Names of seasons

Usually – no article or “the”:

I hate (the) winter. In (the) summer I like to go to the country.

But: in the fall

“–” in the function of the predicative:

It was spring.

“The”:

1. if the situation makes the meaning definite

The sea was still cold from the long winter.

2. if there is a limiting attribute:

It was the autumn of 1930. It was the spring of the year 1930.

3. after the prepositions “for, during, through”:

They went to town for the winter.

“A” if there is a descriptive attribute: a warm, rainy summer.

But: “late autumn” and “early spring”, though “early in the winter”.

Names of meals

Usually – no article: to have lunch, at breakfast, to have smth for dinner.

“The”: if the situation makes the meaning definite or there is a limiting attribute:

During the dinner yesterday he was grave.

Do you remember the breakfast in the park?

The dinner was well-cooked.

“A” if there is a descriptive attribute.

He gave me a good breakfast.

Note: if these words denote portions of food served at restaurants etc. they follow the general rules on the use of articles:

In this hotel you pay for a room and a breakfast.

He paid for two lunches.

Names of diseases

Generally – no article, though some may be used with “the”:

appendicitis

acute appendicitis

scarlet fever скарлатина

`cholera

smallpox оспа

But: (the) measles …is… корь

(the) mumps …is… свинка

(the) flu

(the) chickenpox ветрянка

AIDS, HIV

“The”: if we refer to some particular case:

“What happened?” I told him about the scarlet fever.

Note: the plague

Conditions (cold, chill, cough) are treated as countable nouns: to have a cold/a fever/a cough/a heart attack/a sore throat/a pain in the knee/a heart disease (condition)/a weak heart; to have weak hearts.

But: to have high blood pressure/heart trouble/liver trouble

to have a headache, to have headaches

to have (a) toothache/(a) backache/(an) earache (US – “a”)

Most, few, little, two, second, other, last, next, number most

1. most + adjective

the most – superlative degree

a most – a high degree of quality (very)

2. most + noun

most + of + the noun – definite people/things

But: most people – in a general sense

Few and little

few – мало

a few – несколько

the few – те немногие

little – мало

a little – некоторое количество

the little – то небольшое количество

+ a little – слегка (a little dull)

Note: What little…

What little (money) I have I can share with you.

TWO AND THE TWO

two – два

the two – те два

The two cases he had were impossible to solve.

THE SECOND, A SECOND ETC.

the second – второй (счет)

a second – еще один (another, one more)

a second time – one more time, once more

ANOTHER, THE OTHER

another

1. еще один: I’d like another ice-cream.

2. какой-нибудь другой: Give me another book.

the other

определенный другой (one and the other)

LAST, THE LAST

It’s always “the last” except “last month/year/week/summer” etc.

NEXT, THE NEXT

next – будущий: next month/week/year

the next – следующий, соседний: the next room, at the next lesson

But: next time, people next door

In reference to time viewed from the past both “next” and “the next” mean “следующий”, though “the next” is more common.

A NUMBER, THE NUMBER

a number = many – ряд, много (are!)

the number = число, количество (is!)

PLACE OF ARTICLES

Normally articles come at the beginning of a noun phrase.

BUT:

1. ALL, BOTH, HALF are followed by “the”: all the words.

Note 1: “the” can be dropped after “both”: Both (the) men came there.

Note 2: “the” is not used after “all” when the noun is used in its general meaning:

All children like ice-cream.

All the children in the room turned to him.

Note 3: “the” is not used if “all” is followed by a numeral: All three children turned to him.

Note 4: “the” is used before a numeral after “all of”: All of the three children turned to him.

Note 5: half a day/half a year/half a mile OR a half-hour/a half-mile

2. DOUBLE, ONCE, TWICE are followed by articles.

1. “double” + “the” + noun

This was double the price he had been offered before.

2. “once” + “a” + noun: once a day

3. “twice” + “a”/”the” + noun

He took his medicine twice a day.

That was twice the amount he had been offered.

3. Fractions come before nouns with “the”: one-third of the work.

4. SUCH + “a” + noun

Exclamatory WHAT + “a” + noun (But not with abstract nouns!)

5. QUITE + “a” + noun: It’s quite a long story.

RATHER + “a” + noun: It’s rather a long story.

But: “a” + QUITE + noun (US English): It’s a quite important problem.

“a” + RATHER + noun (US English): It’s a rather important problem.

6. MANY + “a” + noun in the singular: Many a problem is solved like that.

7. SO, TOO, AS, HOW, HOWEVER + adjective + “a” + noun:

so short a time, too short a period, as good a place as any, “How honest a man is he?”