 |
Essential
ENGLISH
GRAMMAR Indefinite & definite articles in English |
Article usage -
the basic rules:
Basically, the rules for using articles in English are quite simple:
* The definite article shows that a noun is being used in a "defined" or restricted context.
* When a noun is used in a non-defined or "generalizing" context, in some cases an indefinite article is required, in others no article at all.
Basically, the rules for using articles in English are quite simple:
* The definite article shows that a noun is being used in a "defined" or restricted context.
* When a noun is used in a non-defined or "generalizing" context, in some cases an indefinite article is required, in others no article at all.
Contact:
by email only, to
contact "at" linguapress "dot" com
1. The Definite ArticleHow simple English is !! There is only one definite article, and that is "the"; the only difficulty is knowing when to use it, and when it is not needed.Use of the definite article depends on the nature or type of noun that is being used. As in other languages, nouns in English can be divided into two distinct categories, called: count nouns and non-count nouns. ► Count
nouns are nouns referring to items that can be counted, for
example:
THE BIG
QUESTION concerns plural nouns: One car, two pencils, three people, four guitarists, five hotels etc. These nouns can be used in the singular or the plural In the singular, count nouns must The dog is happy. (or This dog is happy, etc: but not: Dog is happy ) I'm reading the book you gave me. In the plural, they may require a determiner, depending on context. ►Non-count nouns are nouns referring to abstractions, substances or generalizations, or example: Oxygen, health, money, heat, astronomy In the singular, non-count nouns do not require a determiner. They can NOT usually be used in the plural. For
more detail see Count &
non-count nouns
Generalisation or not?Sometimes it is not easy to decide if a plural noun is being used as a generalization, or in a restrictive context : often the speaker or writer can choose. Look at these two sentences: a)
London buses are red
In example
(a), the writer is clearly implying
a generalisation on the noun groupb) The London buses are red. "London
buses": All
London buses are
red.
In example
(b), he is referring to a restricted
or defined category of the noun:"buses",
London buses are red, but other buses
may be of other colours.
In cases
like these, one therefore has a choice;
but the choice is not always completely free, as it often depends on context.
Is it more important or more logical to imply a generalization, or a
limitation? Deciding whether it is best to use an article in such cases is a skill that has to be mastered! 2. The Indefinite ArticleEnglish has two indefinite articles, a and ana is used before nouns starting with a consonant or a semivowel an is used before nouns starting with a phonetic vowel Examples: a dog, a cat, an apple, an orange, an uncle, but a university (because the word university starts with phonetic [ju], which is not a vowel). Indefinite articles can only be used with count nouns. They are used when a count noun in the singular refers to a non-specified or non defined entity. Examples:
a) There's a train (= unspecified) coming in 5 minutes. It's the train (= specified) for London. b) Look! I can see an elephant over there ! (= a non-identified elephant) There is no indefinite article in the plural. The word "some" is occasionally said to be a plural indefinite article, but really it is a quantifier (like many, few, etc.) By definition, plural nouns refering to non-specified entities are generalisations, therefore need no article. Copyright : Website and texts © Linguapress.com 2009-2011 except where otherwise indicated |
Cette
page en
français:
►Les articles en anglais Advertising |