GENERAL ENGLISH- Articles

Articles
 

The articles a/an (the indefinite article) and the (the definite article) belong to a group of words called determiners. They normally go at the beginning of noun phrases.

Alice is a financial advisor.
She is working for an insurance company.
I have been to the doctor.
Can I talk to the manager? 

What are articles used for?

Articles are used to show whether we are talking about things that are known both to the speaker and to the listener or that are not known to them both. Articles can also show whether we are talking about things in general or particular things.

 

Points to be noted

A singular countable noun normally has an article or other determiner (my, this, her, some etc.) with it. We can say a dog, my dog, that dog or every dog, but not just dog.

I saw a child in the store.
They have a house in the city.
Can I use your car?
He is my friend.
Who is that boy in the red shirt?

Plural and uncountable nouns can be used with or without an article or other determiner.

Children usually rush about.
Milk is rich in nutrients.
Is there any milk in the bottle?
Water is precious. 
Time is money. 

The Definite Article

The is called the definite article because it is used to refer to a particular person or thing.

Call the man waiting outside.
Revenge is the main theme of this play. 

Uses

To talk about a person/thing already mentioned

When a person/thing has been mentioned earlier, the definite article is used in later references to that particular person/thing.

I saw a beggar near the bus stop; the fellow came to me with outstretched hands. 

To talk about a person/thing known to the listener

We use the definite article (the) before a noun when we expect the listener/reader to know which particular person(s) or thing(s) we are talking about.

Can I talk to the manager? (The listener knows which person is meant.)
I have been to the doctor. (Which doctor? My doctor.) 
The book you want is out of print. (Which book? The one you want.)
The child was crying. (Which child? The one I met in the store.)
Let us go to the park. (Which park? The one in the town.) 

To talk about unique things or events

We use the to talk about unique things or events.

The French Revolution began in 1789. (Unique: because there has been only one French revolution.)
The Nile is the longest river in the world.

Most nouns that represent things that are the only ones of their kind also take the before them.

Examples are: the sun, the moon, the earth, the city, the Nile, the country, the sea, the weather etc.

This use of the is possible even when we are talking about somebody/something that the listener knows nothing about?

You don’t know the Hiltons, do you? (The use of the makes it clear that there is only one Hilton family in the speaker’s social environment.) 

With expressions referring to our physical environment

The is used in a number of expressions referring to our physical environment.

Examples are: the town, the weather, the rain, the wind, the country, the sunshine, the sea, the city etc.

I prefer the country to the city. 
The earth is the only planet that supports life. 

With adjectives referring to a particular class of people

We use the before certain adjectives referring to a particular class of people.

Examples are: the blind, the dead, the poor, the disabled etc.

The rich are not always happy.
The accused was sent on bail. 
The educated should teach the illiterate. 

With superlatives

Superlative adjectives take the before them.

She is the eldest member in the family.
The Nile is the longest river in the world. 

With singular nouns that represent a whole class

We use the before a singular noun when it is used to represent the whole class of things to which it belongs.

The lotus is a lovely flower.
Can the leopard change its spots? 
The camel is the ship of the desert. 

The indefinite article

A singular countable noun always has an article or another determiner with it.

The indefinite article a/an is used to talk about one particular person or thing when the listener does not know which one is meant, or when it does not matter which one.

She married an old man.
They have a big house in the city.
You had better consult a doctor.
I saw a hawker selling his wares on the street. 
A man came and knocked at the door.

A/an is also used to talk about any one member of a class.

A teacher must have patience. (=any teacher)
A spider has eight legs. (=any spider) 
A dog is faithful to its master.
A parrot can repeat what you say. 

Cases where the indefinite article should not be used

With plural and uncountable nouns

The indefinite article cannot used before plural and uncountable nouns.

Apples are red.
Computers are expensive. 
Time is money. 

With possessives

We cannot use the indefinite article with possessives. We use double possessives instead.

He is a friend of mine. (NOT He is a my friend.) 

With adjectives without nouns

We cannot use the indefinite article with an adjective alone (without a noun).

She is a beautiful girl.
She is beautiful. (NOT She is a beautiful.)

Cases where articles should not be used

With uncountable nouns

Articles are not used with uncountable nouns when we make general statements.

I love coffee. (NOT... a coffee OR the coffee)
Milk is rich in nutrients. (NOT The milk OR a milk)
We can't do without water. (NOT The water OR a water)
She likes reading books. (NOT...the reading books OR a reading books) 

With the names of countries

We do not use articles with the names of countries.

Japan is a developed nation. (NOT The Japan)
I have been to England. (NOT...to the England) 
India is a secular republic. (NOT The India)
He has just returned from South Africa. (NOT ...the South Africa)

But we use 'the' if the name of the country or organization specifically states that it is a collection of states. (For example, The United States, The United Arab Emirates, The United Nations etc.)

He is leaving for the United States tomorrow.
The United Nations is an international organization of countries created to promote world peace and cooperation.

With the names of languages

We do not use articles with the names of languages.

Hindi is the national language of India.
It is not easy to learn French.
English is spoken in many parts of the world.

With the names of meals

We do not use articles with the names of meals.

We have lunch at midday. (NOT...the lunch)
We have dinner in the evening. (NOT...the dinner) 
Breakfast is the first meal of the day. (NOT...the breakfast) 

With proper nouns

We do not use articles with proper nouns (the names of people, places etc.)

Alice is an architect. (NOT The Alice or a Alice)
Mary is my friend. (NOT The Mary) 
Delhi is the capital of India.

But we use 'the' with plural names.

We are having dinner with the Smiths.
The Sharmas are very kind. 

With titles and names

We do not use articles with titles and names.

Princess Diana was killed in a car accident. 
President Kennedy was assassinated.

But we say, the queen of England, the President of USA

 

With years

We do not use articles before years.

India won freedom in 1947. (NOT...in the 1947)
I was born in 1979. 
 

With possessives and demonstratives

We do not use articles before possessives (my, your, their etc.) and demonstratives (this, that, these, those).

This is my book. (NOT This is a my book.)
I like this car. (NOT I like the this car.) 

With days

Articles are not used to talk about the coming or last day/month.

See you on Friday. (=Coming Friday)
We are leaving for the US next week. (NOT ...the next week.)

But we use articles with the names of days of the week and months if we are talking about particular days or months.

We met on a rainy Friday.
It was a wet Monday in May.
She died on the Thursday after the accident.

What to use - a/an or the?

The indefinite article a/an is used to talk about one particular person or thing when the listener does not know which one is meant.

I saw a child in the toy store.
She married an old man. 
A girl answered the phone.

The definite article is used when the listener knows which particular person or thing is meant.

The child was crying. (You know which child - the one I met in the toy store.)
I went to the doctor yesterday. 
The girl who answered the phone was polite. (You know which girl - the one who answered the phone.)

The first time you speak of something/somebody use a/an, the next time you repeat the same noun use the.

To talk about things in general, we normally use a singular countable noun with a/an.

A spider has eight legs.
An apple is red.

Note that we can also use a plural noun with no article to make a general statement.

Children need love. 
Spiders have eight legs.
Teachers must have patience. 
Apples are red.
Computers are expensive.

Sometimes we use a singular noun with the to make general statements. This is particularly common before the names of instruments and inventions.

Who invented the computer?
I would like to learn the violin. 
 

The difference between some/any and no article

Uncountable and plural nouns are often used either with some/any or with no article. Usually there is no difference of meaning.

I need (some) writing paper.
Have you got (any) rice?

The difference

We use some/any when we are talking about limited but rather indefinite number or quantities. We use no article when we are thinking about unlimited numbers or quantities, or not thinking about numbers/quantities at all.

 

Compare:

We have bought some eggs. (Limited quantity)
Do you like eggs? (No idea of number)
Is there any milk in the bottle? (Limited quantity)
Milk has a sweet taste. (No idea of quantity)
We bought a lot of apples yesterday. 
Apples are red. (General statement)
I would like a little coffee, please.
We planted some trees in the garden. (Limited number)
There were trees on either side of the road. (No idea of number)

Common expressions without articles

In some common fixed expressions to do with place, time and movement, normally countable nouns are treated as uncountable, without articles. Examples are:

To/at/in/from school
To/at/from university/college (GB)
To/in/from college (US)
To/at/in/into/from church
To/in/into/out of bed/prison
To/in/into/out of hospital (GB)
To/at/from work
To/at sea
To/in/from town
At/from home
Leave/start/enter school/university/college
By day
At night
By car/bus/bicycle/plane/train/tube/boat
On foot
By radio/phone/letter/mail

With place nouns, similar expressions with articles may have different meanings. 

 

Compare:

I met her at college. (When we were students)
I met her at the college. (The college is just a meeting place.)

In American English, university and hospital are not used without articles.

 

Articles: special rules and exceptions

Articles are often dropped in double expressions, particularly with prepositions. Examples are:

With knife and fork (NOT With a knife and a fork) (NOT With a knife and fork)
Husband and wife (NOT a husband and a wife)
From top to bottom (NOT From the top to the bottom)
Inch by inch
On land and sea

Note that articles are not usually dropped when singular nouns follow prepositions.

You can’t get there without a car. (NOT You can’t get there without car.)

 

Both and all

The definite article the is often dropped after both.

Both children are good at singing.
OR Both the children are good at singing.

And we often leave out the between all and a number.

You can take all the three shirts.
OR You can take all three shirts.

 

Kind of

The article a/an is usually dropped after kind of, sort of, type of and similar expressions.

What kind of person is she? (NOT What kind of a person is she?)
What sort of bird is that?

 

Exclamations

We use a/an with singular countable nouns in exclamations after what.

What a pretty girl! (NOT What pretty girl!)
What a sweet song!

Note that a/an cannot be used with uncountable nouns.

What nonsense! (NOT What a nonsense!)

 

Place names

Articles are used with the names of:

Seas (the Pacific, the Atlantic)
Mountains (the Alps, the Himalayas)
Island groups (the West Indies)
Rivers (the Nile, the Amazon, the Thames)
Deserts (the Sahara, the Atacama)

We usually use no article with the names of continents, countries, states, departments etc. Examples are: Asia, India, France, Texas, Beijing etc.

 

Exceptions

We say: the People’s Republic of China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Netherlands, the Hague