Articles

You cannot use singular countable nouns alone (without a/the/my/this etc).

Exception: abstract nounы: question, belief etc.

a/the difference

the - concrete example

a - any thing out of all possible, in general (a problem = any problem)

a

an opportunity

no art

never after "of". The usage of computer (not "a computer", bc of "of")

compensation

pressure

action

+ A

A or An?

choose a or an according to the way the letter or numeral is pronounced: an elephant, an hour, an MP3 player, a university (bc first sound is "you")

jobs

She is a teacher / a doctor/ a driver

Go to the doctor / the dentist

once a week / three times a day

Make a mistake (not abstract noun?)

get a job

for a trip

is an obvious advantage

a number of, a couple of

представитель группы

a donkey is a stupid animal

but: the donkey - если говорим про всю группу

+ The

Если имеем ввиду определенную подгруппу от общего понятия, то нужен определенный артикль. Пример: если имеем не все преимущества в целом, а только (подгруппу) преимущества для местного общества, то артикль нужен.

Some might say that the economic benefits for locals are huge. (т.е. если бы не было "for locals" "the" можно было бы не использовать)

a = не имеет значения в какой, один из, любой (a shop, a car)

the - Когда понятно, что именно (какой именно экземпляр или подгруппу) имеет ввиду автор. Сюда относится все, где употребляется или можно употребить which (уточняется какой именно)

the diver of the car

Children / the children – all children in general (in the world) / specific group (NOT ALL)

I went to the shop (в конкретный магазин, который рядом со мной, не в любой) and asked to speak to the manager (manager of that shop)

Когда можно заменить на my / ours / his и т.д.

we decided to say in the dining room (ours dining room)

People are kind around here.

All the people we met during our stay were kind. (specified which people)

names of

1. special or concrete group of objects. For example, group of people: the rich, the poor, the old, the disabled, the sick, the Americans, the Russians (= nationalities = the people of that country)

2. Region (the North of England)

3. all water except for lake. the ocean / the sea / the river / the canal . the Black Sea

4. group of island, mountain (the Maldives, the Alps)

5. the + place (in the city) name of most places and buildings (without a name or place part)

The tower of London but Lloyds Bank

The Bombay restaurant Edinburgh Castle

the hostel, restaurant, bar, theatre, cinema, museum, gallery, club

the airport, the bank, the post office

6. newspapers (the Times)

7. names of countries with > 1 word (the UK, the USA)

8. species (the elephant)

Когда только один экземпляр чего-то:

the Internet, the environment

the world, the sun, the moon, the President

the sky, the ground

the floor / the ceiling (in the room)

the first, the second, the 35th, the most,

in the middle of, in the center of , in the end of, at the end of, at the top of

С hospital, school, college, university, prison, church артикль the ставится только, если ты НЕ «целевая аудитория» этого места

Если целевая - НЕ ставится

I got injured. I went to hospital (в больницу как институт, не важно какую). My mom came to the hospital (в здание) to visit me

special cases:

the weather, the media

a/the number of, a/the amount of

the West = the Western countries- западные страны

The giraffe / the piano (with meaning of a type)

play the guitar, play the piano

the radio, the TV set (but: watch TV)

the police, the fire-brigade, the army

see the doctor, the dentist