Determinative Article

and

Indeterminative Article

determinative

Or

Definite article

The determinative

article is TheThe. It is used for singular and plural, and masculine and feminine nouns.

determinative

Or

Definite article

It isn’t used for:

• pronouns

• verbs

• proper nouns

• individual mountains

• lakes

• singular names of countries and continents

• towns and cities

indeterminative

or

Indefinite article

The indefinite articles are two: AA and AnAn.

• AA is used before a word that begins with a consonant or a vowel that has a sound like a consonant (ju)

• An is used before a vowel or silent “h”. There are very few words which begin with a silent “h” in English:

1. heir 4. honour

2. heiress 5. honesty

3. hour 6. honest

They are used for:They are used for:

• singular unspecified common

nouns

• price, velocity, ratio: £5 akilo,

80 Kms an hour, once a week.

• certain numerical expressions:

a dozen, an eighth, a thousand,

a lot of, a few

indeterminative

or

Indefinite article

They aren’t used for:

• uncountable nouns

• plural common nouns

• Verbs

• Pronouns

• Geographic proper nouns

Invariable

The boy The girls

The girl The boys

AA

A European boy sound Ju

AA N

An hour silent H

Indefinite Article

Definite Article

Watch

out!

Invariable

The boy The girls

The girl The boys

AA

A European boy sound Ju

AA N

An hour silent H

Indefinite Article

Definite Article

Watch

out!