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    The Definite Article

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    Vlad Pitea
    Please give me some water. Please give me an information.

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    The Definite Article

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    Vlad Pitea
    27 views2 pages
    Please give me some water. Please give me an information.

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    GYIT767

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    Please give me some water. Please give me an information.

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    The Definite Article

    Uploaded by

    Vlad Pitea
    Please give me some water. Please give me an information.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
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    The Definite Article

    The definite article is the word the. It limits the meaning of a noun to one
    particular thing. For example, your friend might ask, Are you going
    to the party this weekend? The definite article tells you that your friend is
    referring to a specific party that both of you know about. The definite article
    can be used with singular, plural, or uncountable nouns. Below are some
    examples of the definite article the used in context:

    Please give me the hammer.


    Please give me the red hammer; the blue one is too small.
    Please give me the nail.
    Please give me the large nail; its the only one strong enough to hold this
    painting.
    Please give me the hammer and the nail.

    The Indefinite Article


    The indefinite article takes two forms. Its the word a when it precedes a word
    that begins with a consonant. Its the word an when it precedes a word that
    begins with a vowel. The indefinite article indicates that a noun refers to a
    general idea rather than a particular thing. For example, you might ask your
    friend, Should I bring a gift to the party? Your friend will understand that you
    are not asking about a specific type of gift or a specific item. I am going to
    bring an apple pie, your friend tells you. Again, the indefinite article indicates
    that she is not talking about a specific apple pie. Your friend probably doesnt
    even have any pie yet. The indefinite article only appears with singular nouns.
    Consider the following examples of indefinite articles used in context:

    Please hand me a book; any book will do.


    Please hand me an autobiography; any autobiography will do.

    Exceptions: Choosing A or An

    There are a few exceptions to the general rule of using a before words that
    start with consonants and an before words that begin with vowels. The first
    letter of the word honor, for example, is a consonant, but its unpronounced. In
    spite of its spelling, the word honor begins with a vowel sound. Therefore, we
    use an. Consider the example sentence below for an illustration of this
    concept.

    My mother is a honest woman.


    My mother is an honest woman.

    Similarly, when the first letter of a word is a vowel but is pronounced with a
    consonant sound, use a, as in the sample sentence below:

    She is an United States senator.


    She is a United States senator.

    This holds true with acronyms and initialisms, too: an LCD display, a UK-
    based company, an HR department, a URL.

    Article Before an Adjective


    Sometimes an article modifies a noun that is also modified by an adjective.
    The usual word order is article + adjective + noun. If the article is indefinite,
    choose a or an based on the word that immediately follows it. Consider the
    following examples for reference:

    Eliza will bring a small gift to Sophies party.


    I heard an interesting story yesterday.

    Indefinite Articles with Uncountable Nouns


    Uncountable nouns are nouns that are either difficult or impossible to count.
    Uncountable nouns include intangible things (e.g., information, air), liquids
    (e.g., milk, wine), and things that are too large or numerous to count (e.g.,
    equipment, sand, wood). Because these things cant be counted, you should
    never use a or an with themremember, the indefinite article is only for
    singular nouns. Uncountable nouns can be modified by words like some,
    however. Consider the examples below for reference:

    Please give me a water.

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