08 - Grammar Notes and Exercises - Articles

Grammar Notes
Articles
A Indefinite article
Indefinite articles consist of a and an
B When do we use indefinite articles?
Indefinite articles are used before singular countable nouns. The article ‘a’ precedes a noun
beginning with a consonant sound. The article ‘an’ precedes a noun beginning with a vowel
sound (a, e, i, o, u) or a silent ‘h’
1. A or an + a singular countable noun

A car A horse A chair A bed A yacht
An hour An igloo An egg An owl An umbrella
2. A or an + a job or occupation
A clerk A postman A banker
An accountant An ice cream seller An elevator operator
3. A or an + an expression of measurement or frequency

A kilometre A mile A kilogramme
An acre A dozen A centimetre
4. A or an + unknown people
a. A Mr John called yesterday.
b. I knew a Jill during my school days.
Note:
 We do not put ‘a’ or ‘an’ before plural nouns.
 The baker bakes cakes. (not a cakes)
 Boats can be made of wood. (not a boats)
 We do not put ‘a’ or ‘an’ before uncountable abstract nouns

 Rice is grown in Kedah. (not a rice)
 Honesty is a fast-disappearing trait these days. (not an honesty)
C Definite article
Definite article refers to the
D When do we use the definite article?
We use ‘the’ before singular or plural nouns, for both countable and uncountable nouns.
1. The + specific thing

We use ‘the’ before a particular or definite object
a. The dress she is wearing belongs to me.
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Grammar Notes
b. The boy wants the plate of noodles on the table.
2. The + mentioned object

We use ‘the’ when we mention an object the second time
a. Mr Lim’s car crashed into a tree. The tree was planted by City Hall.
b. Here’s a notepad. Is this the notepad you were looking for?
3. The + only one

We use ‘the’ when we mention an object that is only one of its kind
The sun The moon The earth The sky The stars
4. The + special name

We use ‘the’ when we mention names of seas, rivers, mountain ranges, island groups and
certain countries that have words like ‘united’, ‘union’ or ‘republic’
The Himalayas The United States of The equator The Arctic Sea
America
5. The + the most extreme

We use ‘the’ when we mention the most extreme conditions
The highest The lowest The coldest The hottest
6. The + a group of people

The rich The poor The famous
7. The + ordinals
The first The last The second The third
E When are articles not used?
1. When referring to general things that are in the plural form.

a. I love to eat fruits.
b. Most teenagers like to play computer games.
2. When referring to proper nouns

a. I visited Ireland last December.
b. Miss Gan is a dedicated teacher.
3. When referring to uncountable nouns that have a general function

a. Cakes are usually made of flour, butter and sugar.
b. Intake of too much salt can cause one’s feet to swell.
4. When referring to specific places

a. I was at home the whole day because I was tired.
b. The police arrested the thief and put him in prison.
5. When referring to meals

a. I had dinner at 8 o’clock yesterday.
b. We have eggs and toast for breakfast daily.
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Grammar Notes
6. When referring to names of roads

a. I live on Heron Street.
b. You can find the antique shops in Jalan Kasturi.
 However, we use ‘the’ before the name of a road joining two places, as follows:
 We are travelling on the Ayer Hitam road.
 Certain parts of the PLUS highway are under repair.
7. When referring to names of towns, state, countries and games

a. Sutchai comes from Thailand.
b. He plays football at the National Stadium.
 We use ‘the’ or ‘a’ when the country is used as an adjective. For example,
 The Korean football team defeated the Singapore team 3:0.
 Wasabi is a Japanese product.
8. When referring to most diseases

a. Salleh has just recovered from dengue.
b. Raj suffered from typhoid last week.
c. Chicken pox is a contagious disease
Exercise 1
Fill in the blanks with a or an. Place an X if no article is required.
1. Mr James is ______ source of inspiration to his students.
2. I am eating ______ plate of noodles because I am hungry.
3. The students conducted ______ experiment in the laboratory.
4. Most of us have adequate ______ knowledge about the computer.
5. Anne Frank’s Diary is ______ book that documents life during the Holocaust.
6. Recent studies have shown that ______ chocolates do not make us fat.
7. ______ apple a day keeps the doctor away.
8. It takes only ______ hour to get to Shah Alam from Kuala Limpur.
Exercise 2
Fill in the blanks with a, an or the. Place an X if no article is required.
Dear Parent,
We would like to inform you that your son has secured (1) ______ place in (2) ______
Transition Year Programme. There will be several activities conducted during the year which will
be (3) ______ essential part of (4) ______ curriculum. As a result, we do require (5) ______
advance deposit and we trust that your son will have (6) ______ enjoyable and (7) ______
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Grammar Notes
beneficial experience. Enclosed is (8) ______ contract of learning which must be signed and
returned.
Yours faithfully,
Mary James
Co-ordinator
Exercise 3
Fill in the blanks with a, an or the. Put a dash (X) where no article is needed.
1. I bought _________ pair of shoes yesterday.

2. I watched _________ movie last night.
3. They are staying at _________ guest house.
4. I think _________ man over there is very unfriendly.
5. I do not like _________ basketball.
6. That is _________ problem told you about.
7. _________ night is quiet. Let’s take a walk.
8. _________ price of petrol keeps rising.
9. John travelled to _________ Cambodia.
10. Juan is _________ Spanish.
11. I read _________ amazing article last night.
12. My brother does not eat _________ mutton.
13. _________ love is such _________ beautiful thing.
14. I live in _________ apartment. _________ apartment is new.
15. I would like _________ piece of cake.
16. I was in _________ Japanese restaurant. _________ restaurant served good food.
17. Maya can play _________ guitar.
18. Mary travelled to _________ United Kingdom.
19. I stayed at _________ Hyatt Regency Hotel during my holidays.
20. We have _________ beautiful garden. _________ garden is full of roses.
Exercise 4
Fill in the blanks with a, an or the. Put a dash (x) where no article is needed.
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Grammar Notes
1. I like _________ blue shirt over there better than _________ red one.
2. Their car does 150 miles _________ hour.
3. Where’s _________USB drive I lent you last week?
4. Do you still live in _________ Malacca?
5. Is your mother still working in _________ old office building or has she moved to the new one?
6. Carol’s father works as _________ electrician.
7. The tomatoes are RM2.50 _________ kilo.
8. What do you normally have for _________ breakfast?
9. Mike has _________ terrible headache.
10. After this tour you have _________ whole afternoon free to explore _________ city.
11. I’d like _________ glass of orange juice, please.
12. Can you give me _________ envelope, please?
Certainly. Oh! Where are _________ envelopes?
13. Is there _________ post office near your house?
14. Would you like _________ hamburger?
15. Selena has got _________ cat.
What’s _________ cat’s name?
16. My brother is in _________ classroom.
17. Is fencing _________ a popular sport in your country?
18. _________ school is very cold. Hasn’t it got _________ central heating system?
It has, but _________ central heating is broken down.
Exercise 5
1. He left _________ home without informing anyone.

2. There is _________ box of chocolates on _________ table.
3. Do you need _________ degree in Economics or _________ degree in finance to be a better
manager?
4. When we arrived, she went straight to _________ kitchen and started to prepare _________
meal for us.
5. He has _________ cut on his leg and ________ bruise on _________ chin.
6. Mount Everest is _________ highest mountain in _________ world.
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Grammar Notes
7. Switch off _________ air-conditioner, please. I have _________ cold.

8. After hiking for hours, we reached _________ top of _________ hill in _________ afternoon.
9. Do you like _________ weather here? Isn’t it too hot during _________ day?
10. _________ attempt has been made to collect funds to start _________ public library in
_________ town where I live.
Exercise 6
According to _________ National Weather Service, _________ cyclones are _________ areas of
circulating winds that rotate counter-clockwise in _________ Northern Hemisphere and clockwise
in _________ Southern Hemisphere. They are generally accompanied by some kind of _________
precipitation and by _________ stormy weather. _________ tornadoes and _________ hurricanes
are _________ types of cyclones, as are _________ typhoons, which are _________ storms that
occur in _________ Pacific Ocean.
_________ hurricane is _________ cyclone that forms over _________ tropical oceans and seas
and has _________ winds of at least seventy-four miles _________ hour.
_________ hurricane rotates in _________ shape of _________ oval or _________ circle.

_________ hurricanes can cause _________ great environmental damage. _________ Hurricane
Andrew, which hit _________ coasts of Louisiana and southern Florida in August 1992, caused
_________ extreme devastation. In terms of _________ environmental damage, _________
Hurricane Andrew is one of _________ most devastating hurricanes ever to hit _________ United
States. Fourteen people died because of _________ Andrew’s effects.
Page 6 of 6

08 - Grammar Notes and Exercises - Articles

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Grammar Notes

Indefinite articles consist of a and an

B When do we use indefinite articles?

1. A or an + a singular countable noun

3. A or an + an expression of measurement or frequency

 We do not put ‘a’ or ‘an’ before uncountable abstract nouns

Definite article refers to the

D When do we use the definite article?

1. The + specific thing

b. The boy wants the plate of noodles on the table.

2. The + mentioned object

3. The + only one

4. The + special name

5. The + the most extreme

6. The + a group of people

E When are articles not used?

1. When referring to general things that are in the plural form.

2. When referring to proper nouns

3. When referring to uncountable nouns that have a general function

4. When referring to specific places

5. When referring to meals

6. When referring to names of roads

7. When referring to names of towns, state, countries and games

8. When referring to most diseases

1. I bought _________ pair of shoes yesterday.

1. He left _________ home without informing anyone.

7. Switch off _________ air-conditioner, please. I have _________ cold.

_________ hurricane rotates in _________ shape of _________ oval or _________ circle.

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7. Switch off _ air-conditioner, please. I have _ cold.

_____ hurricane rotates in _ shape of _ oval or _____ circle.