Article before adjectives in English. How to distinguish between definite and indefinite articles in English? Names, establishments and places

This article explains the difference between the indefinite (a/an) and definite (the) articles.

What is an article? At its core, the article is an adjective. Like adjectives, the article modifies the noun.

IN English language There are two articles: the and a/an. The article the is used before definite or special nouns; The article a/an is used to change the meaning of indefinite and non-special nouns. We call the article the definite article, and the article a/an the indefinite article.

the = definite article

a/an = indefinite article

For example, if you say “Let”s go in the room,” then you mean a certain specific room. If you say, “Let”s go in a room,” then you mean any room, and not any specific one.

Another explanation is that the article the is used to highlight some particular or special member of a group. For example, "I just heard the most horrible story." There are many stories, but only one of them is the most terrible. Therefore, the definite article the is used here.

The article "a/an" is used to highlight some non-special or non-special member of the group. For example, "I would like to go to a pub." This phrase does not refer to any specific pub. This means any pub. There are many pubs and I want to go to any of them. I don't mean any specific pub.

Let's look at each of the articles in more detail.

Indefinite articles: a and an

The articles "a" and "an" indicate that the noun is indefinite and it refers to any member of the group. Example:

• "My son really wants a cat for Christmas." This means any cat. We don't know which cat exactly because we haven't found it yet.
• "Somebody call a doctor!" This also means any doctor. We don't need any special doctor; we need any available doctor.
• "When I was in the church, I saw an angel!" Here we are talking about one, non-specific subject, in in this case about an angel. There may be several angels in the church, but there is only one that we are talking about here.

Remember that the use of the articles a or an depends on what sound the word following the article begins with. So...

• a + noun in singular starting with a consonant: a toy; a cat; a zoo; a bike; a dog
• an + singular noun starting with a vowel: an angel; an apple; an avocado; an olive an ear
• a + a singular noun starting with a consonant: a user (sounds like “yoo-zer”, that is, starting with a consonant “y”, so the indefinite article “a” is used); a university; a unicycle
• an + noun starting with an unpronounceable "h": an hour
• a + noun starting with a pronounced "h": a horse
  • In some cases, if the letter "h" is pronounced, for example in the word "historical," then the indefinite article an can be used.
    However, the use of the indefinite article a is more common and desirable.
    A historical event is just something that happened in the past.

Remember that these rules also apply when using acronyms:

Who is a Member of Technical Staff (MTS)? This is an engineer and his/her work effort in a technical subject area within the organization mission and all the elements needed to support that engineer. Therefore, an MTS can also be considered a "manyear of technical service".

This rule also applies in another case, when acronyms begin with a consonant letter, but a vowel sound is pronounced:

Apply Now for an MBA (Master of Business Administration) Program in one year.
The algorithm to compute the Cholesky factor of an SPD (Symmetric Positive Definite) matrix is ​​close to the Gaussian elimination algorithm.

If a noun is qualified by an adjective, then the choice between the articles a and an depends on the first sound in the adjective that follows the article:

• a broken wing
• an unusual gem
• a European city (sounds like "yer-o-pi-an", that is, the word begins with a consonant sound "y")

Remember that in English we use indefinite articles to indicate group membership:

• I am a welder. (I am a member large group, known as welders.)
• Cody is an Irishman. (Cody is a member of the group of people known as the Irish.)
• Frank is a practicing Catholic. (Frank is a member of the group of people known as Catholics.)

Definite article: the

The definite article is used before nouns in both the singular and plural if the noun is definite or special. The article the indicates that the noun is definite and refers to some member of the group. Example:

"The cat that scratched me ran away." Here we are talking about a certain cat who scratched me.

"I was happy to see the doctor who saved my dog!" It also talks about a certain doctor. Even if we don't know his name, he is still a special doctor because he saved my dog.

"I saw the tiger at the zoo." Here we are talking about a certain definite noun. Perhaps there is only one tiger in the zoo.

Countable and uncountable nouns

WITH uncountable nouns you can use the definite article the, or do without the article at all.

• "I like to sail over the water" (meaning a specific part of the body of water) or "I like to sail over water" (meaning any water surface).
• “He spilled the drink all over the floor” (meaning a certain drink, perhaps one that was purchased in the morning of the same day) or “He spilled drink all over the floor” (any drink in general).

The indefinite articles "a/an" can only be used with countable nouns.

• "I need a bottle of rose."
• "I need a new glass of drink."

In most cases, you cannot say "She wants a water" unless you mean, for example, a bottle of water.

Using the definite article the with place names

There are special rules for using the definite article the with place names.

The definite article the Not used before:

• names of most countries and territories: Georgia, Spain, Italy; but the Netherlands, the Dominican Republic, the Republic of Poland, the United States
• names of cities or states: Quebec, Miami, Texas
• street names: Independence Blvd., Elm St.
• names of lakes and bays: Lake Tahoe, Lake Bell, with the exception of names of a group of lakes, for example the Great Lakes
• names of mountains: Mount Rushmore, Mount Vernon, with the exception of names of mountain ranges, for example the Alps or the Rockies, as well as unusual names like the Matterhorn
• names of continents: Australia, Europe
• island names (Cocos Island, Maui, Key West), with the exception of island chains, for example, the Aleutians, the Hebrides, or the Canary Islands

The definite article the is used before:

• names of rivers, oceans and seas: the Nile, the Atlantic
• names of points on globe: the Equator, the South Pole
• names of geographical areas: the Middle East, the West
• names of deserts, forests, bays and peninsulas: the Sahara, the Persian Gulf, the Black Forest, the Iberian Peninsula

Cases when articles are not used

Articles are not used with some common types of nouns:

• with names of languages ​​or nationalities: Chinese, English, Spanish, Korean (if you don't mean the population of a nation: " The Turks are known for their warm hospitality.")
• with names of sports: football, baseball, hockey
• with the names of academic subjects: physics, history, biology, geology

First of all, thank you so much for your letters and reviews! We are very pleased that our work helps you in learning English! :)

Especially at your request, we have prepared material on the use of the indefinite article A(AN).

What is an article? This service part speech, which is placed before a noun to show the definiteness or uncertainty of the subject. In other words, articles make it clear whether the interlocutors are familiar with the subject or not. The function of articles is to define, therefore the part of speech to which they refer is called Determinants or Determiners.You can learn more about them from this article.

The article A (AN) comes from the numeral ONE (one) and is therefore called indefinite, which does not denote a specific object known to the interlocutors (unlike the), but one of many, some, no matter what, indefinite.

Why does the article A have two forms?

You may know that the AN form is used when the noun after the article begins with a vowel:

An apple, an egg, an elephant

But be careful, because the choice of the article form depends not on the letter (what we see in the letter), but on the sound. For example, take the word university. The first letter u conveys two sounds: . The first one, as you can see [j]. It is a consonant, so the article a should be used before the word univercity. In the same way with the words hour or the adjective honest (in combination honest man). In both words, the first h is unreadable, so we start pronouncing the word with a vowel and use the article AN.

There are many words in English that start with silent consonants or diphthongs, so when choosing an article, be guided by the pronunciation of the word, not its spelling.

Let's take a look at the main cases in which we use the article A. They are all somewhat similar and complement each other in many ways, but if you understand the basic idea of ​​​​using the article, you can always use it correctly.

Article A is used in the following cases:

1. If there is only one subject and it is uncertain. To check, you can substitute the following words instead of the article: some, one of many, one of, any

I work in an office. - I work in an office. (I work in some office / in one of the offices).
She bought a car. - She bought (one) car. (She bought one car / some kind of car).
They passed an exam. - They passed (one) exam. (They passed some kind of exam / one of many exams).
I would like a cup of coffee. - I would like (one) cup of coffee. (Not two, one).

2. If an object belongs to a certain class, it is “one of many” representatives of this class. Therefore, A is always used before the names of professions and nationalities:

I am a teacher. - I'am a teacher. (There are many teachers and I am one of them).
She wants to become a student of this university. - She wants to become a student at this university. (There are many students in this university and she wants to become one of them).
He is a Republican. - He is a Republican. (He is one of the Republicans, belongs to this category).
We want to buy a flat in the center. - We want to buy an apartment in the center. (There are many apartments in the center and we want to buy one of them).

3. When we give a definition, we explain what this or that object is. At the same time, we mean that this definition applies to any representative of this category:

A doctor is a person who treats sick people. - A doctor is a person who treats patients. (Any doctor treats patients).
A penguin is a bird that can’t fly. - A penguin is a bird that cannot fly. (Any penguin cannot fly.
A penguin is one of the birds that cannot fly).
A bear is a wild animal. - A bear is a wild animal. (Any bear is a wild animal / one of the wild animals).

You can object and say that not every doctor treats and not every wild bear, but we are looking at special cases, but general ones.

4. In type descriptions: A + adjective + noun to describe an object. In this case, the choice of the article A or AN is determined by the first sound of the adjective, not the noun:

This is an orange ball. - This is an orange ball.
He is a clever student. - He is a smart student.
We saw a very tall tree. - We saw a very tall tree.

5. When we talk about using things. Construction: use something as a ... :

He used a stub as a stool. - He used the tree stump as a stool.
She used a napkin as a note. - They used the napkin as a note.
Don’t use your fork as a pointer. - Don't use your fork as a pointer.

6. In negative and interrogative sentences and after the phrase there is with a singular countable noun:

In this case, we know nothing about the object except that it is one of many.

7. Article A is used in measurements:

Once a day - once a day
Twice a week - twice a day
40 km an hour - 40 kilometers per hour

In words denoting one unit of measurement (for example: hundred, thousand, kilogram), A and one can be interchanged:

One hundred = a hundred
One thousand = a thousand
One kilo = a kilo One mile = a mile

8. In exclamations in combination with what, what a lot and such (to emphasize the severity of the attribute):

What a nice day! - What a wonderful day!
What a lot of books! - How many books!
He is such an intelligent person! - He is such a smart man!

9. We use A with paired nouns. Some nouns are considered in pairs, in which case the article a is placed before the first noun:

A knife and fork - knife and fork
A cup and saucer - cup and saucer

There is no need to confuse pairs with single nouns, which simply stand next to each other in a sentence:

I bought a pen and a book. -I bought a pen and a book.

10. With words indicating health problems:

A headache headache
a cold - a cold
a sore throat - sore throat
a broken arm/leg - broken arm/leg
a weak heart - weak heart
(a) toothache - toothache (can be without the article)
(an) earache - pain in the ear (can be without the article)

11. Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, the indefinite article A is used when we mention something for the first time, when the interlocutor knows nothing about the subject:

I have got a cat. - I have a cat.
He met a beautiful girl. - He met a beautiful girl.

For further references, the definite article the should be used, but more on that in the next article.

Let's summarize the main points: The indefinite article A is used only with countable nouns in the singular, if the subject we are talking about is mentioned for the first time, is indefinite, one of many of its kind, any.

Add to favorites

Indefinite article a/an in English (the indefinite article) has two forms:

a[ə] - used before consonants. That is, if a word begins with a consonant, use a:

a b ook, a t able, a m an a g irl a c computer, a t omato, a yacht [ jɒt], a unit [ ˈj uːnɪt]

an[ən] - used before vowels. That is, if a word begins with a vowel sound, use an:

an a pple, an e ngineer, an i dea, an o range an a nswer, an hour [ˈ aʊə(r)]

For example, the word hour starts with a vowel sound, so we use the article an (an hour), although the first letter in writing is a consonant h. Or, for example, the word yacht (yacht) written with a vowel y, but the consonant sound [j] is pronounced, so we choose a (a yacht). Usage different forms the same article helps to make speech harmonious, easy, and natural. Try to pronounce an apple or an book, and you will feel how difficult and uncomfortable it is.

Remember:

a pen(pen), a story(story), a chair(chair), a child(child), a flower(flower)

If the noun is used in the form plural, then the indefinite article is missing. The absence of an article before a noun is usually called the "zero article".

pens(pens), stories(stories), chairs(chairs), children(children), flowers(flowers)

When to use the indefinite article a/an

Below you will find a description of the main uses of the indefinite article a/an in English.

№1

Indefinite article a/an used when we first mention an object or person. In this case, we assume that our interlocutor does not know what or who exactly we are talking about.

Yesterday I bought a handbag. — Yesterday I bought a handbag.
Up until this point, I hadn’t even talked about how I was going to buy a bag. That is, I mention this for the first time (my interlocutor knows nothing about this bag), hence the indefinite article a/an.

If you continue to talk about this bag, then the noun handbag (bag) will already be used with the definite article the, since this time the interlocutor knows which specific bag we are talking about:

Yesterday I bought a handbag. The handbag is very beautiful. — Yesterday I bought a handbag. The handbag is very beautiful.

Although most often a personal pronoun is used instead of a noun, it sounds more natural and avoids repetition:

Yesterday I bought a handbag. It is very beautiful. — Yesterday I bought a handbag. She is very beautiful.

№2

Indefinite article a/an is used when we are not talking about a given (specific) object or person, but simply about any, some, one of a group of the same objects or people. In other words, when we talk about an object or person in general, without having a specific one in mind skirt, work, handle or dog:

I want to buy a skirt. — I want to buy a skirt. (some kind of skirt, I don’t know which one yet; I only know that I want a skirt, not a dress)
He refused to look for a job. — He refused to look for work. (some kind of work)
Give me a pen, please. - Give me a pen, please. (any, any)
It is a dog. - This is a dog. (some dog, any dog)

When we are not talking about a specific object or person, but about anyone, then further, if we need to re-designate it, we do not use personal pronouns or the definite article the. And again we use the indefinite article a/an or pronoun one.

She wants a car but he says they don’t need one. “She wants a car, but he says they don’t need it.”
or
She wants a car but he says they don’t need a car. — She wants a car, but he says they don’t need a car.
She wants to have a car (not a motorcycle, not a bicycle, but some kind of car, so a car), but he says that they don’t need a car (they don’t need any car at all, not just a specific one). Since in the second part of the sentence we are again talking about any / indefinite machine, we again use a car.

№3

Indefinite article a/an we also use it to describe or give any information about something that has already been mentioned earlier. In this case, an adjective is often used before the noun. Please note that although the article comes before an adjective, it refers to a noun:

It is a beautiful place. - This a nice place. (describe what this place is)
He is a clever boy. - He's a smart boy. (we characterize what kind of boy he is)
Do you live in a big house? — Do you live in big house? (we ask which house)

When we talk about a person’s profession or work, we also use the indefinite article a/an:

She is a teacher. - She is a teacher.
I am a doctor. - I am a doctor.

№4

Historically indefinite article a/an came from the numeral one (one). Hence the possibility in some cases to replace the article a/an numeral one. Such a replacement is possible when the article a/an essentially means "one". For example, this meaning of the indefinite article is observed in numerals a hundred (one hundred), a thousand (thousand), a million (million) and in the word a dozen (dozen) when they are used independently or before a noun:

This toy costs a thousand roubles. = This toy costs one thousan d roubles. — This toy costs a thousand rubles (one thousand rubles).
Give me a dozen, please. = Give me one dozen, please. - Give me a dozen, please (one dozen).

It is precisely with the origin from the numeral one (one) and the meaning of the singularity of the indefinite article is associated, which is especially evident when expressing measures of time, distance, weight or quantity:

This chocolate bar costs a dollar. — This chocolate bar costs a dollar. (=one dollar, we can replace a dollar on one dollar)
I'll call you in an hour. - I'll call you in an hour. (=in one hour, we can replace an hour on one hour)
Can I have a kilo of tomatoes, please? — Can I have a kilogram of tomatoes, please? (=one kilogram, we can replace a kilo on one kilo)

Please note that the numeral one instead of an article a/an should only be used when you want to emphasize that you are talking about just one thing or person, that is, when you want to be very precise:

I have got one sister. - I have one sister. (not two sisters, not three, but only one)
I have got a sister. - I have a sister. (in this case I just say that I have a sister)

The meaning of the singularity of the indefinite article can be seen in some stable phrases that convey the one-time action:

have a look- take a look
have a snack- have a snack
have a try- try, try
have a rest- relax
have a good time- have a good time
give a chance- give a chance
give a hint- hint
give a lift- give me a ride
make a mistake- make a mistake
play a trick- play a trick

№5

Indefinite article a/an also used when it is necessary to indicate the quantity per unit of measurement. For example, when we talk about the price of oranges per kilogram, the size wages per month, about the number of classes per week or about the speed of the car per hour. A noun denoting this same unit of measurement will be used with the indefinite article.

The oranges were 80 rubles a kilo. — Oranges cost 80 rubles per kilogram.
She works 8 hours a day. — She works 8 hours a day.
I go to aerobics twice a week. — I go to aerobics twice a week.

№6

Indefinite article a/an can also be used with some uncountable abstract nouns (for example, humor - humor, hatred - hatred, anger - anger, magic - magic) in the case when they have an adjective with them. Typically, this use of the indefinite article is typical for book style and expresses the author’s desire to emphasize the individual, special character of this or that abstract concept.

Please note that in the above case, the use of the indefinite article is optional. If you do not want to highlight in a certain way the special character of any emotion, character trait, etc., the article a/an may not be used.

On a note

To learn to use the indefinite article a/an more or less automatically, try to form a rule in your head: use the indefinite article with singular countable nouns when there is no other reason for using the definite article the or some other determiner (possessive or indefinite pronoun).

27.11.2014

An article is a word that defines a noun.

There are two types of articles in English: the definite (the) and the indefinite (a/an).

Based on the names, the indefinite article is used when we're talking about about a phenomenon that we encounter for the first time, an object in general, and definite - when we are talking about something specific, or something that has already been encountered in a conversation.

The concept of the article is present in many languages ​​of the world, but in the same number of languages ​​it is absent.

Therefore, do not panic if in your native language articles are not used.

The data will help you make fewer mistakes when speaking English.

It is very important to be able to use the correct articles in your speaking or writing.

1. With the names of countries and continents

In this case we do not use articles at all, BUT if the name of the country consists of parts, such as, USA, UK, UAE, then our article appears the, and it will be: the USA, the UK, the UAE, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands.

This also applies to continents and islands: usually we do not use the article, but if the name is a composite name, the definite article takes place.

For example: Africa, Europe, Bermuda, Tasmania BUT the Virgin Islands, the Bahamas.

• She lived in America.
• They live in England.
• My friend is from the Czech Republic.

2. With the words breakfast, dinner, lunch

When talking about eating in general, there is no article. But if you're talking about a specific breakfast, dinner or lunch, use the.

Eg:

• I don't eat breakfast.
• We didn't like the dinner.

3. With names of work, profession

In this case the indefinite article is used a/an.

For example:

• I want to be a politician.
• My younger brother wants to be a vet.

4. With the names of the cardinal directions

Usually the names of the cardinal directions are written with a capital letter, so they are easy to recognize: the North, the South, the East, the West .

True, if a noun indicates a direction, then it should be used without an article and written with a small letter.

For example:

• They went east.
• The North is cooler than the South.

5. With the names of oceans, seas, rivers and canals

Remember that the definite article is always used with the names of these bodies of water.

For example: The Amazon, the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, the Suez Canal .

• I would like to swim in the Red Sea, and you?
• The Amazon is the longest river in the world.

6. With names of unique phenomena

This means that a phenomenon or object exists in one copy, one of a kind, in particular, the sun, the moon, the inter net , the sky , the earth.

Eg:

• The sun is a star.
• We looked up at all the stars in the sky.
• He is always on the internet.

7. With uncountable nouns

This category of nouns implies those units and concepts that we cannot count. Plus, as an identifying mark in most cases, they have no ending –s– plural indicator.

But do not forget that there are ten exceptions to one rule, that is, if you are talking in general about some uncountable concept, there will be no article, but again, if the case is particular, use the.

For example:

• I like bread/milk/honey.
• I like the bread/the milk/the honey. (Specifically this and nothing else.)

8. With last names

If we are talking about members of the same family, you can put the article the before the surname. This way you denote a group of people, a family, in one word.

Eg:

• The Smith are coming for dinner today.
• Have you seen the Johnson recently?

These are not all the uses of articles in English. However, first remember these rules, gradually deepening your knowledge