Five Guidelines using Articles�
BY ZINA CARTER
Title: Meanings of Articles
Topic: Definite Article – ‘The’
Indefinite Articles - A, An, and Determiner Some
Zero Articles – Zero, Null
Time: 30 minutes
Learning Outcomes:
Outline�
Structural Facts about Articles
Pronunciation
The definite article ‘the’ has four different sounds.
Two pronunciations that are most frequent and occur in normal speech in unstressed form are:
/ðэ/ before a consonant sounds | /ði/ before a vowel sounds |
the book | the apple |
the unit | the orange |
the song | the eagle |
Structural Facts about Articles
a cat, a dog, a boy, a girl, a house, a tree
an apple, an engineer, an ice-cream, an old-woman, an umbrella
Pronunciation
The two forms ‘a’ or ‘an’, the n sound reflects the historical relationship of the indefinite article with one.
ACTIVITY�Fill in the gaps with ‘a’ or ‘an’
6. ____ interesting story
7. ____ university
8 ____ European tour
9. ____ hour
10. ____ MA in English
ACTIVITY�Fill in the gaps with ‘a’ or ‘an’
6. ____ interesting story
7. ____ university
8 ____ European tour
9. ____ hour
10. ____ MA in English
an
an
a
a
a
an
a
a
an
an
Classification of Nouns
English Articles depends on the English noun classification system. All nouns are classified as either
Common Nouns
e.g., a boy, a country, a planet
Proper nouns
e.g., Michael Chamberlain, Denmark, Jupiter
All common nouns can be further classified as
Noncount nouns
e.g., water, clothing, luggage
Count nouns
e.g., a beverage, a shirt, a suitcase
Noncount nouns are singular in number for purposes of subject – verb agreement and cannot take the indefinite article and plural inflections as common count nouns.
GL1. � Use ‘a’ / ‘an’ only with singular countable nouns
an | eagle |
a | car |
a | teacher |
an | onion |
a | suitcase |
an | interesting story |
a | university |
a | European tour |
an | hour |
an | MA in English |
a | water |
a | flour |
a | coffee |
a | milk |
an | air |
a | love |
an | anger |
a | knowledge |
a | beauty |
a | darkness |
countable nouns
uncountable nouns
GL2. � Use ‘a’ or ‘an’ when talking about one person one thing
The classification of common nouns into count and noncount nouns is an important step in making proper articles.
1. | a | cell phone |
2. | an | easy question |
3. | an | orange shirts |
4. | a | pretty woman |
5. | a | happiness |
6. | a | water |
7. | a | luggage |
8. | an | idea |
9. | a | doctors |
10. | an | advice |
Identify the errors:
X
X
X
X
X
X
(plural)
(plural)
(uncountable)
(uncountable)
(uncountable)
(uncountable)
Quick Recap
For the purpose of subject-verb agreement Noncount nouns cannot take the indefinite article and the plural inflection as common count nouns do:
Noncount
a water, some waters
a luggage, some luggage's
Count (singular)
a beverage, some beverages
a suitcase, some suitcases
Noncount nouns and plural count nouns do, however, share, the possibility of taking the zero article (i.e., no article at all) or determiner some:
Noncount | | Count (plural) |
water | | suitcases |
some water | | some suitcases |
Meaning of Articles
Meaning of the Definite Article – ‘The’
Meaning of Definite Article – ‘The’
Meaning of Indefinite Articles – ‘a’, ‘an’, & Determiner ‘some’
Get me some eggs and some flour
What is the distinction between the two?
For a/an, points to an object within a larger class of such objects. For some, it is used with a class of grouped objects that can be plural countable or noncountable nouns.
Meaning of No Articles – �zero article’
Zero articles are used with plural countable nouns
Ф Bullets were flying everywhere
Ф Tigers are dangerous
The streets were covered with Ф leaves
GL 3.�Use a / an to talk about or introduce a person or thing unknown to your listener/reader�Use the to talk about a person or thing known to your listener�
GL 3. �Use a / an to talk about or introduce a person or thing unknown to your listener/reader.�Use the to single out particulars a person or thing known to your listener�
The
a
five/some
The
GL3 use ‘a’ or ‘an’ to introduce�‘the’ signals that the referent should be uniquely identifiable against a background or backdrop familiar to the speaker/writer, listener/ reader
Pass me ____ salt please.
the
Situation: Imagine a family sitting around the dinner table. One person says to another:
The background for identification here is the set of things that are immediately perceptible.
Assumption: The listener can identify or single out the salt from other things that are sitting on the table: the pepper, the bread, the wine, etc.
GL 3.Use a/an to talk about a person or thing unknown to your listener/reader�Use the to talk about a person or thing known to your listener/reader
I need to go back home. I think I left the oven on.
Go tell the man I like him.
Go tell the man in the yellow jacket I like him.
Fred left an important book on his desk this morning. He returned home in the afternoon to get the book.
What is background for identification here?
GL4. Use a/an, some to talk about nonspecific things or people and the for specifics and particulars
Another way to think about indefinite articles – a/an, some implies it is not special – it doesn’t matter, it’s general, it’s open
I need to rent an apartment.
I want to rent the apartment we visited yesterday afternoon.
If you’re not feeling well, you should go and see a doctor.
What did the doctor say?
GL5. Generalize with plurals count nouns or uncountable noun with zero or no article.
Identify all the plural and uncountable nouns in these sentences:
A teacher should be friendly to his or her students
The dolphin is a very intelligent animal.
USE a/an or the with a singular countable noun to mean every single one�
a or the horror movies
the coffee
The exercise / the health
The education / the life
Questions ??
GROUP ASSESSMENT