Monday 10 February 2014

Articles





Articles




The definite article:  “the”
→ specific

The indefinite articles: “a / an”
→ non- specific


This one / that one


anyone/ one of many
Singular countable nouns
The apple
The bird
   An apple
  A bird
Plural countable nouns
The apples
The birds
  Applessome apples   
  ᴓ Birds  →  some birds
Uncountable nouns
The water
The milk
  Water → some water
  Milk  → some milk

               a/ an → indefinite articles:  
        “a” is used before singular countable nouns beginning with a consonant: a book/ a student.
        “an” is used before singular countable nouns beginning with a vowel: an apple/ an orange.
        “a” and “an” are used with nouns that have not been known before by both the speaker and the listener.
        The → definite article:  “the” is used with singular and plural countable nouns, and uncountable nouns. It is used with nouns which have been known before by both the speaker and the listener.
         No article:
        Uncountable nouns and plural countable nouns are without articles: a dog → dogs/ water
        Sports:   football/ tennis/ basketball……. 
        Before names of meals:   lunch/ dinner……
        Before names of countries and cities: Morocco/ Rabat……
        Before names of languages:   Arabic/ English……
        Before names of academic subjects:   maths/ ᴓ  geography/  physics