Article an. The indefinite article A \ AN in English

Hello my wonderful readers!

You can probably guess which word English speech most commonly used, right? Of course it is the article "the". And today we will analyze where its use in English is appropriate and where it is not. We will study the rules for its use, look at numerous examples, and analyze a table with stable expressions that you can always have at hand. And then you can go to and to consolidate everything you learned here.

Go ahead, friends!

A little bit of grammar

If the article “a” (about it in detail!) Is used only with nouns that can be counted, then “the” is used with all nouns: and in singular and plural; both countable and non-countable items .

By the way, the pronunciation of the article also changes depending on which letter the next word begins with. If the word begins with a consonant, then the article is pronounced like [ðə], for example the banana - banana. But if the subject begins with a vowel, then it is pronounced like [ði], for example, the apple - Apple.

When to use

• If in speech or in writing already mentioned subject, then in the future you can put this article with it.

I received an e-mail from my friends. The letter told me that they would visit me on the weekend.- I received a letter from my friends. The letter said that they would visit me over the weekend.

• With unique items that are one and only of their kind, we also use the - the sun, the moon, the Earth.

The moon today is extremely beautiful. The moon is incredibly beautiful today.

• The article has a special relationship with geographical names. With titles rivers, deserts, oceans, island groups and mountain ranges we can confidently use the article, but we must not forget about exceptions. I am very detailed about them.

The Atlantic Ocean is the most beautiful ocean on the planet.- The Atlantic Ocean is the most beautiful ocean on the planet.

The Comoro Islands attract lots of tourists every year.- Comoros attracts many tourists every year.

• With titles hotels, cinemas, ships, museums, galleries and newspapers we most often also use the definite article.

The Hilton hotel is about to open in our city.- In our city, the Hilton hotel is about to open.

The Louvre is the most attended museum in Europe.- The Louvre is the most visited museum in Europe.

• with adjectives in the highest degree comparisons: the most, the best, the worst.

The most beautiful place I've ever been is Japan in spring.- Most beautiful place that I have ever seen is Japan in the spring.

The best books I've ever read were about Harry Potter. - Best Books The ones I've read are Harry Potter.

• With musical tools and titles dancing.

The violin is my most beloved musical instrument.- The violin is my favorite musical instrument.

The contemporary has become very popular among dancers some years ago.- Contempo became very popular among dancers a few years ago.

When not used

It is important to know when the definite article is used, but it is equally important to know when it is. not used.

• with plural nouns that can't be counted when we say something general.

Trees produce oxygen.- Trees produce oxygen. (any trees, in general)

• With names own and before names we never use it.

Jinny is very talented. She can play 3 different musical instruments. Ginny is very talented. She can play three different instruments.

• With titles countries, cities, streets, parks, mountains, lakes, bridges and islands we try to avoid it.

Spain is mostly famous for its football club Barcelona. - Spain is mostly known for its football club Barcelona.

I dream of climbing Everest.- I dream of climbing Everest.

• With titles sports, activities, games, colors, days, months, drinks, meals he is not friendly.

I can speak Turkish a little.- I can speak Turkish a little.

I was born in July. - I was born in July.

My favorite color is green. - Green is my favorite color.

• If we have pronouns this, that, those- we not use "the". In addition, with possessive pronouns (and the possessive case in general!) we also do not use it.

This the ball was signed by a famous football player.- This ball was signed by a famous footballer.

Kathy's dress is ready. I've already cleaned it.- Casey's dress is ready. I cleaned it yesterday.

• With words school, church, hospital, college, university, court, prison we use it or we don't use it depending on meaning. Let's see an example:

I go to school from Monday to Friday.- I go to school from Monday to Friday. (as a student)

My mother went to the school for a meeting. My mother went to school for a meeting. (As a parent, not as a student)

• With titles diseases we can also use or do not use article.

I've got (the) flu. - I got sick.

Set expressions

Both the and a form fixed expressions that cannot be changed in any way. So let's get to know them (By the way, if you need general information about the articles of the English language, then you are).

I am sure that now that you have a hint in the form of a table and structured rules in your hands, it will be much easier for you to master the ones that I have prepared for you. And after them, you can move on to. Practice as much as possible, study, learn new rules and improve your English.

And I'm ready to help you with this. The materials on my blog are constantly updated, and my subscribers receive them even before they appear on the site. I look forward to seeing you there as well, to share important materials with the very first.

And for today I say goodbye.

The article is a word that adds a shade of certainty or uncertainty to the meaning of a noun: "After the long conference, the mug of hot chocolate is especially good." / "After a long conference, a mug of hot chocolate is especially good." In the first case, we transfer information about a specific conference and a mug of hot chocolate. In the second, they formulated a general statement, implying that any circle will come in handy after any long conference. English has several ways of conveying this certainty, or lack of it. Let's take a closer look.

Definite article

Definite article (definite article) is the English word " the". It seems to limit the semantic meaning of the noun. For example, your friend might ask, “Are you planning to visit the party this Monday?” - "Are you planning to attend the party this Monday?" The definite article in English communicates that a friend is referring to a certain party that is well known. The article "the" is used with plural and singular nouns, as well as with uncountable nouns. The following are some examples of the use of the definite article in context:

• Could you give me the screwdriver, please?- Could you give me a screwdriver, please?
• Give me the orange screwdriver, please. The green one is too big.- Give me the orange screwdriver, please. The green one is too big.
• Could you give me the chisel, please?- Could you give me a chisel, please?
• Could you give me the small chisel, please? That's the only one convenient enough to make holes in this plank.- Could you give me a small chisel, please? This is the only tool that works well for drilling holes in this board.
• Give me the screwdriver and the chisel then, please.- Give me then a screwdriver and a chisel, please.

Indefinite article

The indefinite article ( indefinite article) there are two main forms. First, it is a service part of speech a” that precedes a word that begins with a consonant. Secondly, it is the article " an”, used with a word that starts with a vowel. The indefinite article in English "a / an" indicates that the noun is used in a general sense, and not in a specific one. For example, you ask a friend: “Should I take a present then? “Should I bring a present then?” The friend understands that you are not asking about a specific type of gift or a specific item. "I would like to bring an almond cake. “I would like to bring an almond cake.” Again, the indefinite article indicates that no special almond cake is meant. Whether it will be homemade or bought at a local pastry shop does not matter. The indefinite article is characterized by monogamy, so it can only be found with singular nouns. Consider the following examples of the indefinite article in context:

• Could you fetch me a smartphone, please? Any of them will be fine.- Could you give me a smartphone, please? Any of them will do.
• Gimme a bottle of wine real quick now, ok? Any is good.- Give me a quick bottle of wine, ok? Any is good.

NOTA BENE: Uncountable nouns are nouns that are difficult or impossible to count. They include intangible objects(information, air), liquids(beer, rum) and things, that are too large or numerous to count(equipment, sand, wood). Since these things cannot be taken into account, never use"a" or "an". Remember that the indefinite article in English is only for singular nouns. However, uncountable nouns are used without problems with the word some.

"A" vs "an". Exceptions to use

There are a number of exceptions to the general rule of using the indefinite article before words that begin with a consonant and a vowel.

• The first letter of the word "honourable ["ɔn (ə) rəbl] - generous", for example, the consonant "h", however, it is mute (unpronounceable). Despite the spelling, the word "honourable" begins with vowel sound[ɔ]. That's why the choice of the article falls on « an". Consider the example below for illustration:

WRONG
Thomas is a honorable person.

RIGHT
Thomas is an honorable person.

Translation: Thomas is a generous person.

• Similarly, when the first letter of a word vowel, but pronounced with a consonant sound, use " a", as in the example below:

WRONG
Elizabeth was an

RIGHT
Elizabeth was a United States prime minister.

Translation: Elizabeth was the Prime Minister of the United States.

• Acronyms, initial abbreviations and cuts by first letters also obey this rule: a uk based corporation, an HR management etc.

Zero article

Sometimes articles are omitted before certain nouns. In these cases, the article is implied but not actually present. Such an article is sometimes called the zero article ( zero article). Often the article is missing before nouns that refer to abstract ideas. Look at the following examples:

WRONG
Let's have a dinner today.

RIGHT
Let's have dinner today.

Translation: Let's have dinner tonight.

WRONG
The enthusiasm is my strong point.

RIGHT
Enthusiasm is my strong point.

Translation: Enthusiasm is my forte.

Many languages ​​and nationalities are not preceded by an article:

WRONG
Mary is fluent in the Korean and the Japanese.

RIGHT
Mary is fluent in Korean and Japanese.

Translation: Mary speaks fluent Korean and Japanese.

Athletic activities, sports and academic subjects do not require an English article in front of them. For comparison, take a look at the following offers:

WRONG
Bobby is keen on the football.

RIGHT
Bobby is keen on soccer.

Translation: Bobby loves to play football.

WRONG
The literature isn't my favorite subject.

RIGHT
Literature isn't my favorite subject.

Translation: Literature is my least favorite subject.

Article + pronoun

Possessive pronouns help determine whether you are talking about a specific or indefinite subject. And although, as you already know, articles in English are used to indicate certainty, nevertheless, if you use both a possessive pronoun and articles at the same time, then the recipient will definitely come to a stupor. Possessive pronouns- words like: my, his, her, its, their and our. English articles cannot be used in tandem with pronouns. " The" and " my"Do not use together, since both are intended for a similar purpose. The differences lie in the nuances of conveying the required value. Consider the following examples:

WRONG
Dexter is using the my tablet right now.

RIGHT
Dexter is using the tablet right now.

RIGHT
Dexter is using my tablet right now.

Translation: AT this moment Dexter is using (my) tablet.

Article + adjective

In most cases, the article defines not only the noun, but also the adjective that precedes it. Normal word order: article + adjective + noun. If you mean the indefinite article, then the choice between " a" and " an» is based on the letter that the next word begins with.

WRONG
What a interesting magazine!

RIGHT
What an interesting magazine!

Translation: What an interesting magazine!

WRONG
Merriam will cook an banana cupcake.

RIGHT
Merriam will cook a banana cupcake.

Translation: Merriam will make a banana muffin.

Set expressions with articles

• Useful phrases with definite articles in English.

• Useful phrases with indefinite articles in English.

• Useful phrases with the zero article

So, today your piggy bank of knowledge has been replenished with the rules for using articles in English. We hope that the article turned out to be useful and to your liking and, henceforth, you will no longer experience discomfort in recognizing, and, most importantly, understanding the use of this or that article in various situations. You're welcome!

Big and friendly family EnglishDom

Despite the fact that initially in the minds of a Russian-speaking person there is no category of articles, nevertheless, for the vast majority of modern European languages, it is extremely significant and is literally absorbed with mother's milk. Therefore, today we will consider how to use the article a/an, the in English correctly so that you never make mistakes again.

Rules for using the article a

This article is called indefinite (indefinite article) and always accompanies countable nouns in the singular, that is, those that can be counted, listed. The very essence of the article is expressed in the fact that it, together with an, is a remnant of an Old English word meaning "one". Therefore, the article a used exclusively with words in the singular. In addition, the cases of using this particular article include the following:

• First mention of the item. For example, if the speaker is talking about his new notebook to a friend, he will say: Yesterday I bought a nice notebook. The notebook is green and pink. As you can see, the indefinite article was used for the first time a, in the second already a definite article - everything is according to the established rules.
• When naming a profession or type of activity, for example: She's a doctor. I am a teacher.
• After the constructions there is, it is, that is, this is, for example: This is a beautiful dress. There is a computer on the table.
• If a noun is preceded by an adjective describing it, then the article will not destroy their bundle, but will stand before the adjective, for example: I'm a young boy. In that vase there was a beautiful red rose.
• After the words quite, such: Such a smart woman!
• In expressions denoting quantity, namely: a lot of, a couple, a dozen, a way too, a great many, a great deal of.
• In structures where a replaces the preposition per(in, out): 7 Euros a kilo, twice a day, etc.
• In exclamatory sentences like this: What a nasty weather! What a good puppy! What a tasty pancake!
• Sometimes accompanied by proper names, namely: Two days ago I met a Mrs. Black, which translates as "Yesterday I met some Mrs Black.

Article an

It should immediately be noted that this article is not independent and is only a form of the article described above a. Therefore, for an the same rules of use are characteristic, but the main condition for its use is the presence of a situation in which a countable word in the singular begins with a vowel. Example: I've bought an apple. In his bag there is an orange. An umbrella is what I really need now!

Combinations to learn

For each article ( a/an, the) there is a set of certain stable combinations, remembering which you can be sure that you will not fall face down in the mud. Often it is on them that the compilers of various exams like to catch people studying the language.

For articles a/an you need to remember the following basic stable phrases:

• To be in a hurry - to be in a hurry, hurry up.
• To be at a loss - to be in difficulty, bewilderment.
• To be in a rage - to be furious, furious.
• To have a headache - to have a headache.
• To have a toothache - have a toothache.
• In a loud voice - in a loud voice.
• In a low voice - in a quiet, low voice.
• In a whisper - in a whisper.
• It's a pity - what a pity; sorry that….
• It's a shame - shame.
• It's a pleasure is a pleasure (to do something).

Definite article

The definite (definite article) article is identical to the demonstrative pronoun "this" and "that" and is used with nouns both in the singular and in the plural in the following situations:

• If we are talking about a subject that has already been mentioned in a conversation, or the context allows you to understand which specific subject from the set is being talked about, for example: Yesterday I went in the cinema and saw a film. The film was absolutely not interesting.
• With words that serve as a nomination for unique objects, things or phenomena, one of a kind, namely: sun, sky, Earth, moon.
• After prepositions indicating a place, for example: There is a dog in front of the door.
• With adjectives in the form superlatives.
• If a whole category is meant for one object, for example: The dog is a mammal
• With ordinal numbers, namely: the second grade, etc. However, it is important to consider here: if the numeral denotes a number, the article is not used at all, for example: Lesson 3, Section 6, page 172, etc.
• When mentioning the cardinal points: in the south.
• With a surname, if the whole family is meant, and not a separate member of it: the Petrovs (Petrovs).
• In sustainable structures to remember: in the morning/evening/afternoon, to the theater/cinema, to the market/shop.
• Always with the words: same, next, only, very, previous, last, left, right, upper, very, central, following, main.
• Together with adjectives that have passed into another part of speech, to nouns (such words are called substantiated), namely: The rich (rich) and others.

The definite article is also used with the geographical names of all:

• rivers (the Neva);
• oceans (the Pacific Ocean);
• seas (the Red Sea);
• lakes (the Baikal; however, if there is a word lake, for example Lake Superior and etc., the use of the article is not required at all);
• channels;
• straits and bays;
• mountain ranges(the Alps);
• deserts (the Victoria Desert);
• archipelagos and islands (the British Isles);
• states, if their name contains the words Kingdom, Federation, Republic (for example, the Dominican Republic), if the name is in the plural (the Netherlands) or is an abbreviation (the USA);
• in two exceptions: the Gambia and the Bahamas;
• with the names of cinemas, theaters, newspapers (The New York Times), magazines, hotels.

And again idioms

Another portion of stable phrases actively used in everyday speech by the British and everyone who can speak their language, but with the article the, as follows:

• To tell (or speak) the trurth - tell the truth. You can remember with the help of an association: the truth is one and only, there are many lies (therefore it is said a lie).
• To play the piano - play the piano.
• In the day-time - in the daytime, during the day.
• To read in the original - read in the original (i.e., not in translation).
• On the one hand ... on the other hand ... - on the one hand (one opinion) ..., on the other hand (another opinion).
• It's out of the question - this is out of the question.

So, when the basic rules for how the article is used a/an, the, have been considered, it's time to deal with the zero article and find out why these categories were formed at all in the English language, but not in Russian. In addition, it is also necessary to work out the theoretical base with the help of practical exercises.

Without article

There is a certain set of situations when the use of the article is not required (zero article, or "zero"). This includes the following cases:

• If the word is used in the plural and in a general sense, for example: Children like bonbons (in general, all children (any) love candies).
• With uncountable nouns if no defining or descriptive units are given: My father likes music.
• With proper names (countries, cities, human names).
• With nominations for days of the week and months, for example: September, monday.
• With the words breakfast, lunch, dinner.
• When a word already has determiners in the form of possessive and demonstrative pronouns, as well as the words any, every, some.
• Along with vehicle names: I prefer traveling by plane.
• With words denoting sports.
• With nouns denoting parents, family, educational establishments(if there is no specification and clarification): Are you at college?
• With words expressing insufficiency: few, little.
• With the names of the holidays (Easter, Christmas).
• With disease nominations (flu, cancer).
• And also in a number of stable combinations.

How did English develop? Articles a/the: history of appearance

It must be said that articles did not exist in languages ​​immediately. In addition, even foreigners who have a system of articles in their native languages ​​cannot always understand the system of this official part of speech in another language. For example, the German article system is considered the most sophisticated and complex, but many Germans admit that they absolutely cannot understand the pattern of using English articles, and vice versa.

Article a/an, the, as well as zero - all this is natural for a native English speaker today, and it is clear why. The fact is that the history of the English language as a whole is the history of a grammatical revolution. At a certain period of its development, this representative of the Indo-European language family took and changed the “pronoun + noun” bundle, which is so characteristic, for example, for Slavic languages, to the “noun + article” bundle.

Resources to help you master the material

Today articles a/the, the rules for the use of which were discussed above, sometimes become a stumbling block at the very beginning of the path to learning English. Therefore, in this article, resources and materials were collected that will help solve the difficulties that have arisen:

1. Duolingo - a site where all topics, including articles a/the, the use and examples of which have already been covered in detail in the article, are provided with visual tables and explanations.
2. Njnj - seemingly unremarkable, but useful at least for a one-time visit to the service. Here anyone can work out articles a/the; exercises contain clues.
3. Lim-english - site for the final stage. Articles can be fixed here a/the; tests, among other rules, cover this section and offer to test yourself by answering 20 questions.

Afterword

As you can see, there is nothing wrong with the articles. Yes, it is extremely unusual for a Russian-speaking person who is just starting to get acquainted with foreign languages, but here, as you know, experience and practice are the main ones. The regularity of classes, watching movies and listening to music in the original will quickly help you to accept and understand the category of articles.

First of all, thank you so much for your emails and feedback! We are very pleased that our work helps you in learning English! :)

Especially at your request, we have prepared a material on the use of the indefinite article A (AN).

What is an article? This is a service part of speech that is placed before a noun to show the certainty or indefiniteness of the subject. In other words, articles make it clear whether the interlocutors are familiar with the subject or not. The function of articles is to define, therefore the part of speech to which they refer is called Determinants or Determiners.You can learn more about them from this article.

The article A (AN) comes from the numeral ONE (one) and therefore is called indefinite, which means not a specific object known to the interlocutors (unlike the), but one of many, some, no matter which, indefinite.

Why does the article A have two forms?

You may know that the AN form is used when the noun after the article begins with a vowel:

An apple, an egg, an elephant

But be careful, because the choice of the form of the article does not depend on the letter (which we see on the letter), but on the sound. For example, take the word university . The first letter u conveys two sounds: . The first, as you can see [j]. It is a consonant, so the article a should be used before the word univercity. Likewise with the words hour or the adjective honest (combined honest man). In both words, the first h is not readable, so we start pronouncing the word with a vowel and use the article AN.

There are many words in English with silent consonants or diphthongs at the beginning, so when choosing an article, be guided by the pronunciation of the word, not its spelling.

Let's take a look at the main cases in which we use the article A. They are all similar in some ways and complement each other in many ways, but if you understand the basic idea of ​​using the article, you can always use it correctly.

The article A is used in the following cases:

1. If there is only one subject and it is indefinite. To check, you can substitute the following words instead of the article: some, one of many, one of, any

I work in an office. - I work in an office. (I work in some office / in one of the offices).
She bought a car. She bought (one) car. (She bought one car / some car).
They passed an exam. - They passed (one) exam. (They passed some exam / one of many exams).
I would like a cup of coffee. - I would like (one) cup of coffee. (Not two, one).

2. If the subject belongs to a certain class, is "one of many" representatives of this class. Therefore, A is always used before the names of professions, nationalities:

I am a teacher. - I'am a teacher. (There are many teachers and I am one of them).
She wants to become a student of this university. She wants to become a student of this university. (There are many students in this university and she wants to become one of them).
He is a Republican. - He is a Republican. (He is one of the Republicans, belongs to this category).
We want to buy a flat in the center . - We want to buy an apartment in the center. (There are many apartments in the center and we want to buy one of them).

3. When we give a definition, we explain what this or that object is. In doing so, we mean that this definition is applicable to any representative of this category:

A doctor is a person who treats sick people. - A doctor is a person who treats the sick. (Any doctor treats the sick).
A penguin is a bird that can't fly. - A penguin is a bird that cannot fly. (Any penguin can't fly.
The penguin is one of the birds that cannot fly).
A bear is a wild animal. - The bear is a wild animal. (Any bear is a wild animal / one of the wild animals).

You can object and say that not every doctor treats and not every wild bear, but we are considering particular cases, but general ones.

4. In type descriptions: A + adjective + noun to describe the subject. In this case, the choice of the article A or AN is determined by the first sound of the adjective, not the noun:

This is an orange ball. - It's an orange ball.
He is a clever student. - He is a smart student.
We saw a very tall tree. - We saw a very tall tree.

5. When talking about using things. Construction: use something as a ... :

He used a stub as a stool. - He used the stump as a stool.
She used a napkin as a note. - They used the napkin as a note.
Don't use your fork as a pointer. - Don't use your fork as a pointer.

6. In negative and interrogative sentences and after the turnover there is with a countable noun in the singular:

In this case, we know nothing about the subject, except that it is one of many.

7. Article A is used in measurements:

Once a day - once a day
Twice a week - twice a day
40 km an hour - 40 kilometers per hour

In words denoting one unit of measure (for example: one hundred, thousand, kilogram), A and one can be interchanged:

One hundred = a hundred
One thousand = a thousand
One kilo = a kilo One mile = a mile

8. In exclamations combined with what, what a lot and such (to emphasize the severity of the sign):

What a nice day! - What a wonderful day!
What a lot of books! - How many books!
He is such an intelligent person! - He's such a smart man!

9. We use A with paired nouns. Some nouns are considered in pairs, in which case the article a is placed before the first noun:

A knife and fork - knife and fork
A cup and saucer - cup and saucer

Do not confuse pairs with single nouns that simply stand side by side in a sentence:

I bought a pen and a book. - I bought a pen and a book.

10. With words denoting health problems:

A headache- headache
a cold - a cold
a sore throat - sore throat
a broken arm/leg - broken arm/leg
a weak heart - a weak heart
(a) toothache - toothache (possible without the article)
(an) earache - pain in the ear (possible without the article)

11. And last, but perhaps most important, the indefinite article A is used when we mention something for the first time, when the interlocutor does not know anything about the subject:

I have got a cat. - I have a cat.
He met a beautiful girl. - He met a beautiful girl.

For further mention, the already defined article the should be used, but more on that in the next article.

To summarize the main thing: The indefinite article A is used only with countable nouns in the singular, if the subject we are talking about is mentioned for the first time, is indefinite, one of many of its kind, any.

Articles in English a/an and the indicate the degree of certainty of the subject in a given context or in general. In Russian, they, as service words, are absent and are not translated from English, but sometimes they can “meet” in phrases like: “I know one girl. This girl is in our school. Or: “One boy was very fond of reading. This boy once found a very interesting book ... "

Therefore, on an intuitive level, we sometimes also use the words “one / one / one / alone” when we first mention an object, and “this / this / this / these” when it is used again in speech. Especially often this can be found in fairy tales: "Once upon a time there was an old man ..."

The use of articles in English

Correct use of articles in English often causes difficulty. There are, of course, rules for the use of certain articles - a/ an, the, zero article, but since native speakers trust, first of all, their intuition and logic, then by putting ourselves in their place and trying to think like them, we could greatly facilitate the task.

What is this certainty/uncertainty?

I have bought a dog. - I bought a dog. In this context, you are talking about a dog for the first time, this means “some kind of dog, one of many”, it is not yet clear to the listener which particular dog we are talking about, so in this example we use the indefinite article -a.

The dog is very cute. - The dog is very cute. Now you are already talking about “a particular dog - the one that you bought. The listener already understands that we are talking about your dog, so there is already a definite article -the. In other words, as in the "bearded" joke about English for the "new Russians": the article -a - means "type", and -the - "specifically", that is, one of many or a specific example.

Table of articles in English

It will help to systematize all of the above. table of articles in English.

The

A/An

Zero article:

If you still have questions on the topic of articles in English, Double You Studio - an English language school in Kyiv (suburb, Vyshneve, Sofievskaya Borshchagovka, Boyarka, Petrivske) will help you figure it out.