5- ] Grammar American & British .
Chaper Five .
The Articles .
The Indefinite ( a, an ) And Definite ( the) Articles.
The words ‘a’ , ‘an’ , and ‘the’
are generally called articles ; ‘a’ , ‘an’ is the indefinite article , ‘the’
the definite article .
The Indefinite Article ( A , AN ) .
The indefinite article is used
only before singular countable nouns . ‘a’ is used before a word beginning with
a consonant sound ; ‘an’ before a word beginning with a vowel sound .
Examples
a day , a boy , a train , a chair
an apple , an open book , an angry
child , an hour , an honest man , an honorable act , an heir
The Indefinite Article Is Used :
1- ] With the meaning of ‘one’ ,
‘any’ , ‘it doesn’t matter which’.
Examples
I have a sister and two brothers .
The animals came in two at a time
.
A stitch in time saves nine .
A triangle has three sides .
Please pass me a fork .
2- ] In certain expressions of
measurement .
Examples
He drove the car at ninety miles
an hour .
This material is $1 a yard .
Butter is $ 10 a pound .
We have lessons three times a week
.
He earns $ 30,000 a year .
3- ] Before dozen , hundred ,
thousand , million .
Examples
There are a dozen eggs here .
A hundred sheep were in the field
.
4- ] Before singular predicative
nouns ( predicative nouns are nouns forming the complement of verbs such as ‘to
be’ , ‘make , smell , taste , etc. ) denoting a profession , trade , religion ,
class , etc.
Examples
He wants to be an engineer ( an accountant
, a lawyer , etc. ) .
Her father is an officer in the
navy .
You ought not to call him a fool .
The king made him a lord .
He was a Muslim not a Christian .
Is he a Conservative or a
Socialist ?
Notes
- If the noun denotes a title or
office that can only be held by one person at a time , the indefinite article
is not used .
Examples
They made him King . ( not a King
)
Mr. Priestley was Professor of
English at Cambridge University . ( not a Professor of English )
As Chairman of the Society , I
call on Mr. Hassan to speak .
Nelson became Captain of the
Victory in 1800 .
- It is not used after the verb ‘turn’ in the
meaning ‘become’ .
Examples
He was a Conservative but he
turned Socialist .
He used to be a teacher till he
turned writer .
- It is not used after the nouns
rank or title .
Examples
He gained the rank of Colonel .
He was given the title of Duke .
5- ] It is used also to refer to a
person known only as a name .
Example
A Mr. Johnson called to see you
when you were out . ( I have no idea who he is , but he said his name was Mr.
Johnson .
6- ] With the meaning ‘same’ in
proverbs and certain fixed expressions .
Examples
Birds of a feather flock together
. ( a feather = the same kind )
They were much of a size . ( of
the same size )
7- ] before a noun in apposition
when the thing or person is assumed to be unfamiliar .
Examples
Blake , an English poet
Lowton , a small town in
Lancashire
Lycidas , a poem by Milton
8- ] In exclamatory sentences
introduced by ‘What’ , where the noun is singular and countable .
Examples
What a foolish thing to do !
What a pretty girl !
What a day !
What an awful noise !
- The indefinite article is not
used with uncountable nouns .
What weather we are having !
What good milk this is !
What care he is taking with this !
What rubbish he writes !
Exceptions
What a pity ! ( pity is
uncountable )
What a shame that you can’t come !
( shame is uncountable )
9- ] In a number of expressions .
Examples
It is a pity that ……. / I want to
keep this a secret / as a rule / ‘be’ in
a hurry / ‘be’ in a temper / all of a sudden / it is a shame to …… / take an
interest in / take a pride in / take a dislike to / make a fool of oneself /
‘be’ in a position to have a headache , a pain , a cold , a cough / have a mind
to / have a fancy for / have a chance , opportunity to / at a discount ,
premium / on an average / a short , long time ago
10- ] The constructions ‘such a’ ,
‘quite a’ , ‘many a’ , ‘rather a’ .
Examples
I have has such a busy day .
There were quite a lot of people
there .
Many a ship has been wrecked there
.
He is rather a fool .
11- ] The constructions ‘so +
adjective’ + a .
Example We have not had so good a day as this for a long time .
The Definite Article [ the ] .
The definite article ‘the’ can be
used before a singular or plural nouns whether countable or uncountable .
The definite article ‘the’ is used
:
1- ] Before a noun that is to be
particularized by a defining relative clause .
Example
This is the book that I promised
to lend you .
2- ] With the meaning ‘the only
one’
Examples
The sun rises in the east and sets
in the west . the Lord ( = God )
the Holy Quran
3- ] With the meaning ‘The one we
have just spoken about’ . In a paragraph when something is already mentioned .
Example
One upon a time there was a little
boy who lived in a cottage . The cottage was in the country and the boy had
lived there all his life .
4- ] Before a noun which is followed by a
defining prepositional phrase .
Examples
the battle of Trafalgar / the
Palace of Westminster / the house with green shutters .the road to London / the
letter from America / the fourteenth of April
5- ] Before ordinals in titles .
Queen Elizabeth II ( Queen
Elizabeth the second )
6- ] Before a common noun followed
by a proper noun which identifies it .
Examples
the planet Mercury / the poet
Byron / the play ‘King Lear’
- Nouns expressing trades or
professions often follow the proper noun ; they are preceded by ‘the’ .
Examples
Jackson , the butcher / Brown ,
the General Manager / Lizzie , the cook .
- Similarly with noun in
apposition .
Examples
Rome , the capital of Italy
Alexandria , the main harbor in
Egypt
7- ] Before the name of a country
that is a union of smaller entities .
Examples
the United Kingdom / / the United
Arab Emirates
- or one that is plural in form .
Examples
the Netherlands / the
United States
- and in cases where a common noun
which usually accompanied the geographical name has been dropped .
Examples
the Sahara / the Crimea ( peninsulas )
9- ] Before groups of islands .
Examples
the West Indies / the Hebrides /
the Bahamas / the Philippines
9- ] Before the names of rivers ,
seas , oceans and chains of mountains .
Examples
the Thames , the River Nile , the
Amazon , the Mississippi , the Danube ,
the Atlantic , the Pacific , the Red Sea , the Dead Sea , the Alps , the Andes
10- ] Before the names of ships ,
trains , and airplanes .
Examples
the Titanic , the Queen Mary , the
Flying Scotsman , the Express , the Comet
, the Golden Arrow
11- ] Before the names of hotels ,
shops , institutions , etc. , where the name is an impersonal one .
Examples
the Ritz Hotel , the Army and Navy
Stores , the Midland Bank , the Odeon Cinema .
12- ] Before a singular countable
noun to make a generalization about a species .
Examples
The horse is being replaced by the
tractor .
The camel is called the ship of
the desert .
13- ] Before the names of musical
instruments used in general sense .
Examples
My friend plays the piano , and he
is learning the violin .
I like listening to the lute and
the cello .
14- ] Before superlatives used
attributively .
Examples
This is the oldest building in the
city .
- Sometimes before superlatives
used adverbially .
Examples
I like Shakespeare but it is
modern drama that interests me the most .
People who have those seats in the
theater will pay the least .
- Before superlatives used as
nouns .
Examples
This is the best I can do .
The most he can get is a fine of $
100 .
15- ] Before adjectives used as
nouns denoting a whole class .
Examples
The rich ( = the rich people )
should help the poor and the needy ( = the poor people , and the needy people )
.
The French cook better than the
English .
The Idiomatic Use Of ‘the’ .
There is an idiomatic use of ‘the’
with the comparative of adjectives .
1- ] the + comparative , the + comparative
Examples
The more he eats , the fatter he
gets .
The slower you drive , the safer
you will reach .
The harder you work , the more you
will be paid .
The sooner that work is finished ,
the better .
I hope a lot of people come to the
party ; the more , the merrier .
2- ] the more ……… , the more ……….
Examples
The more he gets , the more he
wants .
The more he exercise , the more he
become fit .
The Indefinite and Definite Articles ( no
article ) Are Not Used .
1- ] Before abstract nouns used in
a general sense .
Examples
Life is so hard for some people .
( not ‘the life’ )
We will have freedom or death . (
not ‘the freedom’ or ‘the death’ )
- But we use ‘the’ before abstract
nouns that are limited or qualified .
Examples
The life we live here is hard .
The life of most of the Egyptian
people is hard .
The freedom of speech / of the
seas …..
The work that we do is serious .
2- ] Before names of materials
used in a general sense .
Examples
Butter is made from cream . ( not
‘the butter’ or ‘the cream’ )
Water is necessary for life .
Wheat is grown in Canada .
Iron is widely used .
3- ] Before plural nouns used in a
general sense .
Books are my best friends .
Tropical forests are the main
source of oxygen on earth .
- But for the limited things , or
particular things ‘the’ is used .
The books on the table are mine .
4- ] Before names of meals used in
a general sense .
Examples
I invited my friend to dinner /
lunch / tea .
I have breakfast at seven o’clock
.
- If we are referring to some
particular meal we use ‘the’.
Are you coming to the dinner that
we are having in the seafood restaurant next week .
The meal we had last week was
delicious .
5- ] Before most proper nouns .
Examples
I walked in Hyde Park . ( not ‘the
Hyde Park’ )
Do you know Regent Streel / Wall Street
?
Lucille comes from France .
6- ] Before ‘Lake’ , ‘Cape’ ,
‘Mount’ .
Examples
Lake Victoria , Cape Wrath , Cape
Cod , Mount Everest , Mount Vesuvius
- Except when these words are
followed by ‘of’ .
Examples
the Lake of Lucerne , the Cape of
Good Hope , the Mount of Olives
7- ] Before titles followed by a
proper noun .
Examples
King Edward , Doctor Hassan ,
Professor Ahmad Zewael , Lord Byron , President Lincoln
8- ] With the names of languages ,
religions , philosophies , etc.
Examples
He speaks Arabic , French ,
English and Spanish .
He embraces Islam , but his wife
embraces Christianity .
Hinduism and Buddhism are spread
in India .
9- ] With words like school ,
prison , mosque , church , office , when the idea expressed concerns the use
made of the building .
Examples
He goes to school every day .
He goes to mosque frequently . (
to worship and pray )
They are in church just now . ( to worship and pray )
He was sent to prison . ( as a
prisoner )
- But if there in no concern and
it is just a visit or for something , ‘the’ is used .
Examples
My father went to the school to
meet the headmaster .
Tourists like to visit the mosque
.
They are in the church just now .
( merely looking round )
He met his friend in the prison .
( not prisoner but for something )
10- ] Before the names of seasons
and festivals .
Examples
Winter is the best time for work .
We are going there in spring / at
Easter / on Boxing Day
11- ] With words like ‘cook ,
nurse , teacher’ when they have the meaning ‘our cook / nurse / teacher’ .
Examples
Cook has made mince-pies for
Christmas .
Teacher was very pleased with my
work .
- Here they have the function of
names ( particular one ) , so the omission of the article is natural .
12- ] Sometimes before predicative
superlatives .
Examples
The sea is deepest about twenty
miles from the coast .
He is happiest when he is working
.
Your help was most valuable .
13- ] In various stock phrases .
He showed great bravery ‘in face’
of danger.
‘In place of ’ meat we are having
fish .
We are ‘in sight of ’ land .
Arrange the books ‘in order of ’
size .
He is ‘beyond reach of ’ danger
now .
The car was damaged ‘beyond hope
of ’ repair .
They set off ‘under cover of ’
darkness .
‘In case of ’ fire ring the bell .
He did it ‘by way of ’ helping me
.
As soon as I ‘set foot on’ the
island , he wanted to ‘shake hands with me’ .
The maid is going to ‘keep house
for ’ our family .
The ship has ‘set sail’ .
This will easily ‘catch fire’ .
We came ‘by land / sea / air’ .
To ‘go on board ship’
To stay ‘at home’
To be ‘out of doors’
The men work ‘by day’ but not ‘by
night’ .
He is ‘in debt/ in trouble’ .
‘At daybreak / sunset’ .
He did he work ‘for love’ , not
‘for money’ .
The ship is ‘at anchor’ .
Exercise .
Put ‘a’ or ‘an’ in front of the
following words or phrases .
1- ] university 2- ] one-sided
affair . 3- ] honest deal 4- ] history of England . 5- ] historical survey . 6-
] ewe 7- ] unintentional mistake 8- ]
unilateral agreement 9- ] bottle . 10- ] ink-bottle 10- ]hotel
Exercise .
Put into the singular
1- ] men , women and children . 2-
] roofs 3- ] cherries 5- ] wives 6- ] feet 7- ] hundreds of times
8- ] Europeans 9- ] Africans 10- ] Americans . 10- ] Asians
and Australians 11- ] potatoes and other vegetables 12- ] hippopotami in rivers 13- ] intelligent
students
Exercise .
Insert the indefinite article in
the blank spaces where necessary . Otherwise leave the space blank .
1- ] -------geometry set contains
----- ruler , ------pair of compasses , ----- protractor and ----- pair of dividers .
2- ] His father was ----- lawyer
and earned ₤ 3,000 -------- month .
4- ] One tenth of ------ thousand
is ---------- hundred , and
------thousand thousands are -----million.
5- ] What ------- nuisance ! I
left ---- meat on the table and the dog has eaten it .
6- ] For breakfast we have
-----porridge , -------- burger and eggs , or sometimes ------- fish , and we
end up with ------ toast and -------- marmalade or -------- apple .
7- ] He became -------- member of
Parliament as -------- Conservative , but later turned -------- Socialist and
became --------- Member for London .
8- ] What --------humorous man
your friend is , and what ----- fun he is !
9- ] Byrd , ----------Elizabethan
musician , wrote many motets .
Exercise .
Insert the definite article where
necessary :
1- ] ------- boy over there is
-------- worst in the class at French .
2- ] -------- Magna Carta was
signed by ------- King John in ------ year 1215 .
3- ] --------- Armistice Day is
now observed on ------ nearest Sunday to --------- eleventh of ---------November
.
5- ] --------- Treaty of
Versailles laid down ------- harsh terms .
6- ] ---------supervisor inspects
all -------- work .
7- ] All ------- work an no
------- play makes ------- Jack a dull boy .
8- ] My brother is a sportsman ;
he plays ------- tennis , ------ football , ------- cricket and ----hockey .
9- ] My sister is a musician ; she
plays -------- harp , ------ piano and ----- violin .
10- ] Brown , --------chemist ,
sells -------- pills .
12- ] ---------- monkeys are
intelligent animals . Yes , but they are not ------- most intelligent of all
----animals .
13- ] He is a student of ------
architecture ; an important part of his studies is ----- History of
Architecture .
14- ] -------- world opinion is
against -------- aggression .
15- ] In -------- opinion of
------- Captain Brown ------ shortest way to ------- Japan would be through
------- Panama Canal .
16- ] -------- information on this
matter is lacking , or at least ------ information we all wanting .
17- ] Which do you prefer ,
------Lake Geneva or ------ Lake of Constance ?
18- ] What is -------- difference
between -------- middle age and -------- Middle Ages ?
19- ] ---------- pen is mightier
than ------ sword .
20- ] ------- Prince Philip is
----- Duke of Edinburgh .
21- ] ------ Duke of Windsor was
once------- King of England .
22- ]--------- Queen is -------
Commonwealth .
23- ] Which language do you speak
better , --------German or ---- French ?
24- ] -------- French language is
better known here than ---------- Russian .
25- ] I go to --------school every
day except --------Fridays ; then I go to --------- mosque .
26- ] -------- life is hard ,
especially ------- life of an altruist .
27- ] We read ------- papers every
day to improve our English vocabulary .
28- ] ------ irregular verbs in
------French language are very difficult .
29- ] They always give --------
postman a present at --------- Christmas time .
30- ] --------- eldest son of
--------- Edward-------- Third was called ------ Black Prince .
31- ] ----------- burglars were
sent to jail for--------six months .
32- ] I prefer ------- going by
------- sea to going in --------- train .
33- ] -------- Domestic Science
College teaches -------- girls how to keep -------- house .
34- ] Avoid ------ short cuts ,
--------- longest way round is often ------- shortest way home .
35- ] Many boys leave -------
school at eighteen to begin ------- military service .
36- ] --------- Oxford Street is
one of ------- busiest streets in ------- London .
.jpeg)
No comments:
Post a Comment