Articles A/an The Zero article

1. Articles

A/an
The
Zero article
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2. Indefinite article

A/AN
Is used with singular countable nouns
because it means ONE (so we are
actually counting when using a/an)
We cannot use singular countable nouns
alone (without a/the/my etc.)!!!
A – used before a word beginning with a
consonant /p,b,m,n,s…/in pronunciation.
Example: a chair /čéə/, a new pen, a
usual day /južuəl/, a university /juni…/
AN – used before a word beginning with
a vowel /a,e,i,o,u,ə/ in pronunciation.
Example: an egg, an open window, an
hour /auə/
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3. Use of A/AN

1)To refer to a thing or an idea for the first
time. (the first mention!)
Example: There is a supermarket in Adam
street. I have a brother and a sister.
2) With jobs and professions.
Example: I‘m a teacher. He works as a pilot.
3) With the verbs „have“ and „be“ .
Example: I have a new car. This is a book.
4) With some expressions of quantity.
Example: a pair of, a little, a couple of, a few
5) In exclamations with WHAT+ a + countable
noun.
Example: What a lovely day! What a pity!
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4. Use of THE (1)

1) When both the speaker and the
listener already know the thing or
the idea or we know it from the
context.
Example: I have a new car. The car
is nice and fast.
You should tidy up in the living
room. (= We mean OUR livingroom.)
2) If there is only ONE of something.
Example: the Sun, the Queen, the
Moon, the Universe, the Earth, the
Government, the president, the
capital, the city centre, the floor (in
a certain room), etc.
3) With superlative adjectives.
Example: the biggest, the most
expensive
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5. Use of THE (2)

4) We refer to things in general.
Example: the weather, the sea, the
human race, the future, the
environment, the sky (BUT: space
=space in the universe), the cinema,
the theatre, the radio (BUT: television),
the giraffe, the bicycle
The giraffe is a very nice animal. (=
Giraffes are nice animals.)
5) THE + adjective (to talk about a group
of people)
Example: the young, the rich, the poor,
the unemployed, the homeless, the
injured, the French, the Irish, the
British, the Taylors, the Johnsons
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6. Use of THE (3)

6) Before seas, rivers, hotels,
pubs,oceans, theatres, cinemas,
museums, newspapers, plural
names, „republic, states, kingdom“
Example: the Atlantic, The Times,
the Nile, the Ritz, the National
Museum, the Netherlands, the
Canary Islands, the Andes, the
United States of America, the Czech
Republic, the United Kingdom
7) In expressions: the ... of ...
Example: the Bank of England, the
name of the girl
8) In expressions: the
north/south/west/east, the
beginning/middle/end, the same
9) With ordinal numbers: the first, the
second, the third, the fifth
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7. Zero article (1)

1) Before plural and uncountable nouns
when talking about things in general.
Example: Giraffes are nice animnals.
Milk is good for you.
2) Before names, countries (except those
having a general noun in the name or
being in plural), towns, streets,
languages, magazines, meals, airports,
stations and mountains.
Example: I had lunch with John. I
bought Cosmopolitan at Victoria
Station. I visited Bogota in Columbia.
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8. Zero article (2)

3) In these constructions:
(At) home, in/to bed, at/to work,
at/to school/university(as a pupil
or student), in prison (as a
prisoner), in hospital (as a
patient), to church (to a religious
service)
By bus/plane/car/train, on foot
4) In exclamations with WHAT +
uncountable noun.
Example: What nice weather!
What loud music!
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