Numerals
C
ardinal
numerals
serve as descriptive
attributes. X/THE
He refused three invitations to golf.
By candlelight the two men seemed of an age. → the use of the definite article is accounted for by the situation or context.
O
rdinal
numerals
are usually limiting
attributes.
During the second week in October she met him in Oxford Street.
!!! However, when ordinal numerals are not used to indicate order but acquire the meaning 'one more' or 'another', the noun they modify is used with the indefinite article.
They must have a third race to decide who is the real winner.
After a moment's hesitation she added a fourth spoonful of sugar to her tea.
N ote 1. a first night ('премьера')
a first prize are set phrases.
Note 2. Mind the use of articles in the following patterns with nouns modified by cardinal and ordinal numerals:
the third chapter but! chapter 3 (three),
the fifth page but page 5 (.five).
Participles
P
ARTICIPLES
in pre- position
are usually descriptive
attributes, like adjectives.
They lived in a newly painted house.
There was a faded photograph and an ash-tray on the desk.
At the corner of the street there shone the lighted windows of a club.
She collected the scattered pages of the letter and put it away into her desk
The use of the definite article in this case is usually accounted for by the context or the general situation.
P
ARTICIPLES
in post-position (as participle phrases but not single participles)
serve as
(a) descriptive attributes
He took a medicine prescribed by the doctor.
( b) limiting attributes.
b) I adopted the tone used by my uncle Henry.
At length I reached the sixth floor, and knocked at the door numbered thirty-two.
D) Ing-FORMS
Attributes expressed by ing-forms placed in pre-position are usually descriptive.
He looked at me with a mocking smile.
He turned and saw a crying boy.
In post-position the ing-forms may be:
(a) descriptive - A/ THE
There was no answer and he sent a telegram saying that he needed some work done urgently.
John had an odd way of looking at things,
(b) limiting - THE
He took the path leading to the lonely cottage.
He could not bear the thought of leaving her in such a state.
Infinitives
The use of articles with countable nouns modified by infinitives.
a ) mostly – descriptive:
He willingly accepted an invitation to spend the weekend out of town.
I made an attempt to smile. He suddenly felt an impulse to laugh.
b ) limiting (depending on the situation or context):
They did not have the money to buy the house.
That's not the way to speak to your parents.
Clauses
The use of articles with countable nouns modified by clauses. Nouns can be modified by two kinds of clauses — attributive (A) and appositive (B). They may be introduced by the relative pronouns who, whose, which and that, by the relative adverbs where and when or asyndetically.
Attributive clauses qualify the noun. They can be of two types:
N on-defining clauses (A/THE) modify the noun and can be removed from the sentence without destroying its meaning. They are marked by a pause separating them from the principal clause. In writing they may be separated by a comma. These clauses are never joined to the principal clause asyndetically.
Non-defining clauses are always descriptive and do not influence the choice of the article which is determined by other factors (the context and other attributes).
She told me that she had discovered a wonderful young man, who was going to help her in the East End.
She asked me a question, which I did not hear.
W hen he at last got to the office, where he spent so many dull hours, he gave a sigh of relief.
2
)
Defining
clauses (A/ THE) disclose
the meaning of the noun; they are so
closely connected with the antecedent that
they cannot be left out without destroying the meaning of the
sentence. There is no pause between this kind of clause and the
principal clause, and in writing they are never marked off by a
comma. Such clauses may be joined to the principal clause either
by connective words or asyndetically.
Defining clauses may be:
limiting (the definite article is used with the antecedent)
e.g. He took the cigarette that Robert offered him.
In the back of her mind was the memory that it was the city her friend came from.
In Russian the antecedent in this case may be modified by the words тот самый... который.
Descriptive (the article with the antecedent is determined by the context or the situation)
She stared at me with an expression that made me uncomfortable.
"It's not a story I could tell anyone else, Harry," he said.
As a girl my mother had expected a husband who would give her love and position.
In Russian the antecedent in this case may be modified by the words такой, который ..., такого рода (типа), который... .
В. Appositive clauses disclose the meaning of the noun. They can modify only certain abstract nouns, such as idea, feeling, hope, thought, impression, sense etc. Appositive clauses are usually introduced by the conjunction that ('что') and are similar to object clauses.
Appositive clauses are generally limiting attributes.
He had the feeling that all his efforts proved to be futile.
The idea that he can be of use made him happy.
I was annoyed by the sense that nothing intellectual could ever trouble him.
!!! Occasionally → A (the indefinite article).
She had an impression that Charlie was speaking to his cousin rather than to her.
I had a growing feeling that time was running out.