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USING THE DEFINITE AND THE INDEFINITE ARTICLES

CONTENTS

PART I. EXPLANATORY NOTES

1. THE FORMS OF THE ARTICLES

   1. The definite article

   2. The indefinite article

   3. Stressed forms

2. ARTICLES AND NOUNS

   1. General notion

   2. Countable nouns

   3. Uncountable nouns

   4. Plural nouns

   5. Nouns which can be countable or uncountable

      1. Countable nouns meaning ‘a unit of’

      2. Countable nouns meaning ‘a type of’

      3. Converting countable nouns to uncountable nouns

      4. Nouns which can be countable or uncountable with different meanings

3. USING THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE

   1. Using the indefinite article to introduce something

   2. Referring to any thing or person of a particular type

   3. Description of things and people

   4. The indefinite article and ‘one’

   5. Expressing rates

   6. Using the indefinite article with abstract uncountable nouns

4. USING THE DEFINITE ARTICLE

   1. Referring to a particular thing using the definite or the indefinite articles

   2. Referring back to something mentioned before

   3. Things associated with items mentioned before

   4. Surrounding situations

   5. Wider situations

   6. Using the definite article with unique items

4.6.1. Unique adjectives

7. Qualified nouns

   1. Nouns qualified by an ‘of-phrase’

8. Superlative adjectives

9. Stressed the definite article ‘the’ meaning ‘best’

1. USING ARTICLES FOR GENERIC REFERENCE

   1. Singular countable nouns with the indefinite article

   2. Singular countable nouns with the definite article

   3. Using the definite article with nationality words

   4. Using the definite article with certain adjectives

   5. The word ‘man’

PART II. PRACTISING THE USE OF THE ARTICLES

1. Exercises on the forms of the articles

2. Exercises on the use of the articles with nouns

3. Exercises on the use of the definite article

4. Exercises on the use of the indefinite article

5. Exercises on the use of the articles for generic reference

REFERENCES

PART I. EXPLANATORY NOTES

1. The forms of the articles

1. The definite article

The definite article, the, has only one form in writing.

Here are the broad problems and the broad solutions.

There are two pronunciations:

/ðə/ which is used before consonant sounds, and /ðɪ/ which is used before vowel sounds.

The same name was given to this island. /ðə/

The emphasis is on discipline. /ðɪ/

NOTE It is the sound, not the spelling, of the next word which matters. Some words beginning with the letter 'u' have a consonant sound /j/ first in pronunciation. For example, 'unit' is pronounced /ju:nit/.

The following words begin with the letter 'u' but the is pronounced /ðə/ before them because they begin with the sound /j/: ubiquitous, unilateral, universe, userunanimous, union, university, usual, unicorn, unique, uranium, utensil, uniform, unit, urine, uterus, uniformed, united, use, utility, uniformity, unity, useful, utilization, unification, universal, useless, utopian.

The union must be well informed and well organized. /ðə/

...the uniforms of the staff. /ðə/

The consonant letters 'f', 'h', 'l', 'm', 'n', 'r', 's', and 'x' are pronounced with a vowel sound at the start when they are spoken separately, as for example when they are part of an abbreviation. So when talking about the National Health Service, you might say 'the NHS' and pronounce it /ðɪ en eɪtʃ es/

The NSB pays interest on your balance. /ðɪ/

NOTE Some words begin with the letter 'h' but do not have the sound /h/ in their pronunciation. The first sound in these words is a vowel. Therefore 'honest' is pronounced /`ɒnɪst/, This spelling is sometimes called 'the silent h'.

The following words begin with the letter 'h' but the is pronounced /ðɪ/ before them because the letter 'h' is not pronounced: heir, honest, honorary, honourably, heiress, honestly, honour, hour, heirloom, honesty, honourable, hourly.

It tried to regulate the hours of work. /ðɪ/

NOTE Occasionally you may see other ways of writing the definite article: t', for example 't'other' meaning 'the other', which is a dialect form; and th', which is used by writers to convey a casual way of speaking, or is used in poetry.

How could 1 push her outa th' way?

2. The indefinite article

The indefinite article has two forms, both in speech and writing:

a pronounced /ə/

an pronounced /ən/.

A is used before consonants and an is used before vowels.

He leads a busy life.

He won't get an answer from me.

As with the definite article it is the pronunciation, not the spelling, which is important. A is used before words which begin with a consonant sound in speech even if they begin with a vowel letter in writing.

Some took him to be a universal god.

An is used before words which begin with a silent 'h', and before consonants which begin with a vowel sound when they are pronounced separately, as in some abbreviations.

I got here an hour ago.

...if you save with an NSB investment account.

Some people use an in front of the words 'hotel', 'historic', 'history', 'habitual', and a few other words beginning with 'h' where the first syllable is not stressed. They do not usually pronounce the 'h' when using 'an' with these words.

She found an hotel she knew.

However, most people use a with these words.

There I checked into a hotel.