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Articles

Articles. Q: What is an article?. A: There are only two articles in the English language: “the” and “a”/ “an”. Articles are kinds of adjectives that give information about a noun. Q: When do I use which article?. A: It depends on what kind of noun is being modified. Kinds of Nouns.

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Articles

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  1. Articles

  2. Q: What is an article?

  3. A: There are only two articles in the English language: “the” and “a”/ “an”. Articles are kinds of adjectives that give information about a noun.

  4. Q: When do I use which article?

  5. A: It depends on what kind of noun is being modified.

  6. Kinds of Nouns • Nouns are singular or plural • Nouns are count or noncount • Nouns are generic, indefinite, or definite

  7. Q: What is the difference between a count and a noncount noun?

  8. A: A count noun is a noun that can be counted. A noncount noun is a noun that, grammatically, cannot be counted.

  9. Count Nouns Couch Machine Mountain Earring Medal Noncount Nouns Furniture Machinery Scenery Gold Confidence Some Examples:

  10. Some Common Noncount Nouns: • Whole groups made up of similar items: baggage, clothing, equipment, food. • Fluids, Solids, Gases, or Particles: water, glass, oxygen, rice • Abstractions: courage, information, time • Languages: English, French, Cantonese • Fields of Study: literature, history, math • Recreation: baseball, poker, basketball • Activities (gerunds): studying, learning • Natural Phenomena: weather, sunshine

  11. Note: Noncount nouns have no plural form.

  12. Q: What are generic nouns?

  13. A: A generic noun represents a whole class of things; it is not a specific, real, concrete thing, but rather a symbol of a whole group.

  14. Examples of Generic Nouns: • A horse has four legs. • An apple is red. • A bird lays eggs.

  15. Article Rules for Generic Nouns: • Use “a” / “an” before a generic singular count noun: An apple is red. • Do not use an article before a generic plural count noun: Apples are red. • Do not use an article before a generic noncount noun: Fruit comes in many different colours.

  16. Q: What is an indefinite noun?

  17. A: An indefinite noun is an actual thing (not a symbol), but it is not specifically identified.

  18. Examples of Indefinite Nouns: • I ate an apple. • The man on the subway took out a book. • The student was wearing a hat.

  19. Article Rules with Indefinite Nouns: • Use “a” / “an” with indefinite singular count nouns: I ate an apple. • Use nothing or “some”, “two”, “a few”, “several”, etc… with indefinite plural count nouns. I ate some apples. • Use nothing or “some”, “a little”, “a lot of”, etc… with indefinite noncount nouns. I ate some fruit.

  20. Q: What is a definite noun?

  21. A: A noun is definite when both the speaker and the listener are thinking about the same specific thing.

  22. Examples of Definite Nouns: • Thank you for the apple you gave me. • I want to pass the car that is going so slow ahead of us. • The monkey we saw at the zoo last Tuesday was really funny.

  23. Article Rules with Definite Nouns: • Use “the” with definite singular count nouns: Thank you for the apple you gave me. • Use “the” with definite plural count nouns: Thank you for the apples you gave me. • Use “the” with definite noncount nouns: Thank you for the fruit you gave me.

  24. General Guidelines for Article Usage:

  25. 1. Use “the” when you know or assume that your listener is familiar with and thinking about the same specific thing or person you are talking about.

  26. Examples: • Open the door! • The sun is awfully bright. • Tell the doctor what is wrong with you today.

  27. 2. Use “the” for the second mention of an indefinite noun.

  28. Examples: • Yesterday I saw some dogs. The dogs were chasing a cat. • The cat was chasing a mouse. The mouse ran into a hole. • The hole was very small.

  29. 3. Do not use “the” with a plural count noun or a noncount noun when you are making a generalization.

  30. Examples: • Incorrect: The horses are my favorite animals. (horses=plural count noun) • Incorrect: The ice is a beautiful substance. (ice=noncount noun) • Incorrect: The courage is a virtue. (courage=noncount noun)

  31. 4. A singular count noun is always preceded by:a) an article (a/an or the); ORb) this/that; ORc) a possessive adjective

  32. Examples: • I ate an apple. / I ate the apple. • I ate that apple. • I ate my apple.

  33. Self-Test:

  34. 1. The classrooms are my favorite places to learn.

  35. 2. A luggage can be heavy.

  36. 3. I ate two fruits yesterday.

  37. 4. I rode a horse yesterday. A horse was brown.

  38. 5. Pentagon has five sides.

  39. Visit the Writing Centre: LIB 272 B Telephone: 416-979-5000 ext. 7192 Website: http://www.ryerson.ca/writing-centre Email address: writingcentre@ryerson.ca

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