Definite and indefinite articles in English. What are articles in English for?

Article is a special function word in English language used before a noun. The article is often not translated into Russian. In English, the article is a determiner of a noun and is not independent part speech. Additionally about.

The definite article (the definite article) the used in English in the following cases:

1. The definite article is used before countable nouns, if it is clear from the situation/previous experience/context which object or person is being referred to.

Examples: We met a girl in the park. The girl was a famous actress. We met a girl in the park. This girl was a famous actress. (In the second sentence, the noun girl used with definite article the, because the girl was already discussed in the previous sentence)
Please close the book. – Close the book, please. (It should be clear to the interlocutor which book is being discussed, otherwise the speaker could not this case use the article the)

2. The definite article is used before a noun with a definition, which indicates what kind of subject it is.

Examples: show me the magazine that I gave you 2 weeks ago. Show me the magazine I gave you 2 weeks ago.
The key lying near the pillar is mine. - The key lying near the counter is mine.

3. The definite article is used with nouns that denote unique, one-of-a-kind objects, or the only objects in given conditions.

Examples:the sun - the sun (does not indicate the name of the planets, therefore it is used with the definite article as a phenomenon, the only one of its kind),
the moon - the moon (does not indicate the name of the planets, therefore it is used with the definite article as a phenomenon, the only one of its kind),
the sky - sky (one of a kind),
the Eiffel Tower - Eiffel Tower (the only one)
the captain - captain (since he is the only one on the ship),
the chief - chef (since he is the only chef in the restaurant),
the window - window (since it is the only one in the room),
the Earth - Earth (Earth as a planet, one of a kind),
BUT!
Noun Earth in the meaning of one of the planets (as Venus - Venus or Saturn - Saturn) used without an article and capitalized, since according to the rule the names of the planets are used without the article.

4. The definite article is used before a noun, which means not a separate object, but the whole class as a whole.

Examples:The lion is a wild animal. - The lion is a wild animal.
The pine is an evergreen tree. - Pine is an evergreen tree.

5. The definite article is used with the names of cinemas, hotels, museums, galleries, newspapers and magazines, ships.

Examples:the Odeon - cinema "Odeon",
the Astoria - hotel "Astoria",
the British Museum - British Museum,
the Tate Gallery - Tate Gallery,
the The Times - The Times newspaper
the Santa Maria - the ship "Santa Maria", etc.

Note! If the name of a city object (cinema, hotel, museum, gallery, etc.) contains the name of a settlement or a person’s name (ending in –s or ‘s), then the article is not used.

Examples: St. Paul's Cathedral - Cathedral of St. Paul
Madame Tussaud's Museum - Madame Tussauds Museum
Covent Garden - Covent Garden Opera House (named after the nearby market)
MacDonald's - McDonald's
Westminster Abbey - Westminster Abbey (named after the district)
Buckingham Palace - Buckingham Palace (after the name of the county in England)
Edinburgh Castle - Edinburgh Castle
London Zoo - London Zoo
Scotland Yard - Scotland Yard

6. The definite article is used with the names of rivers, canals, seas, oceans, groups of islands, mountain ranges, deserts, lakes(if they are used without a word lake).

Examples:the Dnepr - Dnieper,
the Panama Canal - Panama Canal,
the Black Sea - Black Sea,
the Pacific Ocean - Pacific Ocean,
the Hawaiian Islands - Hawaiian Islands,
the Bahamas - Bahamas,
the Urals - Ural Mountains,
the Sahara desert - Sahara desert,
the Ontario - Ontario, etc.
BUT!
Lake Superior - Lake Superior
Leech Lake– (lake) Lich
loch Ness - (lake) Loch Ness (loch is the Scottish version of the word "lake")

7. The definite article is used with country names consisting of more than one word.

Examples:the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - Union of the Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,
the United States of America - the USA - United States of America,
the Philippines - Philippines,
the United Arab Emirates - United Arab Emirates,
the Netherlands - the Netherlands, etc.

As an exception, the definite article is used with the following countries and localities:

Examples:the Sudan - Sudan,
the Congo - Congo,
the Argentine Argentina,
the Ukraine - Ukraine,
the Crimea - Crimea,
the Caucasus - Caucasus, etc.

8. The definite article is used with the following city names:

Examples:the Hague - The Hague,
the Athens - Athens,
the Vatican - Vatican, etc.

9. The definite article is used with the following words (when they are used as adverbs of place):

Examples:beach- beach, cinema- cinema, city- city, country(side) – countryside, ground- Earth, jungle- jungle, library- library, pub- bar, radio- radio, sea- sea, sea ​​side- coast, station- railway station, shop- score, theater- theatre, world- the world, etc.

10. The definite article is used with adjectives only - only, last - last, first - first.

Examples: It was the first time I was ever in love. It was the first time I fell in love.
I had the only dream to become an engineer-designer of the electronic devices. “My only dream was to become an electronics design engineer.

11. The definite article is used with.

Examples:the rich - rich,
the young - youth,
the homeless - homeless, etc.

12. The definite article is used c.

Examples: Nicole is the best friend. Nicole is your best friend.
Winter is the coldest season of the year. - Winter is the coldest season of the year.

13. The definite article is used with ordinal numbers.

Examples:the first - first,
the second - second,
the fifteenth - fifteenth,
the second Unit - the second lesson,
BUT
Unit 1 - Lesson 1, etc.

14. The definite article is used with words morning - morning, afternoon - day, evening - evening.

Examples: in the morning - in the morning,
in the afternoon - in the afternoon,
in the evening - in the evening.

15. The definite article is used with names of musical instruments.

Examples:the piano - piano,
the violin - violin
the double-bass - double bass,
the guitar - guitar, etc.

16. The definite article is used with names of nationalities.

Examples:the Ukrainian - Ukrainians,
the Belorussian - Belarusians,
the English - English,
the Dutch - Dutch, etc.

17. The definite article is used with a surname when it comes to the whole family.

Examples:the Petrovs - the Petrov family,
the Browns - the Brown family, etc.

18. The definite article is used with titles.

Examples:the queen - queen,
the Prince - prince,
the Lord - lord,
BUT!
Queen Victoria - Queen Victoria,
Prince William - Prince William,
Lord Byron - Lord Byron, etc.

27.11.2014

An article is a word that defines a noun.

There are two kinds of articles in English: definite (the) and indefinite (a/an).

Based on the names, respectively, the indefinite article is used when we are talking about a phenomenon that we meet for the first time, a subject in general, and a definite article is used when we are talking about something specific, or already encountered in a conversation.

The concept of the article is present in many languages ​​of the world, but in the same number of languages ​​it is absent.

So don't panic if your native language doesn't use articles.

The data will help you make fewer mistakes when speaking English.

It is very important to be able to use the correct articles in your speech or writing.

1. With the names of countries and continents

In this case, we do not use articles at all, BUT if the country name consists of parts, such as USA, UK, UAE, then our article appears the, and will be: the USA, the UK, the UAE, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands.

This also applies to continents and islands: usually we do not use the article, but if the name is collective, the definite article has a place to be.

For example: Africa, Europe, Bermuda, Tasmania BUT the Virgin Islands, the Bahamas.

• She lived in America.
• They live in England.
• My friend is from the Czech Republic.

2. With the words breakfast, dinner, lunch

When it comes to eating in general, there is no article. But if you're talking about a specific breakfast, dinner, or lunch, use the.

For example:

• I don't eat breakfast.
• We didn't like the dinner.

3. With job titles, professions

In this case, the indefinite article is used. a/an.

For example:

• I want to be a politician.
• My younger brother wants to be a vet.

4. With the names of the cardinal points

Usually the names of the cardinal directions are capitalized, so they are easy to recognize: the North, the South, the East, the West .

True, if a noun indicates a direction, then it should be used without an article and written with a small letter.

For example:

• They went east.
• The North is cooler than the South.

5. With the names of oceans, seas, rivers and canals

Remember that the definite article is always used with the names of these bodies of water.

For example: The Amazon, the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, the Suez Canal .

• I would like to swim in the Red Sea, and you?
• The Amazon is the longest river in the world.

6. With the names of unique phenomena

It means that a phenomenon or an object exists in one copy, one in its kind, in particular, the sun, the moon, the inter net , the sky , the earth.

For example:

• The sun is a star.
• We looked up at all the stars in the sky.
• He is always on the internet.

7. With uncountable nouns

This category of nouns implies those units and concepts that we cannot count. Plus, as an identification mark in most cases, they do not have an ending. -s- plural indicator.

But do not forget that there are ten exceptions to one rule, that is, if you are talking in general about any uncountable concept, there will be no article, but again, if the case is special, use the.

For example:

• I like bread/milk/honey.
• I like the bread/the milk/the honey. (Specifically this and nothing else.)

8. With surnames

If we are talking about members of the same family, you can put the article the before the surname. Thus, you designate a group of people, a family with one word.

For example:

• The Smith are coming for dinner today.
• Have you seen the Jonson recently?

These are not all uses of articles in English. However, to begin with, remember these rules, gradually deepening your knowledge.

Articles in English: definite - the, indefinite - a (an), zero. The use of articles with geographical names.

The use of articles in English difficult task for beginners to learn this one of the most widely spoken languages ​​in the world. Articles in English are three types, and despite the fact that there are clear rules explaining their use, choosing the correct article can sometimes be difficult.

• definite article the: Did you enjoy the party? - Did you enjoy the party?
• two indefinite articles in English:

Article a- use if the following word begins with a consonant: I'm reading a book about England- I am reading a book about England

Article an- if the word after it starts with a vowel: I read an interesting story - I read an interesting story

• “zero article” (zero article in English) is the absence of articles: Does she like meat or fish? Does she like meat or fish?

Articles in English can come directly before a noun:

She is an artist - she is an artist

In addition, articles in English can be separated from a noun using an adverb or adjective:

the newly renovated church - newly renovated church

a beautiful young woman - a beautiful young woman

Rules for the use of articles in English

The use of indefinite articles in English "a" and "an":

1. Indefinite articles in English “a” or “an” are used with nouns only in the singular in the following cases:

1.1. If the object or person is mentioned for the first time, and also if the noun is preceded by an adjective in the function of defining a descriptive character:

Can I make a suggestion? - May I guess?

Suddenly there was a loud bang- suddenly there was a loud bang

1.2. With nouns in construction “ there is” (there was):

There was a noise outdoors - there was some noise on the street

1.3. With nouns combined with the adjective “such”:

Such a day, such a car, etc.

1.4. In exclamatory sentences with the intensifying pronoun “what” indefinite articles are used in English:

What a day! “What a nice trip!”

1.5. With nouns preceded by the word “half”:

half an hour, half a day, etc.

1.6. Words that begin with the letter “ u”, provided that it is pronounced like / ju: / (for example, “ united”, “ useful”), are always used with the article “ a” (not “an”):

English is an universal language

English is a universal language

1.7. The words “one and ones” and all phrases starting with these words (such as one-sided, once-over) are always used with the article “a”:

a one-parent family, a one-way trip etc.

1.8. If abbreviations start with letters: F, H, L, M, N, R, S or X, and the pronunciation of these letters begins with a vowel (for example, F is pronounced like / ef /), then in such cases the indefinite article is always used "an" (not "a"):

an MBA degree, an FBI agent, etc..

1.9. As part of some stable combinations, the indefinite article is used in English:

a lot of, twice a day, as a result, it's a pity.

1.10. With professions:

a pilot, an engineer.

The use of the definite article in English ”the”

2. The definite article the in English is used both with the singular and with the plural; both with countable and uncountable nouns in the following cases:

2.1. When it comes to a specific person or thing in a specific situation: Can you walk the dog? Can you put the book on the table? Both interlocutors know which dog and which book they are talking about. In other words, the definite article the is the equivalent of the expression "that particular one over there." Imagine that you are returning from the store and say to your friend: "I bought the phone." With these words, you will mislead your friend, because in fact you said: “I bought (la) that phone over there », and your friend has no idea what phone they are talking about. Therefore, when mentioning an object or person for the first time, it would be correct to say: I bought a phone yesterday.

2.2. If an object or phenomenon has a description:

“This is the phone that I was telling you about yesterday”.

2.3. If the subject or person was mentioned in the context earlier:

This is a house. The house is very old.

the best friend, the longest trip etc.

the first day, the second chance, etc..

2.7. When used with the adjective “same”:

the same day, the same time, etc..

2.8. With nouns denoting the names of lakes, waterfalls, straits, mountain ranges, groups of islands, cardinal points, rivers, seas, oceans (i.e. with geographical names):

the Thames, the Atlantic Ocean, the Alps, the Bermudas, the English Channel, the Gulf Stream, the Suez Canal, the Niagara Falls etc.

2.9. With country names consisting of several words, including the following: federation, republic, union, state, kingdom. For example:

the German Federal Republic, the USA, the UK etc.

2.10. The names of deserts also use the definite article the in English:

the Sahara Desert

2.11. As an exception, the definite article the in English is used with the following geographical names: the Netherlands (translated into Russian - No Man's Lands, to show that they still belong to someone, they use the definite article in English):

the Crimea, the Caucasus, the Vatican, the Congo, the Lebanon, the Hague and with some others

2.12. With nouns denoting the names of hotels, theaters, museums, courts:

the Hilton, the Covent Garden, the Titanic, the Bolshoy Theater etc.

2.13. With nouns denoting the names of English-language newspapers:

the Financial Times, the Daily Mail, etc..

2.14. As part of stable combinations, the definite article the is used:

to play the piano/ the violin / the guitar / the cello etc., to tell the truth, to go to the cinema/ theatre, to listen to the radio, the other way

2.15. With surnames, if the surname is plural and denotes the whole family:

the Smiths, the Browns, etc.

The use of the zero article “zero article" (omission of articles in English)

3. Articles in English are omitted in the following cases:

3.1. Before proper names, as well as before nouns denoting ranks and titles:

Professor N., General B., Queen Y.

3.2. Before nouns denoting days of the week in English:

Monday, Sunday….

3.3. With nouns combined with prepositions in English “from ….to, from …. till”:

from beginning to end, from north to south, from nothing till everything, from head to foot etc.

3.4. With nouns followed by a number or number:

page 45, room 8, tram 7

3.5. With nouns after the verbs “to appoint”, “to elect”:

to appoint director, to elect deputy.

3.6. Articles in English are not used with nouns denoting the following geographical concepts:

3.6.1. names of continents, as well as countries and cities, consisting of one proper name:

Europe, Asia, Australia, France, Italy, Spain etc.

3.6.2. titles individual islands(if it is not a group of islands), mountains (if it is not Mountain chain), as well as the names of lakes (if their name contains the word “Lake”):

Malta, Elbrus, Lake Ontario etc.

3.6.3. names of streets and squares:

Red Square, Trafalgar Square, Street, Regent Street etc.

3.7. In the headlines of newspapers and magazine articles:

Tasty farewell to winter, Color of Dream

3.8. In some stable combinations, articles in English are not used:

on foot, by heart, by car, at home, etc..

3.9. When using such nouns in a general sense:

Time is money. Life isn't easy. Love and friendship…

When defining these nouns in a concretized meaning, the definite article in English is used:

Don't you know anything about the life of this people? Where is the money I've laid on the shelf?

At first glance, there are a lot of rules about articles in the English language and you can’t remember everything. In fact, you don’t need to memorize absolutely all the rules, because in the process of listening to English speech, you will remember the correct choice of one or another article in English quite quickly.

That is, the absence of the article. In this article, we will look at the indefinite article a \ an in English.

Article a or an?

The indefinite article has two forms: a and an. The rules for using them are very simple.

• Article in the form "a" used before a consonant: a boot, a tie, a lock, a house, a car, a job.
• Article in the form “an” used before vowels: an apple, an iron, an oven, an error.

Even if the word starts with a consonant but starts with a vowel, “an” is used. These cases include:

• unpronounceable h at the beginning of a word: an hour[ən ˈaʊə], an honor[ənˈɒnə].
• Some abbreviations that are read by individual letters: an FBI agent[ən ɛf biː aɪ ˈeɪʤənt].

The indefinite article a \ an in English is the basic rule

If we reduce the rules to the main general, it will be like this.

General rule: The indefinite article is used to denote not specific, but some, some object (that is why it is called indefinite). In Russian, we could instead say “some”, “some”, “some”, “one”.

By the way, the article a \ an comes from the word one (one) - knowing this, it is easy to understand its meaning and use. Consider examples.

I need a shovel. - I need (any) shovel.

I'd like to buy a ticket. - I would like to buy (one, any) ticket.

Compare, if you replace a \ an with the definite article the, the meaning will change:

I need the shovel. – I need (this particular) shovel.

I'd like to buy the ticket. - I would like to buy (that specific) ticket.

Rules for using the article a (an) in English

Let's look at more specific rules. So, the article a \ an is used when:

1. This refers to anyone, no matter which representative of a class of objects or persons.

A baby can do that. - A baby (anyone) can do it.

A triangle has three sided. - A triangle (any) has three sides.

The article does not necessarily stand immediately before , between them it can be denoting the attribute of a noun.

I need a cheap ball pen. I need (some) cheap ballpoint pen.

I want to buy a good hockey stick. I want to buy (some) good hockey stick.

Note that if, in a similar case, the definite article the is used, the meaning will change dramatically, for example:

I want to buy the hockey stick. I want to buy a (certain) club.

2. A noun refers to who or what an object or person is.

Most often this is a profession, if it is a person, or the name of an object (class of objects), if it is about something inanimate. In this case, the article is difficult to “translate” into Russian. You need to understand that a noun denotes an object \ person as a whole, not as a separate instance, but as a generalizing concept.

I am a doctor. - I am a doctor.

He is anexperienced graphicdesigner. – He is an experienced graphic designer.

This is a snowboard. - It's a snowboard.

If you use the, it will not be about the class of objects as a whole, but about a specific representative:

Hi is the experienced designer. – He is an experienced designer.

3. We are talking about one object or person.

That is, literally about the subject in the amount of one piece. Here the article a \ an means almost the same thing as one.

I'd like a cup of hot chocolate. I would like (one) cup of hot chocolate.

I need a day to rest. I need (one) day to rest.

With the article the, it will also, in general, be about one subject, but about a specific one. For example, not just about a cup of chocolate, but about the cup that you brewed first, her foam came out prettier:

I'd like the cup of hot chocolate. I would like (that) cup of hot chocolate.

4. We are talking about an object or person mentioned in a conversation for the first time ...

... and when we speak for the second, third, tenth time, we use the article the.

Here the use of articles is dictated by simple logic. Speaking about an object for the first time, we usually speak of it as “something”, “something”.

– You know, I watched interesting movie yesterday. – You know, I watched (some) interesting movie yesterday.

Five minutes have passed, we have already discussed the film inside and out, and we are no longer talking about it as some but how about quite certain movie:

– Yeah, I think, I’m going to rewatch the movie!– Yes, I think I will review (this) film.

In general, this rule is very easily violated. For example, I decided to intrigue the interlocutor and say right off the bat that I watched not just some movie, but THE SAME movie:

– You know, I watched the movie yesterday. – You know, I watched THAT movie yesterday.

Or in this particular conversation, the subject may be mentioned for the first time, but both interlocutors perfectly understand what it is about.

Mary: Honey, where is mirror? “Darling, where is the mirror?”

John: Your mom's present is in the bathroom, as always. “Your mom’s gift in the bathroom, as usual.

5. In a number of stable expressions

Basically, they are related to time and quantity:

• in a day \ week \ month \ year - in a day \ week \ month \ year
• in an hour - in an hour
• in a half an hour - in half an hour
• a few - a few
• a little - a little
• a lot (great deal) of - a lot

The indefinite article a \ an is often used in set expressions like to have (to take) + noun, implying some kind of one-time action:

• to have (take) a look - look
• to have a walk - take a walk
• to have (take) a seat - sit down
• to take a note - make a note, write down

Notes:

1. Some expressions according to this scheme are used with a zero article, for example: to have fun - have fun.
2. With the definite article the in most cases, the words are used: the future, the past, the present.
3. The names of the seasons are used with the or zero article: in (the) winter, in (the) summer, etc.

Indefinite article before adjective and pronoun

Articles (any) can be used before adjectives. In this case, they serve as determiners not to adjectives, of course, but to the noun, the sign of which these adjectives designate:

• She is a nice beautiful girl. – She is a nice beautiful girl.
• I need the red hat. - I need a red hat.

Articles are not used before a noun if it is already defined by a possessive (my, your, his, her, etc.) or a demonstrative pronoun (this, these, that, those). The point is that if the subject is said to be “whose -that”, this already means that the subject is specific, definite - this makes the article a \ an impossible, and the article the superfluous.

• Not properly: I am looking for a (the) my dog.
• Correctly: I am looking for my dog.