lives with Ken. I gave a biscuit
to Princess, my poodle.
• Abstract nouns: She has impressive speed. The professor
gave a lecture on communism.
• Make Your Writing Shine!
Nouns that don’t take
articles
• Countries: We went to Colombia. She lives
in the Netherlands.
• Uncountable nouns: The bottle was full
of water. The water was polluted.
• Plural nouns: He is allergic to peanuts. She
gave the peanuts to an elephant.
• Nouns that can be both abstract and concrete: My son is
at school. They are building a school near the library.
• Times of day: Bats hunt for food at night. It was a lonely night.
• Seasons: Winter came quickly this year. The winter was long
and harsh.
• Transportation: I get nauseous when traveling by boat. The
sailors sat on the boat.
• Days of the week: Her birthday is on Saturday. Her birthday is
on a Saturday this year.

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