We won gold and weapons. Video games are very popular.
Use no article with plural count nouns and non-count nouns to make general statements. Some in general statements means some, but not all.
Sue loves video games. (video games in general)
Music is relaxing. (music in general)
I like some video games, but a lot of them are really boring.
We do not use the:
• with uncountable and plural nouns when talking about something in general.
Tea comes from India. Cats love fish.
• with proper nouns. Carol works at a bank.
• with the names of sports,
games,
activities,
days,
months,
celebrations,
colours,
drinks,
meals
languages (when they are not followed by the word language).
We have dinner at 6 o'clock. Maria speaks Spanish fluently.
But: There are lots of Latin words in the English language.
• with the names of countries ( France, but: the Lebanon, the Netherlands, the Vatican City),
cities (Lisbon),
streets (State Street, but: the A4, the High Street),
squares (Trafalgar Square),
bridges (Sagamore Bridge, but: the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bridge of Sighs),
parks (Regent's Park),
railway stations (Kenmore Station),
mountains (Mount Everest),
Individual islands (Sicily),
lakes (Lake Michigan)
continents (Asia).
• with possessive adjectives or the possessive case. That is my jacket
• with two-word names when the first word is the name of a person or place.
Heathrow Airport, Windsor Castle But: the White House
• with names of pubs, restaurants, shops, banks and hotels named after the people who started them, and ending in -s or -'s. Harrods, Luigi's Restaurant (but: The Roxy)
• with the words bed, church, college, court, hospital, prison, school, university, when we refer to the purpose for which they exist. They took the injured man to hospital.
But: We went to the hospital to visit my grandmother.
• with the word work (= place of work). / have to be at work early tomorrow morning.
• with the words home, Father/Mother when we talk about our own home/parents.
Mother hasn't come home yet
• with by + means of transport: by bus/car/train, etc. They travelled through Europe by train. But: He missed the 9:15 train to Manchester.
• with the names of illnesses. He's got pneumonia.
But: flu/the flu, measles/the measles, mumps/ the mumps. Susan has got (the) flu.
NOTE:
We usually don't use the with the word television. I never watch television on Sundays.
But: Turn off the television. (= the TV set)
The is optional with seasons. We usually go on holiday in (the) summer.
We use the + adjective to refer to a group of people, usually with the adjectives:
rich, sick, unemployed, homeless, young, elderly, deaf, blind, poor, etc.
The rich should help those in need.
when we refer to a group of people, animals or things, we use:
- a/an or the with countable nouns. A/The chimpanzee is an intelligent animal.
plural countable nouns without a/an or the. Chimpanzees are intelligent animals.
INDEFINITE ARTICLE (A/AN)
Let's play a video game.
Super Mario Brothers is a good game.
It's an adventure.
A noun is indefinite (not specific) when either you or your listener do not have a particular person, place, or thing in mind. Use the indefinite article a/an with singular count nouns that are not specific.
A: Let's buy a video game. B: Good idea.
(A and В are not talking about a specific game.)
Use a before consonant sounds and an before vowel sounds.
a magician an evil magician
It is the sound, not the letter, that determines whether to use a or an.
an honest Space Defender honest = /'anast/
a universe beyond ours universe = /yuwn3v3rs/
5. Use some or no article with plural count nouns and with non-count nouns that are not specific.
plural count noun, not specific
New games are coming out all the time. (The speaker doesn't mention which games.) non-count noun, not specific
A: Sorry I took so long. I had to buy (some) medicine.
B: Oh. Are you sick?
(B doesn't know what kind of medicine A bought.)
6. A noun is often indefinite the first time a speaker mentions it. It is usually definite aftei the first mention.
An evil magician is trying to conquer the Earth. The magician is very powerful, but so дгг yoi You have some gold. Use the gold to buy medicine. The medicine makes you stronger.
7. Use a/an for singular count nouns when you classify (say what something or someone is).
A: What do you do for a living? B: I'm a pilot. And you? A: I'm a doctor.
8. Use no article for plural count nouns and for non-count nouns when you classify.
A: What are those?
B: They're magic tools. We can buy them and get stronger.
A: What's that?
B: It's gold. I just won it.
Be careful! Do not use some when you classify.
A: Look at those sharks!
B:
Those
aren't sharks.
They're
dolphins,
not
They're
some dolphins.