- Online
Learning
- The
Use and Non-Use of Articles
Use of the articles a,
an,
and the
depends on whether the noun following the article possesses these
paired qualities: countable vs. non-countable, definite vs.
indefinite, first vs. subsequent mention, and general vs. specific.
These topics, as well as the meanings associated with the nonuse or
omission of articles, are covered in the following sections of this
document:
- Countable
vs. Non-countable
-
- A
and an
are used if the noun can be counted.
- I
ran into a
post. (How many posts did you run into? Just one. Therefore, use a.)
- I
ate a
piece of cake.
- I
saw an
eagle.
-
- The
is used when the noun cannot be counted.
- I
ran into the
water. (How many waters did you run into?
-
The question doesn't make
any sense because water
is non-countable.
-
Therefore, use the.
-
-
I
ate the
rice.
-
I
saw the
milk spill.
-
- Indefinite
Articles: a
and an
-
- A
and an
signal that the noun modified is indefinite, referring to any
member of a group. These indefinite articles are used with singular
nouns when the noun is general; the corresponding indefinite quantity
word some
is used for plural general nouns. The rule is:
-
- a
+ a singular noun beginning with a consonant: a
boy
- an
+ a singular noun beginning with a vowel: an
elephant
- some
+ a plural noun: some
girls
- Note
that in English, the indefinite articles are used to indicate
membership in a profession, nation, or religion.
- I
am a
teacher.
- Brian
is an
Irishman.
-
Seiko
is a
practicing Buddhist.
-
- Definite
Article: the
-
- The
definite article is used before singular and plural nouns when the
noun is particular or specific. The
signals that the noun is definite, that it refers to a particular
member
of a group. Compare the indefinite and definite articles in the
following pairs:
- A
dog (any dog)
The dog (that specific dog)
- A
book (any book)
The
book
(that specific book)
- The
is used with both singular and plural nouns:
- the
book, the cat
the books, the cats
- The
is not used with non-countable nouns referring to something in a
general sense:
- [no
article] Coffee is a popular drink.
[no article] Japanese was his native language.
[no article] Intelligence is difficult to quantify.
- The
is used with non-countable nouns that are made more specific by a
limiting modifying phrase or clause:
- The
coffee in my cup is too hot to drink.
The Japanese he speaks is often heard in the countryside.
The intelligence of animals is variable but undeniable.
- The
is
also used when a noun refers to something unique:
- the
White House
the theory of relativity
the 1999 federal budget
- Geographical
uses of the
- Do
not use
the
before:
- names
of countries, except the Netherlands and the US (Italy, Mexico,
Bolivia)
- names
of cities, towns, or states (Seoul, Manitoba, Miami)
- names
of streets (Washington Blvd., Main St.)
- names
of lakes and bays, except with a group of lakes like the Great Lakes
- names
of mountains, except
with
ranges of mountains like the Andes or the Rockies or unusual names.
- names
of continents (Asia, Europe)
- names
of islands except with island chains like the Aleutians, the Hebrides,
or the Canary Islands (Easter Island, Maui, Key West)
-
Do
use the
before:
- names
of rivers, oceans and seas
- points
on the globe
- geographical
areas
-
- deserts,
forests, gulfs, and peninsulas
- First
vs.
Subsequent Mention
- A
or an
is used to introduce a noun when it is mentioned for the first time in
a piece of writing. The
is used afterward each time you mention that same noun.
- There
is
and there
are
can be used to introduce an indefinite noun at the beginning of a
paragraph or essay.
- General
vs. Specific
- A,
an,
and the
can all be used to indicate that a noun refers to the whole class to
which individual countable nouns belong. This use of articles is
called generic,
from the Latin word meaning "class."
- A
tiger is a dangerous animal. (any individual tiger)
The
tiger
is a dangerous animal. (all tigers: tiger
as a generic category)
- The
difference between the indefinite a
and an
and the generic a
and an
is that the former means any one member of a class while the latter
means all of the members of a class.
- The
omission of articles also expresses a generic (or general) meaning:
- no
article with a plural noun: Tigers are dangerous animals. (all tigers)
no article with a non-countable noun: Anger is a destructive emotion.
(any kind of anger)
- Omission
of Articles
- While
some nouns combine with one article or the other based on whether they
are countable or non-countable, others simply never take either
article. Some common types of nouns that don't take an article are:
- Names
of languages and nationalities
- Chinese
- English
- Spanish
- Russian
- Names
of
sports
- volleyball
- hockey
- baseball
- Names
of
academic subjects
- mathematics
- biology
- history
- computer
science
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