English Articles - A An The

---

Table of Articles

NUMBER	INDEFINITE	DEFINITE
Singular	a / an	the
Plural	nothing	the
Non-Count	nothing	the

Quick Hints

• a before consonants (a book)
  an before vowels (an exam)
  


• Pronunciation is what matters.
  an hour ('h' is silent and it's pronounced: an our)
  
  
• Temporary illnesses: (I have a headache, a cold, a fever, a backache)


• "The" with superlative forms (He is the smartest kid I have seen.)

Rules of Articles

Articles Rule 1: With singular count nouns, use 'a' if indefinite or "the" if definite.


My daughter wants to buy a dog this weekend. (Indefinite-It could be any dog)
The dog in the backyard is very cute.(Definite- The one in the backyard)


Examples

1. He requested a puppy for his birthday.
2. He wanted the puppy he played with at the pet shop.
3. She ordered a hamburger without onions.
4. Did you drink the coke I just ordered?




Articles Rule 2: With plural count nouns use either "the" or nothing, never 'a'.

1.Come and look at the children. (definite)
2.Children are always curious. (indefinite)
3.She loves flowers. (indefinite)
4.The flowers in her garden are beautiful. (definite)
5.Do you like reading grammar rules?
6.Do you like reading the grammar rules on this page?




Articles Rule 3: With non-count nouns, use either "the" or nothing.

He has experience. (if indefinite or mentioned for the first time)
He has the experience necessary for the job. (if definite or mentioned before)

1.The medicine the doctor prescribed had unpleasant side effects.
2.Writing in a second language is especially challenging.
3.Have you studied the history of South Africa?
4.History reminds us that events repeat themselves.



Articles Rule 4: If a plural or non-count noun is followed by [of + noun], "the" is preferred.

1.The languages of Asia are unrelated to English.
2.The wines of France are famous.
3.The birds of North America are beautiful.
4.X Museum of Art is having X exhibit of the paintings of Picasso.

Special Rules for Articles

1. Adjectives as Nouns


When referring to a group of people by use of an adjective rather than a noun, use "the".

the elderly	the disabled	the unemployed
the rich	the sick	the needy
the homeless	the young	the restless

2. Names of Countries


Some countries are preceded by "the", usually if the name is plural, contains an adjective, or includes "of".

The United States	The Soviet Union	The Republic of Congo
America	Russia	Spain
Japan	Chine	Mexico

3. Cities and Streets use nothing

Chicago	Fifth Avenue	San Francisco
Highway 5	London	Kennedy blvd.

4. Rivers, Oceans, Seas, Groups of Mountains & Islands use "the"

the Amazon	the Atlantic	the Mediterranean
the Cascades	the Hawaiian Islands	the Bahamas

5. Numbers

Cardinal numbers(1,2,3) use nothing

World War 2	Page 7	Chapter 1
Mission 1	Paragraph 5	Channel 6

Ordinal numbers (1st,2nd,3rd) use "the"

The Second World War	the seventh page	the first chapter
the first mission	the fifth paragraph	the sixth channel

6. Titles of People

When a title is given with a name, use nothing

President Mitchael

Queen Mary

Professor Scott

When a title is used without a name, use "the"

The president

the queen

the professor

7.Schools

When a school has "of" in its title, use "the"

The University of Arizona

The University of London

Chapter 2

When a school does not have "of" in its title, use nothing

Lincoln High School

Arizona State University

Liverpool John Moores University

8. Location versus Activity

When referring to an activity, use nothing
I am going to school now.(activity-study)
We went to cinema. (activity-see a movie)
He is always on time for class. (activity-learn)


When referring to the location, use "the"

The meeting is at the school. (location-campus)
They are remodeling the cinema. (location-building)
The new student had trouble finding the class. (location-classroom)

9. When the object is the only one that exists, use "the"

the earth	the human race	the world
the moon	the sun	the universe

10. When you use expressions that identify part of a larger group, use "the"

-One of the students
-None of the students
-Both of the students
-All of the students