Articles in English

1. Articles in English

2. The Definite Article (the) • “The” is the commonest word in English • There are three uses of ‘the’ in English 1- Referential uses A)- Anaphoric use: The speaker may refer back to this object or event using an anaphoric definite description. They point backward to something earlier in the text: • An elegant, dark-hairedwoman and two childrenentered the office. I immediately recognized the woman,butthe children looked vaguely familiar. • I talked to a manlast week on my way home. The man was my friend’s cousin.

3. The Definite Article (the) B)- Cataphoric Use: The use of a word or a phrase to refer to a following word or group of words in the same text. That is, it point forward to something later on in the text: • Finding the right device was a real problem. I finally settled with a digital camera • John finally bought the car. Toyota was the one he always wanted to buy. • As he was unaccustomed to it, James found the pressure very hard to deal with.

4. The Definite Article (the) C)- Associative Use • I had to get a taxi from the station. On the way the driver told me there was a bus strike. • They've just arrived in from New York. The planewas five hours late. D)- Situational Use: the referent exists in the immediate situation where the speaker and the hearer share specific knowledge about it: • Pass me the bucket, please. • I hear the President behaved outrageously again today. • The planets circle the sun.

5. The Definite Article (the) 2. Non-referential Use: • He's always playing the fool. 3. Generic Use: • The horse is a useful animal.

6. The Definite Article (the) 2)-Use of Generic The to IndicateMembership • The third task of the teacher is criticism. • The red panda is steadily dying out. 3)- With nouns of nationality and names of animals and plants representing groups larger than species • The British consume a lot of chocolate. • The cats – at least the big ones like tigers and pumas – are particularly fierce predators.

7. The Definite Article (the) 3. Definite singular or plural count nouns ("Definite" means that the speaker thinks that the listener knows what is being talked about. • I bought therequired textbook(s) for this class yesterday. 4. With definite non-count nouns: e.g. • I found the information for my research project. 5. With generic singular count nouns: e.g. • Modern life has been changed by the computer. 6. With some proper nouns that are plural or collective semantically: • the United States; the Soviet Union

8. The Definite Article (the) 7. It precedes the object NP directly followed by a relative pronoun. I met the man who accompanied my to London. The girl whom I taught is employed as a teacher. 8. The precedes proper noun as adjective, e.g. She is the Shakespeare of her age.

9. The Definite Article (the) 9. The is used when a noun is the only one, e.g. the moon,the Quran, thesky, theequator, 10. Abstract adjectives used as nouns preceded by the. The poor need the help of the rich.

10. The Indefinite Article (a/an) 1- With indefinite singular or plural count nouns ("Indefinite" means that the speaker thinks that the listener does not know what is being talked about: • I met a musician at the concert. 2- With generic reference • I am looking for a book on computer technology 3- For specific reference A guest came to visit us last night 4-The indefinite article is also used with professions and adjectives denoting religions. • He is a teacher. • I am a Muslim

11. The Indefinite Article (a/an) 5- a class membership: it precedes a singular countable noun used as a representative member of the class We have a cat anda dog 6- With some expressions of quantity and measurement • a pair of (shoes), a little, a couple of (minutes) a few hundreds, a thousand, three tablets a day, 80 kms an hour. 7- With similes after the particles ‘as’ or ‘like’ • He fought fiercely as a lion. • He vanished like a ghost.

12. The Zero Article 1. With most proper nouns: e.g. • John lives in Alaska. 2. To refer generically to all members of a class: • Tigersare both beautiful and dangerous. • Dogs are domestic animals • I like cats. 3. with generic non-count nouns: e.g. • People need waterto live.

13. The Zero Article 4- With proper nouns, days, months, years, seasons, games, abstract nouns and materials. • John attended the meeting last Monday. • He will travel to Egypt next summer, probably in July. • I like to watch tennis and football matches. • Paperis made of wood. • He is a man ofprinciples 5- With Diseases: cancer, flue 6- Cardinal number: one, two, three, four, five

14. Activity • I bought ____ pair of pants and ___ shirt. • I saw_____ car crash last week. • They are staying ____ downtown. • I think ______ man is very unfriendly. • I don't like ______ soccer. • ________ water is dirty. Don't drink it! • ________ price of gas keeps rising. • John moved to ______ San Francisco area • ____ amazing thing happened to me yesterday. • I want to buy ____ laptop computer next week.

15. Indefiniteness in Arabic • Arabic has definite article ((ال and indefinite articles (nunationًٌٍ ) • Kitabunكتابٌ (nominative case) • Kitabanكتاباً (accusative case) • Kitabinكتابٍ (genetive case) • Like English, Arabic uses the indefinite article to perform two functions: 1- to denote one particular individual with its specific characteristics 2- to denote one or another of the class presented

16. Indefiniteness in Arabic cont’d • A girl came جاءت فتاة • I saw a dog رأيت كلباً • Fatimah is an actress فاطمة ممثلة • Ali is a judge علي قاضٍ However, Arabic cannot use the indefinite article to perform a generic function; rather it uses the definite article ال to perform such a function. • A book is a good companion الكتاب صديق جيد • A doctor makes much money يكسب الطبيب مالاً كثيرا

17. Indefiniteness in Arabic cont’d • Nouns mentioned for the first time: كان هناك ملك يدعى جمال 2. An indefinite noun that stands as a predicate البيت كبير زيدعالم 3. Names of professions, handicrafts, and religions in the predicate position هند طبيبةٌ جيرالد مسلمٌ

18. The Definite article in Arabic • The definite article in Arabic ال has similar functions to “the” in English, e.g., shared knowledge, the sun, the earth; previous mention, and entities being part of the context at hand. • The sun is the primary source of energy الشمس هي المصدر الرئيس للطاقة • I read an interesting book last night… What was the book on? قرأت كتابا ممتعا الليلة الفائتة... ماذا كان موضوع الكتاب؟ • Put the car in the garage, Ahmed. صف السيارة في المرآب يا أحمد

19. The Uses of Definite Article in Arabic: 1-Anaphoric use: When the speaker refers to something mentioned earlier in an utterance. شاهدت فيلما في التلفاز كان الفيلم شيقا جدا ‘I watched a film in the T.V. The film was very interesting’. 2- Post mention: Noun preceding the relative or adjectival clauses are always definite in Arabic. The use of the definite article with such noun depends totally on the information provided in the clause structure of such sentences. عاد الرجلالذي سافر إلى لندن ‘The man who traveled to London came back’

20. The Uses of Definite Article in Arabic: 3- Part-Whole Relationship A part of an entity becomes definite in a situation where the speaker and the hearer share specific information about it. افتح الراديو من فضلك Open the radio, please! The context of the example is a car and the part of the entity is the radio of that car.

21. The Uses of Definite Article in Arabic: 4-Physical Stimulus The definite article precedes nouns that represent certain objects which are visibly represented in the physical environment. Unlike English the definite article must be preceded by a demonstrative. Example: هذهالفتاة جاءت لزيارتي This girl came to visit me.

22. The Definite article in Arabic 5. The definite article in Arabic ال also has similar uses including: names of countries الكنغو ، الولايات المتحدة ; bodies of water المحيط الهندي ، نهر الفرات ; buildingsالشيراتون ، الكرملين ; mountain ranges and deserts الالب ، الربع الخالي ; magazinesمجلة النيوزويك ; names of musical instrumentsالغيتار ; adjectives referring to more than one individual الشيب والشباب 6. ال can be used generically in both Ar. And Eng • The lion is a ferocious animal الأسد حيوان مفترس • The flag is a national symbol العلم رمز وطني

23. The Zero Article • English uses the zero article in many cases where Arabic uses the definite article • Mass nouns: bread الخبز milk الحليب • Unique nouns: paradise الجنة man الانسان • Proper names of days and seasons الربيع السبت • Names of institutions: Parliament البرلمان • Plural common nouns when used generically: babies الرضع rabbits الارانب • Arabic and English use ZERO article with proper nouns: Hamlet هاملت Ahmed أحمد

24. Activity • Translate the following into Arabic • My father ate an apple • A snake has no legs • Suha is a musician • I need a book on cooking • A boy kicked the ball • A car is very useful these days • There was a king named Shahbandar • Amina is an intelligent girl

25. Activity • Translate the following into Arabic • My father ate an apple أكل أبي تفاحة • A snake has no legs لا يوجد للأفعى ارجل • Suha is a musician سهى موسيقية • I need a book on cooking أحتاج إلى كتاب في الطبخ • A boy kicked the ball ركل ولد الكرة • A car is very useful these days السيارة مفيدة جدا في هذه الايام • There was a king named Shahbandar كان هناك ملك يسمى شهبندر • Amina is an intelligent girl أمينة فتاة ذكية

26. Activity • Translate the following into English • There is a cheese made from pure goat milk • I will visit you on Friday • Tomatoes are one dollar a kilo • Man cannot live without air • Children badly need milk in their early stages • Wine is forbidden to Muslims • Everyone has to hand in the paper next week • The cat is a tame animal • The man who gave us the lecture left for Tunis

27. Activity • Translate the following into English • This is a cheese made from pure goat milk هذا النوع من الجبن مصنوع من حليب الماعز النقي • I will visit you on a Friday سازورك في احد ايام الجمعة • Tomators are one dollar a kilo يباع كيلو الطماطم بدولار واحد • Man cannot live without air لا يستطيع الانسان العيش بدون هواء • Children badly need milk in their early stages يحتاج الاطفال بشكل ماس للحليب في مراحلهم المبكرة • Wine is forbidden to Muslims يحرم الخمر على المسلمين • Everyone has to hand in the paper next week يجب على الجميع أن يسلموا ابحاثهم الاسبوع القادم • The cat is a tame animal القط حيوان اليف • The man who gave us the lecture left for Tunis سافر الرجل الذي اعطانا المحاضرة الى باريس