The Use of Articles with Countable Nouns in some Syntactic Patterns

1. As a rule, nouns used predicatively or in apposition take the indefinite article. It is used here in its nominating function. Nouns in the plural have no article.

e.g. All my friends are students.

My friends, all students then, often discussed the war.

He is an extremely boring fellow.

2. The definite article in such a case serves to indicate the reference to a definite object or person. It usually has a limiting attribute.

e.g. Jack, the most impudent person there, interrupted me.

The noun in apposition is used with the definite article if the speaker takes in for granted that the listener knows the person in question.

e.g. Mr. Johnson, the editor, wants to see you.

3. Nouns used predicatively or in apposition may have no article. This is found in the following cases:

a) when they denote a position (rank, state, post or occupation) which is unique.

E.g. W. Carl Johnson, Superintendent of the School, received me in his office.

The definite article may also be found in such cases.

b) when they denote a relationship and stress is laid on social position of the person

e.g. Mrs Nelson was wife of the manager of the firm. ( similar nouns: heir, daughter, son etc.)

But usually we find the definite article here.

Note! The use of the nouns son and daughter

e.g. She is the daughter of a doctor. (the common variant, expressing mere relationship)

She is a daughter of a doctor. (the idea that doctor has more than one daughter is emphasized)

She is daughter of a doctor. (describes the social position)

When nouns used predicatively denote a certain characteristic of the person and are followed with enough no article is used. E.g. He isn/t fool enough to believe such a thing.

Mind the following constructions used in the literary style:

Child though she was, she had suffered much. Boy as he was, he was chosen their leader.

The rules given for the use of articles with predicative nouns and nouns in apposition hold good for nouns introduced by as:

e.g. I regarded my uncle as a terrible tyrant. He went to the conference as (the) head of the delegation.

Note that these rules do not concern nouns introduced by as used for comparison.

e.g. You were as white as the sheet in your hands.

When nouns denoting titles, military ranks or social standing are followed by a proper name they are used without any article: Colonel Holmes, Doctor Smith, President Obama, Prime Minister Forbes, Queen Elizabeth, King George, Sir William, Lady Macbeth.

But: The doctor has come. The Prime Minister made an announcement yesterday.

The late professor Smith, the celebrated playwright Osborne.

Note! A foreign title followed by a proper name is used with the definite article: The Emperor Napoleon III, the Tsar Peter the Great/

The article is not used with some nouns denoting close relationship when they are followed by names of persons: Aunt Polly, Cousin John.

Other common nouns 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 witness Manning etc., the planet Mars, the verb to be etc.

The article is not used with nouns in appositive of-phrases when the head-noun denotes a title or a post.

e.g. They nominated candidates for the posts of President and Vice-President. He got the degree of Master of Arts. The position of schoolmaster carries with it a sense of responsibility.

The article is not used in the adverbial pattern from… to: from street to street, from town to town.

Set phrases: from head to foot, from top to bottom, from beginning to end etc., hand in hand, arm in arm, shoulder to shoulder, day by day etc. Be always alert to set-phrases!

There is no article with nouns in direct address.

After the exclamatory what we find the indefinite article with singular nouns. E.g. What a car!

No article is used after the interrogative what: What question did you want to ask me?

The definite article is found with an of-phrase preceded by: one, some, any, several, the first, the last, the rest, the majority: one of the letters, several of the boys.

There is a fluctuation in the use of articles in the following types of combinations: a sort of (a) man, a kind of (a) man, a type of (a) man.