Articles a, an, the

 INTRODUCTION

An article is an adjective. Like adjectives, articles modify nouns. English has two articles:
1- The: is used to refer to specific or particular nouns (definite article)

2- a/an: is used to modify non-specific or non-particular nouns (the indefinite article) 

It is often difficult to decide whether an English noun needs an article before it, and, if so, which article (a/an/the) to use. The main things to consider when choosing an article are whether or not the noun is countable, and whether it is definite. 

1- Countability means that the noun can be made plural, e.g. book/books. 

2- Whether a noun is definite or indefinite depends on whether you and your reader or listener both know what you are referring to. 

When you have to decide whether to use an article, and which article to use, consider this chart:

For example:

• I bought a book – book is a singular, countable noun; therefore it has to have an article. Your reader does not know which book you are referring to, therefore it is ‘indefinite’.
  
  
• The book I bought is interesting - book is again a singular, countable noun; therefore it has to have an article. In this case, we know which book you are referring to (the book you bought), so it takes a definite article. (More details on the definite article are given below.)
  
  
• I like the books you gave me – books is a plural noun. It is used in a definite sense (we know which books – the books you gave me), so it takes a definite article.
  
  
• I like books – books is a plural noun. It is used about books generally, not specific books, so it takes no article.
  
  
• Blood is thicker than water – blood and water are singular, uncountable nouns. They are used in a general sense, therefore they do not need an article.
  
  
• I bought two books – you do not need an article, because you already have the word two.
  
  
• I bought some books – you do not need an article, because you already have the word some.

INDEFINITE ARTICLES: "A" AND "AN"

 

"A" and "an" signal that the noun modified is indefinite, referring to any member of a group. For example:

1- "My son really wants a cat for Christmas." This refers to any cat. We don't know which cat because we haven't found the cat yet.

2- "Somebody call a doctor!" This refers to any doctor. We don't need a specific doctor; we need any doctor who is available.

3- "When I was at the zoo, I saw an elephant!" Here, we're talking about a single, non-specific thing, in this case an elephant. There are probably several elephants at the zoo, but there's only one we're talking about here.

REMEMBER, USING A OR AN DEPENDS ON THE SOUND THAT BEGINS THE NEXT WORD. 

• a + singular noun beginning with a consonant: a boy; a car; a bike; a zoo; a dog
  
  
• an + singular noun beginning with a vowel: an elephant; an egg; an apple; an idiot; an orphan
  
  
• a + singular noun beginning with a consonant sound: a user (sounds like 'yoo-zer,' i.e. begins with a consonant 'y' sound, so 'a' is used); a university; a unicycle
  
  
• an + nouns starting with silent "h": an hour
  
  
• a + nouns starting with a pronounced "h": a horse

DEFINITE ARTICLE: "THE"

The definite article is used before singular and plural nouns when the noun is specific or particular. The signals that the noun is definite, that it refers to a particular member of a group. For example:

• 1- "The dog that bit me ran away." Here, we're talking about a specific dog, the dog that bit me.
  
  
• 2- "I was happy to see the policeman who saved my cat!" Here, we're talking about a particular policeman. Even if we don't know the policeman's name, it's still a particular policeman because it is the one who saved the cat.
  
  
• 3- "I saw the elephant at the zoo." Here, we're talking about a specific noun. Probably there is only one elephant at the zoo.

COUNT AND NONCOUNT NOUNS: 

• "The" can be used with noncount nouns  or the article can be omitted entirely.
  1- "I love to sail over the water" (some specific body of water) or "I love to sail over water" (any water).
  
  2- "He spilled the milk all over the floor" (some specific milk, perhaps the milk you bought earlier that day) or "He spilled milk all over the floor" (any milk).
  
  
• "A/an" can be used only with count nouns.
  1- "I need a bottle of water."
  2- "I need a new glass of milk."
  3- Most of the time, you can't say, "She wants a water," unless you're implying, say, a bottle of water.

GEOGRAPHICAL USE OF THE:

• Do not use "The";before:

1. names of most countries/territories: Italy, Mexico, Bolivia; however, the Netherlands, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, the United States
2. names of cities, towns, or states: Seoul, Manitoba, Miami
3. names of streets: Washington Blvd., Main St.
4. names of lakes and bays: Lake Titicaca, Lake Erie except with a group of lakes like the Great Lakes
5. names of mountains: Mount Everest, Mount Fuji except with ranges of mountains like the Andes or the Rockies or unusual names like the Matterhorn
6. names of continents (Asia, Europe)
7. names of islands (Easter Island, Maui, Key West) except with island chains like the Aleutians, the Hebrides, or the Canary Islands

• Do use the before:

1. names of rivers, oceans and seas: the Nile, the Pacific
2. points on the globe: the Equator, the North Pole
3. geographical areas: the Middle East, the West
4. deserts, forests, gulfs, and peninsulas: the Sahara, the Persian Gulf, the Black Forest, the Iberian Peninsula

OMISSION OF ARTICLES

• Some common types of nouns that don't take an article are:

1- Names of languages and nationalities: Chinese, English, Spanish, Russian (unless you are referring to the population of the nation: "The Spanish are known for their warm hospitality.")

2- Names of sports: volleyball, hockey, baseball

3- Names of academic subjects: mathematics, biology, history, computer science

EXERCISES WITH ANSWERS