The article a or an. What are articles in English for?

In many foreign languages ​​there is such a part of speech as the article (The Article). This is a service part of speech and it acts as a determiner of a noun. There is no such part of speech in Russian, so it is difficult for Russian-speaking people who begin to learn English to get used to using articles in speech. How and why are articles used in English?

But if we do not use them, it may be difficult to communicate with an Englishman, because it will not be clear to him what kind of subject is being discussed, whether something is known about it or not. To avoid problems in communication and just to learn how to express yourself correctly, it is important and necessary to study the articles in English and their uses.

Today we will talk about such important topic, as the use of articles in English, and also consider the cases when you need to use articles.

There are two types of articles in English:

• Definite Article (definite article)
• Indefinite Article (indefinite article)

THE- a definite article or Definite Article, and it is pronounced [ ðǝ ], when the noun begins with a consonant and [ ðɪ ] when the noun begins with a vowel. For instance: the [ ðǝ ] school, the [ ðɪ ]apple.
A or AN- indefinite (Indefinite Article). When a noun begins with a consonant, we say " a banana", but if with a vowel, then " an orange".

To better understand what is the difference between a definite and an indefinite article in English, we will give an example in Russian: When articles are put in English

Cases of using articles in English

Here it is important to remember what are the rules for using articles in English:

• The article is used before every common noun.
• We do not use the article when a noun is preceded by a demonstrative or possessive pronoun, another noun in the possessive case, a cardinal number or the negation of no (not not!).

This is a girl. - It's a girl.
My sister is an engineer. — My sister is an engineer.
I see the girls jumping rope. — I see girls jumping rope.

As a rule, the indefinite article in English is used when the subject is spoken about for the first time, and also if nothing is known about the subject. The definite article (Definite Article) is present where something is already known about the subject or it is mentioned in the conversation again. Let's follow this with a few examples. Note:

He has got a computer.- He has a computer (what kind of computer, what's wrong with it, what brand, etc. - we don't know.
The computer is new. - The computer is new (Now there is some information about the computer - it is new).
This is a tree. - This is a tree (it is not clear which tree, nothing is known about it).
The tree is green. - The tree is green (something is already known, the tree is covered with green foliage).
What articles and when are used in English?

• Indefinite Article a, an can be used in exclamatory sentences beginning with the word what: What a surprise! - What a surprise! What a beautiful day! — What a beautiful day!
• Indefinite article a, an in English it is used only with countable nouns: This is a book. - This is a book. I see a boy. - I see a boy.
• Definite Article is used with both countable and uncountable nouns: The book I read is very interesting. The book I am reading is very interesting. The meat you've bought is fresh. The meat you bought is fresh.
• Indefinite Article is used before an adjective if it is followed by a noun: We have a large family. - We have a big family. I read an interesting book. — I am reading an interesting book.
• The indefinite article can be used in a sentence in the sense of the word "one, one, one": My father has three children, two sons and a daughter. My father has three children - two sons and one daughter. Today I bought a copy-book and two pens. Today I bought one notebook and two pens.
• Definite Article is used in the superlative degree of adjectives: Pink Street is the largest street in that town. - Pink Street is the largest in this city.
• The definite article is used with geographical names, that is, before the names of rivers, canals, seas, mountains, oceans, bays, straits, archipelagos. But it is not used with the names of lakes, countries, continents. Exceptions: the United States of America, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Netherlands, the Ukraine, the Congo, the Crimea.

And now, friends, pay attention to what stable phrases in English always have a definite article:

• in the south
• in the north
• in the east
• in the west
• to the south
• to the north
• to the east
• to the west
• What's the use?
• To the cinema
• To the theater
• To the shop
• To the market
• At the cinema
• At the theater
• At the shop
• At the market.

There are still many separate cases of the use of articles in English. We will consider them in more detail in articles that are separately devoted to the definite article and separately to the indefinite article.

In general, the situation with articles in English is very serious. They need and should be used in speech, without them there is simply no way, otherwise we ourselves can get confused and confuse our interlocutor in the information presented. And in order not to get confused which articles exactly and when to use them, just memorize these cases. And you will see how this small but very necessary service part of speech will bring clarity to your conversation, and your speech will be beautiful and complete! So let the kids the, a and an become your helpers in your English speech!

The article is a functional word showing that the word behind it is a noun and describing some of its features. Articles allow you to distinguish from other parts of speech. They perform other tasks as well.

There are two articles in English: uncertain — a (an) and definite — the.

The indefinite article before words that begin with a consonant sound is used in the form a[ə], for example: a desk [ə'desk], a book [ə'bʊk]; before words that begin with a vowel - in the form an[ən], for example: an animal [ən'ænɪməl], an eye [ən'aɪ]. The name of the article itself (without a noun) always sounds [еɪ].

Definite article the before words that begin with a consonant sound, it is pronounced as [ðə], for example: the table [ðə'teɪbl], the pen [ðə'pen]; before words that begin with a vowel - like [ðɪ], for example: the apple [ðɪ'æpl], the arm [ðɪ'ɑːm]. The name of the article itself is always pronounced as [ðɪ].

When writing and pronouncing articles, it is important with which sound the word begins, and not with which letter. For example, if the initial letter u reads like [ʌ], then you need to put an(an uncle [ən'ʌŋkl]), but if both, then - a(a union [ə'ju:nɪon]).

Another example: if at the beginning of a word a letter h pronounced, then you need to put a(a hen [ə'hen] chicken), but if not pronounced, then - an(an hour [ən'auə] hour).

Indefinite article
• has two forms - a and an;
• denotes an incomprehensible / unfamiliar object.

Definite article
• has one form the;
• denotes an understandable/familiar subject.

Articles are never stressed and in speech merge with the word following them. If there is an adjective, the article is placed before it. Compare: an apple - a big green apple.

Use of the article

When using articles, it is important to consider in what number (singular or plural) the noun is and what its type is, namely: is it common or proper, countable or uncountable, abstract or concrete.

In many cases, the use (or absence) of the article is regulated by grammatical rules, but in some cases it is traditional. Such cases must be remembered.

Indefinite article

The indefinite article comes from the numeral one(one). It is usually not translated into Russian, but it could be translated as “one”, “one of” or “some”, “some”. Therefore, the indefinite article can only be used with countable nouns and only in the singular.’

The indefinite article is used:
1. When an object, creature or person is mentioned for the first time, for example: I see a boy (I see (some) boy).
2. If turnover is used there is, for example: There is an apple in my pocket (I have an apple in my pocket / in my pocket (there is)).
3. If turnover is used have something/ have got something, for example: I have (got) an orange (I have an orange).
4. If the profession, position, nationality and other characteristics of a person are called, for example: I am a teacher (I am a teacher); Her son is a pupil (Her son is a student).
5. When it is necessary to indicate that a given object (creature, person) belongs to a certain group (the property of a group is expressed by an adjective), for example: Do you know that town? Yes, it is a nice small town (Do you know this town? Yes, it's a nice little town). (In this case, it is not necessary that the subject be mentioned for the first time.)
6. If you need to specifically emphasize that there is only one subject, for example: Do you have pencils? Yes, I have a pencil (Do you have pencils? Yes, there is (one)). (Here, too, the subject need not be mentioned for the first time.)

Definite article

The definite article comes from the demonstrative pronoun that(this). He singles out a specific object from among similar ones (“this”, “exactly this”, “the same”).

The definite article is used:
1. If the subject has already been mentioned and the speech continues about it, for example: My friend has got a dog. He walks with the dog every day (My friend has a dog. He walks with the dog every day). But: My friend has got a dog. My sister also has a dog (My friend has a dog. My sister also has a dog).
2. If the object or objects belong to some special group, for example: The flowers in our garden are very beautiful (The flowers in our garden are very beautiful). (Here in our garden is a special group, so the word flowers is written with a definite article. In this case, the word may be mentioned for the first time, but the article will be definite.)
3. If the noun is preceded by an ordinal number, for example: The second lesson is English (The second lesson is English). (In this case, we are talking about the specific and the only one: there can be only one second lesson.)
4. If the noun is preceded by a superlative adjective, for example: Not is the best pupil in our school (He is the best student in our school). (In this case, we are talking about the specific and unique: there can be only one best student.)
5. When it comes to a unique phenomenon or object. (Therefore, the Earth and the Sun are usually written. Here, the use of the definite article is similar to the capitalization of the word in Russian.)
6. If we are talking about familiar furnishings and the world around us, for example: Where is my coat? It hangs at the door (Where is my coat? It hangs at the door). (It is not necessary to refer to a specific door - it simply refers to a familiar piece of furniture).
7. If an abstract noun is used in some of its particular manifestations, for example: I cannot see anything in the darkness! (I can't see anything in this darkness!)

No article (zero article)

In the absence of an article, they also say that there is a zero article.

The article is missing in the following cases.
1. When an object (thing, creature, person) is mentioned for the first time in the plural, for example: I see boys in the street (I see (some) boys on the street).
2. If turnover is used there are with a plural noun, for example: There are apples in my pocket (I have apples in my pocket).
3. If turnover is used have something/ have got something, for example: I have (got) oranges in my fridge (I have oranges in the fridge).
4. If the profession, position, nationality and other characteristics of two or more people are called, for example: We are teachers (We are teachers); Her sons are pupils (Her sons are students).
5. When it is necessary to indicate that these items belong to a certain group (the property of the group is expressed by an adjective), for example: Did you hear these songs? Yes, these were very nice songs (Did you hear these songs? Yes, they were very nice songs). (In this case, it is not necessary that the word be called for the first time.)
6. If an abstract noun is used in the most general sense, for example: Darkness is the absence of light (Darkness is the absence of light).
7. If the noun is preceded by a possessive pronoun, for example: My house is yellow (My house is yellow).
8. If a noun is preceded by a negative no(not not!), for example: We have no bread on the table (We have no bread on the table).

It's important to know! If in cases 1-5 uncountable nouns are used (they do not have a plural), then the article is also absent. All these cases are analogous to the use of the indefinite article with singular countable nouns.

Use of the article with proper names

Proper names are usually used without an article, for example: Moscow, New York, Elizabeth, Trafalgar Square, Elbrus.

The definite article is used in the following special cases.
1. Names of rivers, seas, oceans, for example: the Mississippi - Mississippi (river); the Baltic Sea - the Baltic Sea; the Atlantic Ocean - the Atlantic Ocean.
2. Names of some states, for example: the Russian Federation - the Russian Federation; the Ukraine - Ukraine; the Brazil - Brazil; the USA - USA; the United Kingdom - United Kingdom.
3. Some other geographical names (with the article - according to tradition), for example: the Caucasus - the Caucasus; the Crimea - Crimea; the Hague - The Hague (a city in the Netherlands).
4. Names of mountains (mountain systems), for example: the Alps - Alps.
5. The names of the cardinal points: the North - north; the South - south; the East - east; the West - west.
6. Names of newspapers and magazines, for example: the Times - The Times.
7. Names of hotels, for example: the Savoy - "Savoy".
8. The name of the whole family (all family members) by last name, for example: the Krasnovs - Krasnovs (Krasnov family).

The following proper nouns are used without the article.
1. Names of continents, for example: America - America; Asia - Asia; Africa - Africa.
2. The names of most countries, for example: Russia - Russia; India - India; France - France; Great Britain - Great Britain.
3. City names, for example: London - London; Paris - Paris; Moscow - Moscow.
4. Names of streets and squares, for example: Green Street - Green Street; Red Square - Red Square.
5. The names of the months and days of the week, for example: I'll see you in September / on Sunday (See you in September / on Sunday).
6. Names and surnames, for example: Jack Black, Ivan Petrov.

Phrases with and without articles

Combinations without articles

after school / work - after school / work
at half past two - at half past two
at night - at night
at home - at home; at work - at work
at school - at school (in the classroom)
at table - at the table (that is, at dinner, etc.)
by heart - by heart
by post - by mail
from beginning to end - from beginning to end
from morning till night - from morning to evening
go to bed - go to bed
in front of - ahead
play football / hockey - play football / hockey
to go / come home - go / come home

Combinations with the indefinite article

at a quarter past two - at a quarter past two
go for a walk - go for a walk
have a good time - have a good time
have a look - look
in a hurry - in a hurry
in a low / loud voice - quiet / loud
It's a pity! - It's a pity!
It's a pleasure! - Very nice!
It's a shame! - Ashamed!

Combinations with the definite article

go to the theater / cinema - go to the theater / cinema
in the country - outside the city, in the countryside
in the morning/afternoon/evening - in the morning/afternoon/evening
keep the house - stay at home
on / to the right / left - right, right / left, left
play the piano/guitar - play the piano/guitar
the other day
What is the time? - What time is it now?

Articles are the main determiners of names nouns. Before using any noun, it is necessary to decide whether it is definite or indefinite, i.e. It is necessary to imagine what subject is being discussed: about a specific or any.

• Articles a and an are called indefinite article (the Indefinite Article)
• The is called certain article (the Definite Article)

Consider three cases: when the indefinite article is used before the noun, when the definite article is used, and when the article is not used before the noun.

Indefinite article

a used before words that begin with a consonant.
an used before words that begin with a vowel.

A noun with an indefinite article is the name of an object in general, and not the name of a specific object. For example, a student evokes a representation of a student in general, that is, a student of higher educational institution but not about a specific person.

The meaning of the indefinite article can be expressed in Russian with such words as one, one of, some, any, any, any, any, each.

The indefinite article is used with singular countable nouns. It is not used in the plural, sometimes it is replaced by indefinite pronouns some (several) any (any, anyone).

Definite article

The definite article has only one form: the. individualizing article the derived from demonstrative pronoun that- that.

No article: zero article

No indefinite article

The indefinite article is not used:

• before plural nouns
  an article - articles

• abstract nouns
  imagination - imagination
• nouns mi real, uncountable(nouns that cannot be counted, for example, you cannot say: three waters).
  water (water), salt (salt), tea (tea)

If there is a definition before the noun, then the article is placed before this definition:
a story (story)
an interesting story (interesting story)

substitution rule

Use of the indefinite article

1. Indefinite article is used before a noun when it only names an object, classifies it as a representative of a certain kind of objects, but does not single out it specifically.

• a table - some table (just a table, not a chair)
  a chair

2. when mentioning an object or person for the first time

• That "s a pretty girl. - Beautiful girl

3. in a general sense:
A noun with an indefinite article in this sense means: any, anyone.

• A cow gives milk.
  A cow (any) gives milk.

3. with professions:

• My Dad is a Doctor. - My dad is a doctor.
  She "s an architect. - She is an architect.

4. with some quantity expressions:

• a pair
  a little - a little
  a few - a few

5. in exclamatory sentences: before a singular countable noun after the word what (what).

• What a beautiful day! - What a wonderful day!
  What a pity! - What a pity!

Use of the definite article

Definite article is put in the event that the subject or person in question is known to both the speaker and the listener (from the context, the environment, or as previously mentioned in this speech).

• It is a chair - this is a chair
  The chair is at the table - the chair is near the table

Try to substitute the word this or that before the noun. If the meaning of what is being said does not change, then the definite article must be put before the noun, and if it changes, then the indefinite article is put before the noun in the singular (if it is countable), and not put before the plural noun at all.

1. Re-mentioned when it is clear from the previous text what it is about:

• The girl was beautiful. (This) girl was beautiful.

2. Clear in a situation where it is clear what/who is meant:

• The lesson is over. - The lesson is over.

3. Having an individuating definition, that is, a definition that distinguishes this person or object from a number of similar ones.

• 3.1. Definition, naming a sign :
  This is the house that Jack built. This is the house that Jack built.
• 3.2. Definition, expressed by the adjective in the superlative form e
  This is the shortest way to the river - This is the shortest way to the river
• 3.3. Definition, expressed by ordinal number
  He missed the first lecture. - He missed the first lecture
• 3.4. Definition, expressed by proper name
  the Bristol road - the road to Bristol.
• 3.5. Definitions expressed in words:
  The next stop is ours. “The next stop is ours.

4. Before singular nouns:

• the sun - the sun
  the moon - the moon
  the Earth
  the floor - floor (one in the room)
  the sea - the sea (the only one in the area)

5. Before adjectives and participles that have turned into nouns, with a plural meaning:

• the strong- strong the old- old men, the young- youth,

Absence of an article (zero article

1. If there is a pronoun before the noun or nouns in the possessive case.
My room is large - My room is large.

2. A noun is used without an article in the plural in those cases:

• 2.1. when singular in front of him there would be an indefinite article:
  I saw a letter on the table. — I saw a letter on the table.
  I saw letters on the table. — I saw the letters on the table.

3. Uncountable real nouns.
water water, milk milk, chalk chalk, sugar sugar, tea tea, snow snow, grass grass, wool wool, meat meat and others.

4. Uncountable abstract nouns (abstract concepts).
weather weather, music music, power force, knowledge knowledge, art art, history history, mathematics mathematics, light light, love love, life life, time time
I like music - I love music.
But at the same time, some abstract nouns can be used with the indefinite article, expressing a kind of quality, state.
He got a good education. He received a good education.

In English, plural nouns may be preceded by a definite article, the pronoun some (any), or the determiner may be absent.

Rules for using the pronoun some

If it is possible to put one of the words before a Russian noun: several, some, some, some, before the corresponding noun in the English sentence there is the pronoun some (any).
If none of these words can be placed before the Russian noun, then there is no determiner before the corresponding noun in the English sentence.

I bought some apples yesterday - I bought apples yesterday (a few, some apples)

One of the significant differences in English from Russian - the use of articles before nouns. This topic is difficult for Russian speakers, because in our native language there are no analogues to these service words. In English, they are used in front of almost every noun, so we simply have to understand them correct use. We will study the main cases of setting these service parts of speech in a sentence and perform various exercises on articles in English to practice and memorize them.

In total, there are two types of articles in English: and the indefinite article. Each of them has its own meaning, rules and cases of use. The correct use of articles is important point English speech, because it allows you to clarify the sentence and achieve understanding with the interlocutor.

Indefinite article

Official word a(an) It has family ties with numeral one and means the singularity of any case, phenomenon, object. Accordingly, it can only be used with those nouns that are in the singular and belong to the class of countables. Another meaning of this article is the classification of a person / object in the meaning "everyone, anyone, everyone". Consider how indefinite articles are used in English, and later we will work out the exercises.

Grammar note: if the word to which the article refers begins with a vowel, then the article has the form an , in other cases a .

Definite article

Unlike the previous part of speech, the article the is used with all possible classes of nouns, both in the singular and in the plural. It is used in those cases when it comes to a specific object, person, phenomenon. We will understand the rules for the use of this service part of speech and practice their application during the exercise for definite articles in English.

Grammar note: no kind of article is used if the nouns are preceded by a pronoun, a demonstrative pronoun, a cardinal number, another noun in the possessive case, or negation no(not not!). Uncountable nouns, with rare exceptions, are used without articles.

So, we have studied the basic rules for the use of articles. There are still separate laws that use or do not use articles with geographical names, proper names, names of diseases, as well as nationalities, designations of residents, foreign languages etc. The list of these special cases is quite extensive, you can read and study it. Now our task is to consolidate the acquired general knowledge. To do this, we will perform grammar exercises on articles in modern English.

Article exercises in English

Let's practice using articles with a few exercises.

Exercise 1 (indefinite article)

Write the indefinite article a or an:

orange

car

mouse

book

apple

word

actor

arm

cat

animal

Exercise 2 (articles)

Fill in the missing article a(an) or the

child needs love and care.

computer is out of order.

What hectic life.

It is the second picture.

students are at canteen.

English is very beautiful language.

It is the final version of our project.

Exercise 3 (article the)

Write the article "the" where necessary or "-" where the article is not needed:

It is my first book.

fish are hungry.

open window, please.

My grandfather is eldest in our family.

What is right answer?

your sun is set.

Do you like cars?

My mother lives on third floor.

Do you remember Peter's words?

Articles in English indicate the definiteness or indefiniteness of a noun, in other words, it gives us an idea of ​​what subject/concept is being discussed: abstract or concrete. For a Russian-speaking person, articles cause many difficulties, because in our language they simply do not exist. However, dealing with this unknown part of speech is not as difficult as it seems.

Functions of the article

English has only two articles: a (an) and the - the first is used with indefinite nouns, and the second with definite ones. In order to better understand where and what to put it is necessary to consider each separately.

The indefinite article in English

Let's start with the indefinite article a (an). Its spelling changes depending on which letter (consonant or vowel) the noun begins, before which the article will stand.

Consonant letter: a dog - dog
Vowel: an apple - apple

The indefinite article has two features:

• used only when talking about an abstract concept or about an object that is seen for the first time;
• is used with nouns only in the singular, since the article itself comes from the numeral one (one).

The article a (an) indicates that the noun is considered not as a specific object, but as a broad concept. For example, a cup will mean some (any) piece of dishware in the form of a cup, and not your favorite cup in the form of a stormtrooper head, from which you have been drinking coffee in the morning for the second year already. Thus, the indefinite article in English is used either when we encounter an object for the first time, and we still do not know anything about it, or when we are talking about an abstract, collective concept.

The definite article in English

If you want to mention that very special morning cup in a conversation, you will need a certain article the. It comes from the pronoun that (that) and is used in cases where it is known exactly which object is being discussed.

Free lesson on the topic:

Irregular verbs of the English language: table, rules and examples

Discuss this topic with a personal tutor in a free online lesson at Skyeng School

Leave your contact details and we will contact you to register for the lesson

Example: I met a man. The man was very strange - I met a man. The man was very strange.

In the first sentence, we first meet a stranger, in which case the indefinite article is placed before the word man. In the second sentence, we make a conclusion about the person we just talked about. He ceased to be unknown, which makes it possible to put the definite article the before the word man.

The definite article the can be used with both singular and plural nouns.

To finally understand the definite article, you can consider another example - the trilogy The Lord of the Rings ("Lord of the Rings"). Here, within the same name, the definite article is used twice. This is due to the fact that in both cases we are talking about specific objects: about one single ruler (Sauron) and about the only rings created by him. If the concept of "lord of the rings" meant a profession, then we could say a lord of rings, but that would be a completely different story.

Zero article, or when the article is not needed at all

The main difficulty in learning the articles of the English language is to remember in which cases they should not be used.

The noun does not always require additional clarification in the form of articles - sometimes other parts of speech take on their role. Articles are not used if:

• the noun is preceded by a pronoun (my, his, her, their, one's, this, that, etc.);
• before the noun are the words some, any, no;
• names of people or names of continents, islands, mountains;
• uncountable concept (advice, information).

Visual table about articles

As a rule, information is absorbed faster if it is considered in the form of a systematic table. We have prepared such a table for your convenience.

Understanding when and how to use articles is easy enough. But in order to remember these rules and not to think every time before pronouncing or writing another noun, practice is definitely needed.