Трудности грамматики английского языка = The Complexities of English Grammar. Пособие для подготовки к централизованному тестированию и экзамену

With countable nouns we use:

1.a couple of,

2.several,

3.a few,

4.many,

5.a large /great / good number of

6.both.

A couple of minutes, several books, a few sandwiches, many friends.

With countable and uncountable nouns we use:

A lot of, lots of, hardly any, some, no, plenty of

THE USE OF THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE

A— before consonant sounds (g, m, p, k, d, t, r,etc.) — a dog, a table, a cake, a university

AN — before vowel sounds (a:, i:, e, etc.) — an apple, an ice — cream, an hour,

I.

1.The Indefinite Article is used with singular uncountable nouns which are used to tell us what someone or something is.

It is a dog. He is a doctor.

A cook is a person who cooks. This is a table.

2. We use this article after the following words:

I can see a cat in the yard. There is a cat in the room. I have got an English book. It is a knife.

3.We use the article when we say how often we do something: three times a week, once a month, twice a year.

4.Before an adjective followed by a noun: a nice day, an expensive yacht, a big house, an important task.

NOTE! But the following adjectives (early, late, broad, (high), real) + a season or parts of day do not have A or An before them, as they show not quality, but time.

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II. The Indefinite article is not used

1.With uncountable and plural countable nouns

2.Before an adjective if it is not followed by a noun Please, give me advice. Cars are expensive.

REMEMBER! A (AN) means ONE, ANY, SOME (один, какой-то, какой угодно, любой из)

EXERCISE 10. Use the right article.

1.What would you like as ___ birthday present? Hmm …First I ‘d like to have __ new guitar. I would also like__ clothes or__ money.

2.Suddenly there was a ____ knock at ___ door. ___ old man was standing outside. He was wearing ___ raincoat had ___ umbrella in ___ hand.

3.Susan has ___ terrible headache. ___ doctor advises her to take

___ tablet and lie for ___ hour.

4.I paid ___ hundred dollars for ___ bike.

5.Is he ___ good painter?

6.Is there ___ bank in your street?

7.___ young girl is on ___ phone. She wants to speak to you.

8.Buy me ___ new car, please.

9.Jill has got ___ long nose and ___ long hair

10.May I take ___ sweet?

THE USE OF THE DEFINITE ARTICLE

First of all you should remember that the definite article THE is used with countable and uncountable nouns.

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We use the definite article

1.With nouns which are unique (the sun, the moon).

2.When talking about the known thing or man, mentioned already or the only one in the situation.(the answer to the question “WHO? or WHICH? can help you).

We saw a boy and a girl. The boy was much taller than the girl.

3.With the names of rivers (the Thames), seas(the Baltic sea), groups of islands(the Canary Islands), mountain ranges (the Rocky Mountains), oceans(the Atlantic), deserts(the Sahara), canals (the Panama Canal), countries if they include the words: state, union, republic, Kingdom (the USA, the United Kingdom), names or nouns with ‘of’(the University of Oxford, but Oxford University).

REMEMBER! The north of England but northern England, the North / South Pole, the equator, the south / north / east /west. But: to go north / south / east / west.

4.With the names of cinemas (the October), theatres (the Globe), museums and galleries (the Louvre, the National Gallery), hotels (the Astoria), ships (the Mayflower), organizations (the UN), newspapers and magazines (the Western Star).

5.With the names of whole families (the Johnsons) and nationalities ending in -sh, -ch, -ese (the Japanese, the French, the British). With other plural nationalities the use of the article the is optional.

6.With titles, ranks and statuses when the name of the person is not given (the Queen, the President). But: President Bush, Doctor Manson, Academician Kurchatov.

7.With the words morning, afternoon, and evening (The train arrives in the evening.).

8.With the words: station, beach, shop, cinema, theatre, library, city, jungle, weather, earth, sky, sea, seaside, coast, radio, world, ground.

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‘The’ is optional with seasons (spring /the spring) but the autumn of 1941.

The word MAN in the meaning opposite to animal has no article.

Example: When did man learn to make fire?

9.With historical periods, events (the Middle Ages, the Second World War). But: World War I, World War II.

10.With the words only, last, first used as adjectives (The captain was the last to leave the ship). But: He was an only child in the

family.

11.With ordinal numbers /numerals: the second, the third, etc. and also with the former — первый из упомянутых, the latter — последний из упомянутых. But: Когда второй, третий означа- ют ещ¸ один, они употребляются с артиклем А

He heard a shot, then a second, a third one.

12.With adjectives in the superlative degree (It was the most boring party).

But: 1) When ‘most’ is followed by a noun ‘the’ is not used. Most families want to have children.

2) When we choose best out of two, ‘the’ is used with the comparative degree. They have two daughters The elder is an actress, the younger is a doctor.

13.With adjectives when they are used as plural nouns: the young, the old, the disabled, the homeless, the unemployed, etc.

There is a special home for the blind (for blind people).

14.With musical instruments and dances (to play the piano, to dance the waltz).

THE is not used

1.With nouns when they are used in general meaning and we can’t answer the questions ‘’Who? or Which?”

Children enjoy playing active games (Which children? Any ones).

2. With proper names (His name is Peter).

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But: 1) You’ve spent your holiday on the island! You are a Robinson Crusoe! 2) Give the letter to a Mr. Brown next door (некий, какой-то). 3) You are not the Andrew Manson I married 3 years ago (the man has changed).

3.With the names of countries (but: the Netherlands, the Lebanon, the Sudan, the Vatican City), cities (but: the Hague), streets (but: the High Street, the Strand, the Mall, the London Road), square, (Trafalgar Square), bridges (London Bridge), (but: the Bridge of Sighs), parks ((Hyde Park), individual mountains and islands (Everest, Tahiti), railway stations (Victoria Station), Lakes (Lake Ontario), continents (Africa).

4.With the possessive adjectives or the possessive case(Kate’s dress, his dog)

5.With the names of sports, games activities, celebrations, colours, drinks, meals, days (but: I met him on the Monday when they had a party), months (but: the May of 1945), Languages (We know English. But: We know the English language).

6.With two-word names when the first word is the name of place or a person (Kennedy Airport), but: The White House (white is not the name).

7.With the names of cafes, pubs, restaurants, hotels, shops, banks when they have the name of the person who started them or they have S or ‘S at the end (Harrods, McDonalds).

8.With the words school, college, university, church, bed, prison, court, hospital when they are used in the meaning they are intended for. He is in prison (he is a criminal). He went to the prison to visit his friend.

9.With the word work when it means place of work. (but: The work of this young painter attracted our attention (picture)).

10.With by + means of transport — to go by train, plane ship.(But: The 10 o‘clock train was delayed, on board the plane, on board the ship, in my car, in ataxi).

11.With the words home, Father /Mother talking about our own home, family (But: The Jungle is the home of the Tiger.).

12.With the names of illnesses: malaria, but flu / the flu, measles / the measles, mumps / the mumps.

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SET EXPRESSIONS WITH OR WITHOUT ARTICLES

A / AN is used in the following expressions:

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THE is used in the following expressions:

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4.Never discuss ____ religion or ____ politics; it always leads to ___ arguments.

5._____ council of our school collected _____ money to donate to ___ Fund for ___ deaf.

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8.In many countries there is ____ outgoing debate about in what way early childhood education should prepare ______ children to ____school.

9. Robin Hood, ____legendary hero, supposedly stole from___rich.

10.___ Venice is ____ only city in ____ world completely free of ___ automobile.

11. ____computer was ___brilliant invention.

12. They have ____ good knowledge of ____ computers.

EXERCISE 12. Choose the right variant of the answer.

1. __ island in ___ Pacific Ocean was used for ___ experiment.

2. ___ tomato originated in ____ Central America.

3. ___ countless tourists throng to ____Greek Islands.

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