ArticlesAutor: Mgr. Jana BálkováDatum: 28. 5. 2012

A / An indefinite article with countable nouns in singular

a) when we talk about something for the first time

There’s a car in the street.

b) usually after verbs to be, to becomeShe’s a teacher. He’s an architect.

c) to refer to quantity (= one)I’ve got a brother.

The definite article with countable in singular and plural with uncountable nouns

a)definite reference (we talk about things we know)

the garden, the kitchen, the doctor’s, the door, the floor,...

Theb) something unique (the sun, the moon, the

Earth, the sky, the Equator...)

c) names of cinemas (the Odeon), theatres (the Royal Theatre), hotels (the Hilton), museums (the Natural-History Museum), ships (the Titanic), newspapers/magazines (the Times), institutions (the Royal Academy of Arts), galleries (the National Gallery)

Thed) musical instruments (the flute)

e) dances (the samba)

f) names of families (the Browns)

g) some nationalities: endings –sh, -ch, -ore, - ese, plurals (the Welsh, the Americans,...)

h)adjectives used as plural nouns (the rich)

Thei) superlatives (the longest)

j) ordinal numbers (the second)

k) titles (the President, the Prince of Wales)BUT not with names (Queen Elizabeth

II)

l) words such as: cinema, beach, city, coast, radio, station, church, pub, theatre, village, weather, world,...

Them) time expressions (the beginning, the end,

the next, the past, the future, the morning, the afternoon, the evening, at the moment, in the end,... )

BUT at night, at noon, by day

n) historical reference, events (the French Revolution, the 2nd World War,...)

o) only, last, first – as adjectives (He was the only to leave early.)

The – geographical namesa) rivers, seas, oceans, canals (the Pacific Ocean,

the Thames, the Suez Canal, the Baltic Sea)BUT not lakes (Lake Ontario)

b) mountain ranges (the Alps, the Krkonose Mountains)

BUT not mountains (Mount Everest)

c) groups of islands (the Bahamas)• islands with OF (the Isle of Man)

The – geographical names d) deserts (the Gobi)

e) states with ‘republic’, ‘states’, ‘kingdom’, ...(the USA, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, the Ukraine, the Netherlands,...)

f) cities – only the Vatican, the Hague

g) the names with ‘of’ (the south of England,...)BUT southern England

Zero articlea) proper names (Paul, London,... )

b) days, months, holidays (Monday, June, Easter...)

c) languages (French)BUT the French language

d) countries, continents, cities (Italy, Europe, Manchester)

Zero articlee) streets(Oxford Street), squares (Trafalgar

Square) bridges(London Bridge), parks (Hyde Park), stations

BUT the Golden Gate Bridge, the Mall,...

f) mountains, lakes, islands (Mount Snezka, Malta)

g) sports, games, activities (volleyball, snooker, reading), colours (black)

h) drinks, meals (tea, fish and chips)

i) expressions: have lunch/breakfast/dinner

j) possessive adjectives (my brother)

k) two-word names – first name is the name of a person, place (Edinburgh Castle)

BUT the White House (‘White’ is not a place)

l) pubs, restaurants, banks, hotels which have the name of their founder and end –s/-s’s (Harrods, Tom’s Café,…)

Zero article

Zero articlem) means of transport (by bus, by train,…)

BUT on the bus, in the car,…

n) bed, church, college, university, hospital,… when we refer to the purpose for which they exist

Jim’s in hospital because he’s ill.Jill works in the hospital as a nurse.

o) words: home, father, mother,…when we talk about our own home/parents,… (Dad is at home.)

Fill in “the”, “a/an” or “-”.

1.We went to ….. USA last summer. We visited …. San Francisco in….. California. I liked ….. Golden Gate Bridge. …… best experience was ….. ride in ….. cable car.2. Do you think …. rich should support …. poor people?3.My brother has many …… hobbies. He plays…. flute and he also learns …. English. He used to study …. Chinese language.4.Have you been to ….. Netherlands? No, but I’ve visited other countries …. Europe. 5.….. head of….. United Kingdom is…..queen Elizabeth II.6.I’m going to ….. cinema. There’s ….. new film on.7.Mr. Rover was in…. prison for 3 years. 8.Have you been to …. Bahamas?

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