- •§ 1. The article is a structural word specifying the noun. The absence of the article, which may be called the zero article, also specifies the noun and has significance. J
- •§ 4. With uncountable nouns, the indefinite article serves to bring out a special aspect of the notion expressed by the noun. In this case its function may be called aspective.
- •§ 5. When used with countable nouns, either concrete or ab- stract, the definite article has two distinct functions:
- •§6. With uncountable nouns, the function of the definite arti- cle may be called restricting.
- •§ 7. The absence of the article (the zero article) has only one function with common nouns — the nominating function.
- •§ 8. Countable nouns in the singular may be used with the in- definite article in its nominating function and with the definite ar ticle in its individualizing function.
- •§ 10. The use of articles with countable nouns modified by ad- jectives. Attributes expressed by adjectives are usually descrip- tive.
- •§ 12. The use of articles with countable nouns modified by participles. Attributes expressed by participles.
- •§ 15. The use of articles with countable nouns modified by clauses. Nouns can be modified by two kinds of clauses — attrib- utive (a) and appositive (b).
- •§ 16. The use of articles with countable nouns modified by nouns in the common case. Attributes expressed by nouns in the common case are usually descriptive.
- •§ 19. There are certain uses of the definite article which are to be regarded as a matter of tradition:
- •§ 24. In English there are a number of verbs which in the Ac- tive Voice require the use of nouns as objective predicatives (a) and in the Passive Voice — as subjective predicatives (b).
- •§ 25. The rules given for the use of articles with predicative nouns and nouns in apposition also hold good for nouns intro- duced by as.
- •§ 27. The article is not used with nouns in appositive of-phras- es when the head-noun denotes a title or a post, e.G. They nominated candidates for the post of President and
- •§ 31. The definite article is found within an of-phrase preceded by one, some, any, each, many, most, none, all, several, the first, the last, the rest, the majority.
§ 24. In English there are a number of verbs which in the Ac- tive Voice require the use of nouns as objective predicatives (a) and in the Passive Voice — as subjective predicatives (b).
e.g. a) They thought him a prig.
They named the child John. b) He was thought a prig. The child was named John.
The number of verbs which can be used in sentences con- taining an objective or a subjective predicative expressed by a noun is limited. The most commonly used of them are: to appoint, to call, to choose, to elect, to fancy, to imagine, to make, to name, to think.
Note. There are a number of other verbs requiring the same construction but they belong to literary style. Some of these verbs may be used both in the passive and active constructions; others occur only in one of them.
The use of articles with nouns which serve as objective (a) and subjective (b) predicatives is similar to that of predicative nouns and nouns in apposition (see "Articles", § 23).
e.g. a) They appointed him a member of the delegation.
We elected him an honorary member of the Committee. He fancied her the most wonderful woman in the world. They chose him chairman of the Society. They appointed him secretary of the new Committee. b) He was appointed a member of the delegation.
He was elected an honorary member of the Committee. She was thought the most impudent little flirt in London. He was chosen chairman of the Society. He was appointed secretary of the new Committee.
Note. In the sentences They took him prisoner and He was taken prisoner, They called him names and He was called names we are dealing with set phrases.
§ 25. The rules given for the use of articles with predicative nouns and nouns in apposition also hold good for nouns intro- duced by as.
e.g. I regarded my uncle as a terrible tyrant. He meant it as a joke but forgot to smile. He went to the conference as the head of the delegation. He acted as interpreter for Mr March. They nominated him as Lord Treasurer of the Council.
Although the use of articles with nouns introduced by as is, on the whole, similar to that with predicative nouns and nouns in ap- position, there is a deviation from the general rule — the indefi- nite article need not always be used after as.
e.g. Rebecca was now engaged as (a) governess.
The man had agreed to serve as (a) witness.
Note. The above rules do not concern nouns introduced by as used for compar- ison. In this case the articles are used in accordance with the general rules for countable nouns.
e.g. The city looked to him as brilliant as a precious stone. You were as white as the sheet in your hands.
§ 26. When nouns denoting titles, military ranks, or social standing are followed by a proper name they are used without any article, as in: Colonel Holmes, Doctor Smith, Professor Jones, Aca- demician Fedorou, Lieutenant-General Rawdon, President Wilson, Prime Minister Forbes, Queen Elisabeth, King George, Lord By- ron, Lady Windermere, Sir William, etc. In such combinations only the proper name is stressed.
Note 1. But we say: The doctor has come. The Prime Minister made an an- nouncement yesterday.
Note 2. The definite article is used in such cases as the late Professor Smith, the celebrated playwright Osborne.
Note 3. A foreign title followed by a proper name is used with the definite arti- cle: the Baron Munchausen, the Emperor Napoleon III, the Tsar Peter the Great.
The article is not used with some nouns denoting close rela- tionship when they are followed by names of persons, as in Aunt Polly, Uncle Timothy, Cousin John.
Other common nouns, when, followed by proper names, are used with the definite article, as in: the boy Dick, the student Smith, the painter Turner, the composer Britten, the widow Dou- glas, the witness Manning, the geologist Foster, the dog Bal thasar, etc. In this case both the common noun and the proper
name are stressed.
Combinations as above are found not only with names of per- sons but also with lifeless things and abstract notions, as in: the planet Mars, the preposition on, the verb to be, the figure 2, etc.
Note, With names of persons in newspaper style there is a tendency to omit the article in this case too. Thus we find: e.g. World middleweight champion Dick Tiger said yesterday that he will retain his
title against American Gene Fullmer.
However, such combinations on the whole are not very com- mon. More often we find a proper name followed by an appositive common noun.
e.g. Britten, the modern English composer... Turner, the celebrated English painter... Manson, a promising young actor...