The Use of Articles with Common Nouns.pdf

The Use of Articles with Common Nouns Non-specified Info

Specified Info

a / an

the

Singular Countable nouns Plural Uncountable nouns

the the

Specified Nouns: a. By context: the noun has been previously specified:  Ex: Mr. Jones bought a car yesterday. yes terday. The car is a 2003 Toyota.

b. By a prepositional phrase:  Ex: The milk in the bottle has soured. The car in the lot is not the car that I picked out.  BUT :

I want to buy a suitcase from Italy.  I love cheese from Wisconsin.

c. By an adjective clause:  Ex: The wine that I bought is on the table. The car in the lot is not the car that I picked out.

BUT: A car, which can be quite expensive, is indispensable to foreign students in the United States. Hail, which is a combination of ice and snow, can be quite dangerous.

Additional uses of the definite article THE: 1. With generic meaning: before a noun that refers to the class or when speaking generally about nouns in the categories categor ies of plants, animals, technical inventions and classes of people.  Ex: The computer has changed everyday life in the world. The sloth is a three-clawed animal found in Costa Rica. The crocus is the first flower to bloom in spring. The medical doctors have a strong lobby.

2. With nominalized adjectives:

 Ex: The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The British fought the French in the French and Indian war.

3. Before nouns with unique references:  Ex: The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. The oxygen balance in the atmosphere is maintained by photosynthesis.

4. In a superlative adjective + noun construction or with ordinal numerals:  Ex: I just saw the most popular movie of the year. The first studies were conducted in 1993. The last security conference was termed a success.

5. In partitive of-phrases with plurals:  Ex: None of the projects was satisfactory. Some of the subjects had adverse reactions.  All of the questionnaires were returned.

Uses with

article

1. Before unspecified uncountable nouns:  Ex: Success is often determined by wealth.

2. Before plural countable nouns that refer to the class or thing in general:  Ex: Automobiles have changed our way of life .

3. Before gerunds (verb-ing forms):  Ex: Making money is important to many parents in their 30s.

4. Before nouns which identify social institutions such as marriage, divorc e and retirement:  Ex: Marriage money is important to many parents in their 30s.

5. Before references to academic subjects of study:  Ex: My sister is studying history.

6. Before locations that imply a specific activity (to school, to church, to work):  Ex: She drove to work. Exceptions: to the post office, to the bank

7. Before titles or appointments:  Ex: Obama was elected president. She was elected chairperson.