| A/an
| The
| No article
|
| 1. singular countable nouns:
· a student
| 1. when it is clear in the situation which thing or person we mean:
· Turn off the light, please. (= the light in this room)
| 1. plural countable nouns:
· students
|
| 2. uncountable nouns, used in the meaning of countable nouns:
I bought a paper to read. (= a newspaper) but
I need paper to write on. (= material for writing on)
| 2. when we are thinking of a specific thing:
· I mended the computer yesterday (= my computer)
| 2. uncountable nouns:
· water, ore
|
| 3. when we mention thing or person for the first time:
· A man was sitting opposite me.
| 3. only one of something:
· The captain is on deck. (there is only one captain on a ship)
| 3. in the word television but
The television = the television set
|
| 4. singular:
· nationality can be singular a Japanese, a Sudanese, a Swiss
| 4. we say: the sky, the sea, the ground, the country, the environment
| 4. noun + article: room 127 (in a hotel) question 3 (in an exam)
|
| 5. if the plural noun of a nationality ends in –s:
· an Italian -> Italians;
· a Turk -> Turks;
| 5. before same:
· the same
| 5. prison, hospital, university, college and church (as a general idea of these places)
|
| | 6. usually the radio
| 6. bed; work; home
|
| | 7. with most places: the cinema, the bank, the theatre, the post office
| 7. go to sea; be at sea; go/be on voyage
|
| | 8. when we mean a type of something:
· The computer is my favourite device.
| 8. about things or people in general:
· My favourite subject is physics.
|
| | 9. the + adjective (without a noun) to talk about groups of people:
· the young
· the unemployed
| 9. man (= human beings in general/ the human race)
|
| | 10. the + nationality adjectives ending in –ch or –sh:
· the English
· the Spanish
ending in –ese:
· the Chinese
· the Japanese
· the Sudanese
| 10. before names of people, continents, countries, states, islands, cities, towns, mountains etc.:
· Jack
· Europe
· Bermuda
· Cairo
· Everest
|
| | 11. in names with Republic, Kingdom, States:
· the United Kingdom
· the Republic of Belarus
| 11. Mr./Mrs./Captain/Doctor etc. + a name:
· President Johnson
· Doctor Johnson
mount (= mountain) and lake in the same way
· Mount Etna
|
| | 12. with plural names of people and places:
· the Taylors
· the Rocky Mountains
| 12. names of companies, airlines etc.:
· Sony
· Apple
· IBM
|
| | 13. before adjectives and adverbs in a comparative degree:
· The sooner you come back the better.
| 13. with prepositions from, to:
· from side to side
· from day to day
|
| | | 14. if a noun is an object to a verb:
· to lose sight
· to take part
|
