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.

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; it’s 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. It’s the word a when it precedes a word that
begins with a consonant. It’s 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 doesn’t 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 it’s 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 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 a United States senator.

Indefinite Articles with Uncountable Nouns

 Uncountable nouns are nouns that are either difficult or impossible to count.
Following are some common examples:
◊ Certain food and drink items: bacon, beef, bread, broccoli, butter, cabbage,
candy, cauliflower, celery, cereal, cheese, chicken, chocolate, coffee, corn, cream,
fish, flour, fruit, ice cream, lettuce, meat, milk, oil, pasta, rice, salt, spinach, sugar,
tea, water, wine, yogurt
◊ Certain nonfood substances: air, cement, coal, dirt, gasoline, gold, paper,
petroleum, plastic, rain, silver, snow, soap, steel, wood, wool
◊ Most abstract nouns: advice, anger, beauty, confidence, courage, employment,
fun, happiness, health, honesty, information, intelligence, knowledge, love,
poverty, satisfaction, truth, wealth
◊ Areas of study: history, math, biology, etc.
◊ Sports: soccer, football, baseball, hockey, etc.
◊ Languages: Chinese, Spanish, Russian, English, etc.
◊ Other: clothing, equipment, furniture, homework, jewelry, luggage, lumber,
machinery, mail, money, news, poetry, pollution, research, scenery, traffic,
transportation, violence, weather, work
Because these things can’t be counted, you should never use a or an with them—
remember, 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.

Water is an uncountable noun and should not be used with the indefinite article.

Please give me some water.

However, if you describe the water in terms of countable units (like bottles), you
can use the indefinite article.

Please give me a bottle of water.

Please give me an ice.
Please give me an ice cube.
Please give me some ice .
Note that depending on the context, some nouns can be countable or uncountable
(e.g., hair, noise, time):

We need a light in this room.

We need some light in this room.

Examples of the Use of Articles

I do not want a gun in my house (any gun).
The gun is in his closet (implies there is a specific gun).
I am afraid of guns (all guns in general).
She sent me a postcard from Italy (an unspecific postcard - not a letter, not an e-
mail).
It's the postcard that I have in my office (one specific postcard).
Getting postcards makes me want to travel (any postcard in general).
I have a dog (one dog).
The dog is very friendly (the dog that I have already mentioned).
Dogs make great pets (dogs in general).
Greta needs furniture in her apartment (furniture is a noncount noun).
She is going to select the furniture that she needs (the specific furniture that she
needs).
She hopes to find some furniture this weekend (an unspecified, limited amount of
furniture).
We are going to see the Statue of Liberty this weekend (the only Statue of
Liberty).
 Omission of Articles
Occasionally, articles are omitted altogether before certain nouns. In these cases,
the article is implied but not actually present. This implied article is sometimes
called a “zero article.” Often, the article is omitted before nouns that refer to
abstract ideas. Look at the following examples:

Let’s go out for a dinner tonight.

Let’s go out for dinner tonight.
The creativity is a valuable quality in children.
Creativity is a valuable quality in children.
Many languages and nationalities are not preceded by an article. Consider the
example below:

I studied the French in high school for four years.

I studied French in high school for four years.
Sports and academic subjects do not require articles. See the sentences below for
reference:

I like to play the baseball.

I like to play baseball .
My sister was always good at the math .
My sister was always good at math .
 Geographical use of the
There are some specific rules for using the with geographical nouns.
Do not use the before:

 names of most countries/territories: Italy, Mexico, Bolivia;

however, the Netherlands, the Dominican
Republic, the Philippines, the United States
 names of cities, towns, or states: Seoul, Manitoba, Miami
 names of streets: Washington Blvd., Main St.
 names of lakes and bays: Lake Titicaca, Lake Erie except with a
group of lakes like the Great Lakes
 names of mountains: Mount Everest, Mount Fuji except with ranges
of mountains like the Andes or the Rockies or unusual names
like the Matterhorn
 names of continents (Asia, Europe)
 names of islands (Easter Island, Maui, Key West) except with island
chains like the Aleutians, the Hebrides, or the Canary Islands

Do use the before:

 names of rivers, oceans and seas: the Nile, the Pacific

 points on the globe: the Equator, the North Pole
 geographical areas: the Middle East, the West
 deserts, forests, gulfs, and peninsulas: the Sahara, the Persian
Gulf, the Black Forest, the Iberian Peninsula

 newspapers:

The Times The Washington Post

 well-known buildings or works of art:

the Empire State Building the Taj Mahal the Mona Lisa
 organisations:

the United Nations the Seamen's Union

 hotels, pubs and restaurants:

the Ritz the Ritz Hotel the King's Head the Déjà Vu

But note that we do not use the definite article if the name of the hotel or
restaurant is the name of the owner:

Brown's Brown's Hotel Morel's Morel's Restaurant

 families:

the Obamas the Jacksons