GRAMMAR. Using the Articles of English.
What Are Articles of English?
Many test takers fail to use the articles of English well. They usually fail to understand when to use the definite article or indefinite articles.
Articles define a noun as specific or unspecific. Look at the following examples:
The book he stole was not particularly useful.
By using the article the, we’ve shown that it was one specific book that was not particularly useful.
A book was stolen from the library.
By using the article a, we’ve created a general statement, implying that the speaker is not specific about a particular book. What he knows is that a certain book was stolen.
There are two types of articles: definite and indefinite.
The definite and indefinite articles.
The Definite Article
The definite article is the word /the/. It limits the meaning of a noun to one specific thing. For example, your friend might ask, “Did you get the book?” The definite article tells you that your friend is referring to a specific book that both of you know about. It can be used with singular, plural, or uncountable nouns. Look at the following usage:
1. Please send me the book.
2. Please give me the chemistry book; the physics one is not what I want.
3. Please give me the pencil.
4. Please give me the long pencil; the one on top of the desk.
5. Please give me the book and the pencil.
The Indefinite Article
There are two forms of the indefinite article, /a/ when it precedes a word that begins with a consonant sound and /an/ when it precedes a word that begins with a vowel sound. In this case, a noun refers to a general idea rather than a specific thing. For example, “ I saw a boy at the gate with an apple.” What you know is that you identified the person as a boy not girl, but cannot tell the specific boy, that is, the name. You saw that he carried an apple, but could not tell whether a green or red apple. The indefinite article only appears with singular nouns. Look at the following:
1. Can you get me a good novel from the bookstore?
2. Please find for me an autobiography novel at the bookstore.
Exceptions: A or An
If the first letter of a word is a silent consonant, then use /an/ before the word. The first letter of the word honor, for example, is a silent consonant, meaning honor starts with a vowel sound. Therefore, we use an.
1. He was given an honor for his achievements in science.
2. He is an honorable gentleman.
If the first letter of a word is a vowel but pronounced as a consonant sound, use /a/.
1. They intend to build a university.
2. The workers are forming a union.
The words university and union start with /u/ which is pronounced as /y/, a consonant sound.
Other uses of articles.
Article Before an Adjective
Articles can be used to modify an adjective. The order will then be, article + adjective + noun. The choice of indefinite article will depend on the word that immediately follows it.
I bought an expensive car from the auction.
It was a big bag.
Note the article, /an/ before the adjective expensive and /a/ before the adjective big.
Indefinite Articles with Uncountable Nouns
Uncountable nouns are nouns that cannot be counted or hard to count. For example, intangible things (love, air), liquids ( milk, wine), and things that are too large or numerous to count ( equipment, salt, soil).
Do not use a or an with uncountable things because the indefinite article is only for singular nouns. You can only modify such uncountable nouns with words like some, much, few etc. These words show quantity.
There is a sand at the beach.
The indefinite article is not needed because sand is an uncountable noun.
There was some sand at the beach.
Some uncountable nouns can be measured with specific measure words.
1. Please give me a glass of wine.
2. Please give me a slice of bread.
3. Please give me some bread.
However, the context can make some nouns countable or uncountable (e.g., hair, noise, time):
There was a light in the bedroom by the time I came back home.
The bedroom is so dark, there is need of some light.
Using Articles with Pronouns
Possessive pronouns, our, his, my, our, its, her, and their like articles, indicate specificity of ownership. Thus do not use the possessive pronouns with articles.
That is the my car packed by the side of the road.
Note that /the/ and /my/ both modify the same noun thus cannot be used together, either depending on the intended meaning:
1. That us my car packed by the side of the road.
2. The car packed by the side of the road is mine.
When to omit Articles
Sometimes we can omit the article but make an implied meaning even without it. This implied article is called a “zero article.”, especially before nouns that refer to abstract ideas.
1. A relationship can be challenging.
2. Relationships can be challenging.
1. Yesterday I took y girlfriend out for a dinner.
2. Yesterday I took my girlfriend out for dinner.
When talking about languages and nationalities, note that some do not need an article before them.
1. She speaks the Chinese fluently.
2. She speaks Chinese fluently.
Likewise, when talking about sports and academic subjects, you should avoid using articles before them.
1. I used to play the soccer at school.
2. I used to play soccer at school.
3. In primary, I was very good at the English.
4. In primary, I was very good at English.