Special difficulties in the use of articles

The nouns

As a rule

no article

When modified by a particularizing attribute: The

When modified by a descriptive attribute: A

In set expressions

1. The names of months and days (May, Monday)

– May is a spring month.

– I met her on Tuesday.

– We’ll always remember the May of 1945.

– She came on the Friday when David was born.

– A cold May is a usual thing in St. Petersburg.

2. The names of seasons (summer, winter)

– I like winter.

– It was summer when we first came here.

– It happened in the spring of 1990.

It was a beautiful spring.

But: no article

early/late spring, winter

3. Nouns: day, night, evening, morning, afternoon

– Day is meant for work, night for sleep.

– It was evening.

– He’ll never forget the day when he met her.

– The night was warm and beautiful.

– I spent a sleepless night.

But: no article

early/late afternoon, night, broad day, high noon

by day/night;

at night/ dawn/ daybreak/ sunrise/ sunset/ noon;

from morning till night;

in the morning/ night

4. The names of languages (French, English)

– She knows French well.

– The English of America differs from the English of Great Britain.

– the English language

What is the English for...?

5. The names of meals (lunch, dinner, tea)

– Did you have dinner?

– Lunch is ready.

– The dinner we had today was very good.

– The lunch was a success.

– After a heavy breakfast we started for...

But: no article

early/late dinner, supper

to have lunch (tea, breakfast)

But:

to have a good dinner

The nouns

When the noun lose the concrete meaning and express the purpose for which they serve: no article

When the nouns denote concrete objects the articles are used in accordance to the general rules

School/ college/ university

to be at school/college/university

to go to school/college/university

to leave school/college

– After I left school I went to university (as a student)

– Why aren’t the children at school today? (as pupils)

to go to the/a school (the building is meant)

to leave the school (to leave the building)

– Mr. Kelly went to the school to meet his daughter’s teacher.

– Is there a school near here?

Church

in church / to church

– Mrs. Kelly goes to church on Sundays (for a religious service).

– The church was built in the 17^th century.

– There is a church in the village.

Prison/jail

to be in prison

to be sent to prison/jail

to be put in prison

– Ken’s brother is in prison for robbery.

– Fred robbed a bank but he was caught and sent to prison.

– Ken went to the prison to visit his brother.

– They lived near a prison.

Bed

to go to bed

to be in bed

to stay in bed

– It’s time to go to bed.

– Is Tom still in bed?

– Her portrait was on the wall beside the bed.

– There is a table, 6 chairs, a bed and a cupboard in the room.

Work

to go to work

to be at work

to start work

– Why isn’t Ann at work today?

– I like the work I’m doing now.

– A new work of modern art.

– The works of Shakespeare.

Home

to go home

to come / arrive home

to be at home / to stay at home

to feel at home

– Let’s go home.

Institution or place:

an orphans home, a nursing home, a maternity home.

Place where an animal or a plant is native:

the home of the tiger

Town

to / in town

– You can’t go to town tomorrow.

– What are you going to do in town.

– He spent 20 years in town, he is not used to country life.

– I want to go to the town I was born in.

– Would you rather live in a town or in the country?

– The whole town was talking about it.

Hospital

to go to hospital

to be in hospital

– Jack had an accident. He had to go to hospital. He is still in hospital now.

– when Ann was ill we went to the hospital to visit her.

– Is there a hospital near here?