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1. The Definite
Article
How 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.
The basic rules:
Basically,
the rules 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, a definite article is not needed.
Two sorts of noun.
Use
of the definite article therefore 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:
One
car, two pencils, three people,
four guitarists, five hotels etc.
Count
nouns can be used in the plural.
►Non-count
nouns
are nouns referring to abstractions, substances or generalizations, or
example:
Oxygen,
health, money, heat, astronomy
Non-count
nouns can NOT usually be used in
the plural.
THE BIG
QUESTION:
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
b)
The London buses are red.
In example
(a), the writer is clearly implying
a generalisation on the noun group "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!
► Follow this link for more information on count and non-count nouns
2. The
Indefinite
Article
English has two
indefinite articles, a
and an
a 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,
but a
university (because the word university does
not start with a phonetic vowel)
Indefinite articles are used when a count noun in the singular refers
to a non-specified entity
Examples:
A train ,
An elephant (meaning any train,
or any
elephant).
There is no
inderfinite 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.
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