В английском языке артикль – служебная часть речи, которая используется для выражения категории определенности – неопределенности. Под “определенностью” подразумевается, что мы знаем, о каком конкретно предмете или предметах идет речь, а под “неопределенностью” – что мы говорим о предмете впервые. Например:
I have got a pen. The pen is red. — У меня есть ручка. Ручка красная.
В первом случае мы впервые упоминаем о предмете и сообщаем, что он у нас есть. Во втором предложении и говорящему, и слушающему уже понятно, о какой именно ручке мы говорим.
Артикль определяет существительное и не имеет собственного значения.
В английском языке существует три типа артикля: неопределенный артикль а/an, определенный артикль the и нулевой, то есть отсутствие артикля.
Неопределенный артикль a/an употребляется только с исчисляемыми существительными, то есть всем, что можно посчитать. Также он показывает, что предмет один.
I have got a book. — У меня есть книга (просто какая-то книга).
I see a cat. — Я вижу кошку.
An используется в тех же случаях, но если следующее слово начинается с гласного звука:
It is an armchair. — Это кресло.
It was an amazing day — Это был великолепный день.
Нулевой артикль (или отсутствие артикля) также указывает на неопределенность, но употребляется перед существительными в множественном числе и перед неисчисляемыми существительными. Неисчисляемым принято считать то, что нельзя пересчитать. К данной категории в английском относят вещества, материалы, абстрактные понятия. Например, milk — молоко, porridge — каша, paper — бумага (в значении материала).
Books are useful. — Книги полезны (множественное число).
I like milk. — Мне нравится молоко (вещественное существительное).
He has good memory. — У него хорошая память (абстрактное существительное).
It’s made of glass. — Это сделано из стекла (материал).
Определенный артикль the используется для того, чтобы показать, что предмет, о котором идет речь, уже известен. Артикль the можно употреблять как с исчисляемыми существительными в единственном и множественном числе, так и с неисчисляемыми существительными.
The juice I bought yesterday is very tasty. — Сок, который я купила вчера, очень вкусный (из контекста понятно, о каком конкретно соке идет речь).
The book you gave me is very interesting. — Книга, которую ты мне дал, очень интересная.
I can’t go home, I lost the keys. — Я не могу пойти домой, я потерял ключи (мы понимаем, что имеются в виду конкретные ключи — от его дома).
Правила употребления a/an, the и нулевого артикля.
I. Употребление неопределенного артикля a/an.
Самый распространенный случай употребления неопределенного артикля — когда мы впервые упоминаем существительное в разговоре.
I live in a flat. – Я живу в квартире.
- Артикль a/an употребляется в классифицирующем значении (т.е. показывает, что данный предмет относится к классу однородных, аналогичных ему предметов)
This dog is a girl. – Эта собака – девочка (а не мальчик).
- Артикль a/an также используется в обобщающем значении (т.е. существительное обозначает любой предмет из данного класса)
A tiger is an animal. – Тигр – это животное (любой тигр – животное).
- Следующий случай употребления артикля a/an – для количественной характеристики объекта в значении «один»:
in a week – через неделю (т.е. через одну неделю)
Однако, если нам важно обозначить именно количество, следует использовать one (один) вместо неопределенного артикля.
Only one student failed the exam. — Только один ученик не сдал экзамен.
- Артикль a используется в восклицательных предложениях после слов what (какой, что за), quite (вполне, совсем), such (такой), и перед словом rather (довольно), если за ними следует исчисляемое существительное в единственном числе:
What a lovely day today! – Какой сегодня замечательный день!
Such a nice dress! – Какое милое платье!
A rather calm place! — Довольно спокойное место! - Неопределенный артикль можно употреблять с именами или фамилиями в значении «некий», «какой-то», «некто»:
A Brown called you when you were in the bathroom. – Какой-то Браун звонил тебе, когда ты был в ванной.
- В некоторых устойчивых словосочетаниях также используется артикль а:
a few — несколько
a great deal of – очень много
a little – немного
as a rule – как правило
as a result – в результате
to be in a hurry – спешить
to be at a loss – растеряться
to go for a walk – пойти на прогулку
to have a good day – хорошо провести день
to have a good time – хорошо провести время
it is a pity – жаль
on a large/small scale – в большом/малом масштабе
to take a seat – сесть
to tell a lie – солгать
II. Употребление определенного артикля the.
- Артикль the используется для выделения какого-либо предмета, лица или явления из класса ему подобных. Перед такими существительными может стоять определение, которое будет выделять данное слово, выраженное порядковым числительным или прилагательным в превосходной степени:
That’s the film I told you about. – Это именно тот фильм, про который я тебе говорил.
Monday is the first day of the week. – Понедельник – первый день недели.
It was the best birthday ever! — Это был самый лучший день рождения! - Определенный артикль используется для обозначения предмета, который является единственным в своем роде:
the Sun – Солнце
the Moon – луна
the Earth – Земля - Также артикль the употребляется с частями света:
the East — восток
the West – запад
the North – север
the South – юг - Артикль the может стоять перед фамилиями, если подразумеваются все члены семьи:
the Browns – Брауны (т.е. мама, папа, их дети, бабушки, дедушки и т.д.)
- Определенный артикль the также необходимо ставить перед названиями океанов, морей, рек и горных цепочек:
the Atlantic Ocean – атлантический океан
the North Sea – Северное море
the Thames – Темза
the Alps – Альпы - С названиями некоторых стран и городов нужно употреблять артикль the:
the United States of America – Соединенные штаты Америки
the United Kingdom of Great Britain – Соединенное королевство Великобритании
the Russian Federation — Российская Федерация
the Crimea – Крым
the Hague — Гаага - Определенный артикль ставится перед названиями газет и журналов:
the Times
the Washington Post - Некоторые устойчивые словосочетания и выражения требуют постановки артикля the:
the day after tomorrow – послезавтра
the day before yesterday – позавчера
in the morning (evening, afternoon) – утром (вечером, днем)
on the whole – в целом
out of the question – невозможно/не подлежит обсуждению
to go to the theatre (cinema) – ходить в театр/кино
to play the piano – играть на фортепиано
to tell the truth – говорить правду
III. Употребление нулевого артикля.
Нулевой артикль используется в следующих случаях:
- перед именами собственными (имена, фамилии, названия стран и городов):
New York – Нью-Йорк
James Green – Джеймс Грин
Russia – Россия - если перед существительным есть притяжательное местоимение – my, your, his, her, our, their:
This is my home – Это мой дом.
I know your address – Я знаю твой адрес.
His sister is a teacher – Его сестра – учитель. - перед неисчисляемыми существительными, которые попадают под категорию вещественные и абстрактные существительные (если они неопределенны):
He is fond of coffee. – Ему нравится кофе.
Но: Pass me the salt, please. – Передайте мне соль, пожалуйста (конкретная соль, что стоит на столе).
- перед существительными, которые обозначают названия времен года и приемов пищи:
in winter – зимой
in July – в июле
on Tuesday – во вторник
to have breakfast/dinner/lunch – завтракать/ужинать/обедать - перед названиями дисциплин:
to study Physics/Mathematics/Chemistry/French – изучать физику/математику/химию/французский язык
- перед существительными, обозначающими членов семьи, или которые употребляются в качестве обращений:
Goodbye, teacher! – До свидания, учитель!
Dad, look! — Папа, смотри! - в некоторых устойчивых сочетаниях и выражениях:
at breakfast – за завтраком
at first — сначала
at home – дома
at sea – на море
at school – в школе (имеется в виду учебный процесс)
at table – за столом (во время приема пищи)
by bus/train/car/plane/sea – автобусом/на поезде/на машине/самолетом/на корабле
by heart – наизусть
by chance – случайно
by name – по имени
by means of – посредством чего-либо
in/on time – во время
in fact – в действительности/на самом деле
on sale – в продаже
to go to bed – ложиться спать
to tell lies – говорить неправду/лгать
Также есть ряд особых случаев употребления артиклей a/an, the и нулевого артикля.
- С названиями времен года:
· В самом простом случае перед названием времени года ставится нулевой артикль
In summer I like to go to the beach. – Летом я люблю ходить на пляж.
It was spring. – Была весна.· если перед временами года стоят прилагательные early, late (ранний, поздний), также необходимо ставить нулевой артикль
It was late autumn. – Стояла поздняя осень.
· если в предложении есть определение, относящееся к времени года, нужен определенный артикль the
The winter of 2001 was really cold. – Зима 2001 года была действительно холодной.
· после слов during, for, through тоже необходимо ставить артикль the
We stayed with friends for the summer. – Мы остались на лето у друзей.
During the autumn he often came to see me. – Осенью он часто приходил ко мне.· если перед временами года стоит описательное определение, требуется неопределенный артикль а/an
It was a rainy autumn. – Это была дождливая осень.
- Артикли с названиями времени суток
· если слово обозначает светлое или темное время суток, используется нулевой артикль
Night came and we couldn’t see anything. – Наступила ночь, и мы ничего не видели.
· если перед временем суток стоят предлоги at, after, by, before, till, until, towards, past, since, требуется нулевой артикль
We have been waiting for you since morning. – Мы ждем тебя с утра.
· если названия времени суток являются частью составного сказуемого, то перед ними ставится нулевой артикль
It was night. – Стояла ночь.
· если перед ними стоят прилагательные early, late (ранний, поздний), также употребляется нулевой артикль
It was early morning. – Было раннее утро.
· если перед временем суток стоят слова yesterday, tomorrow, а также названия дней недели, то здесь тоже будет нулевой артикль
We will need the computer tomorrow morning. – Нам понадобится компьютер завтра утром.
· нулевой артикль также используется в устойчивых выражениях:
all day/night long – весь день/всю ночь напролет
day after day – день за днем
night after night – каждую ночь
day in, day out – время от времени
from… till… — с… до…
from… to… — с… до…
day and night – день и ночь· если перед временами суток стоят описательные определения, то ставится неопределенный артикль a/an
It was a frosty night. – Была морозная ночь.
· если есть ограничительное определение, то нужно употребить определенный артикль
The night of that day was really noisy. – Ночь того дня была действительно шумной.
· после предлогов in, during, through ставится определенный артикль
During the night we heard our neighbour’s dog barking. – Ночью мы слышали как лает соседская собака.
- Артикли с приемами пищи
Как правило, с приемами пищи используется нулевой артикль. Но:
· если есть определение, необходим артикль the
The breakfast you made was delicious. – Завтрак, который ты приготовил, был великолепен.
· если под приемом пищи мы подразумеваем непосредственно еду, также нужен определенный артикль the
The dinner was awful. – Обед был ужасен. (То есть не понравилось ни одно из блюд)
· если есть описательное определение, ставим неопределенный артикль a/an
He made a great lunch for me. – Он приготовил для меня замечательный ланч.
- Артикли с названиями болезней
Как правило, названия болезней не требуют постановки артикля, поскольку болезни относятся к категории неисчисляемых существительных. Некоторые из них:
AIDS – СПИД;
anaemia – анемия;
appendicitis – аппендицит;
bronchitis – бронхит;
chicken pox (chickenpox) – ветрянка;
dermatitis – дерматит;
diabetes – сахарный диабет;
diphtheria – дифтерия;
food poisoning – пищевое отравление;
hypertension – гипертония, повышенное кровяное давление;
hypotension – гипотония, пониженное кровяное давление;
influenza – грипп;
insomnia – бессонница;
leukaemia – лейкемия;
meningitis – менингит;
pneumonia – пневмония;
sclerosis – склероз;
sinusitis – синусит;
tuberculosis – туберкулез;
tonsillitis – ангина, тонзиллит.Но есть случаи, когда можно употребить артикль the или артикль а/an. Например:
· определенный артикль the можно использовать с:
the measles – корь
the mumps – свинка
the flu – грипп
the plague – чума· симптомы болезни употребляются с неопределенным артиклем а/an:
a runny nose – насморк
a sore throat – больное горло - Артикли со словами school, college, university, prison, class, bed, church.
· если перечисленные слова используются в значении «здание, организация», то необходимо использовать определенный артикль the
Mr. Brown is in the hospital. – Мистер Браун в больнице. (т.е. он находится внутри здания больницы).
Susan’s mother will come to the school today — Мать Сьюзан придет сегодня в школу.· если данные слова подразумевают учебную деятельность или другой, связанный с этим местом процесс, то никакой артикль не ставится.
Mr. Brown is in hospital. — Мистер Браун в больнице (т.е он там лечится).
Mike is in prison. — Майк в тюрьме (т.е. он заключенный).
She was in church this morning. — Она была в церкви сегодня утром (т.е. посещала службу).
Susan is at school. – Сьюзан в школе. (т.е. она там учится) - Артикли со словом «sea»
· если слово «sea» используется в значении «море», как географическое название, то нужен артикль the.
the Baltic Sea – Балтийское море
· если же слово «sea» употребляется в значении морской профессии, то необходим нулевой артикль
to go to sea – уйти в море
to be at sea – быть в море - Артикли со словами «town», «country»
Если слова «town» и «country» противопоставлены друг другу по смыслу, то в выражении in town (в городе) следует употребить нулевой артикль, а в выражении in the country (в деревне) — определенный артикль.
I will be in town tomorrow. — Завтра я буду в городе.
We spent the weekend in the country. — Мы провели выходные в деревне.
By
Last updated:
August 16, 2022
One of the most important words in the English language is only three little letters.
It’s the word “the”!
It might be small, but knowing when to use “the” in English can be a big problem for learners.
Let’s find out everything there is to know about this small but powerful word!
Contents
- Why “The” Is Essential in English
- How to Practice Using “The” in English
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- Learn it from real-world resources.
- Use “the” in conversation.
- Try writing sentences with “the.”
- When to Use “The” in English: The Definitive Guide
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- Getting specific.
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- Hearing unspoken words.
- British versus American English usage.
- Talking generally about a group.
- Talking about some countries.
- Talking about geography.
- Highlighting uniqueness.
- Making something special.
- Giving importance.
- Keeping things in order.
- When Not to Use “The”
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- Talking about some proper names.
- Using an “understood” possessive.
- Speaking about something in general.
- When to Use “A” or “An” Instead of “The”
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- Talking about single, non-specific items.
- Matching “a” or “an” to the words they describe.
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- Vowels that don’t sound like vowels.
- The letter “h.”
- “Historic(al)” debate.
Why “The” Is Essential in English
Over 150 languages in the world have no word that means the same thing as “the” in English. So, it might be hard to imagine why English needs the word “the” at all.
Modern English, though, has a very different grammar than many other languages. It doesn’t have a lot of cases (changes in words that show changes in meaning).
For example, in Romanian, copil is “(a) child,” but copilul is “the child.” Romanian doesn’t use a separate word for “the,” because “the” is part of the word.
Many languages work in a similar way to Romanian: You don’t learn a separate word for “the,” but you learn to change the words themselves to reflect (show) their meanings.
Instead of changing the words themselves, English depends on little words such as “the” to express certain meanings. These are called articles and include the words “the,” “a” and “an.”
The words “a” and “an” are indefinite articles because they’re used to talk about non-specific things. The word “the” is a definite article and it’s used to talk about specific things.
When you use “the” correctly in English, you accomplish (do) two very important things:
- Make your meaning clear. Using “the”—or, sometimes, not using it—can be a way to say more clearly what you mean. We’ll talk in detail about when and why you should use “the” in English.
- Sound more like a native. Native English speakers expect to hear “the” often, but not just used randomly (for no reason). When you use “the” correctly, your English will sound more fluent.
How to Practice Using “The” in English
To get good at using “the” the right way, even as a beginner to English, you’ll need to practice it. This means both seeing and hearing how it’s used by native speakers, and trying to use it yourself.
Learn it from real-world resources.
When you’re first getting familiar with “the,” try to get an idea of how it’s used by English speakers.
Look for it in simple books, such as children’s books that help you learn English grammar.
Listen for it in English-language songs.
Hear it used in English conversations.
Watch and listen for it in real-world English videos, like the ones that you’ll find in the FluentU language learning program. Look up “the” in the video dictionary to see all its in-context usage examples across our video library, then practice it with personalized quizzes and flashcards.
Use “the” in conversation.
When you practice speaking in English, pay attention to when you should use “the.”
If you’re talking with someone, face-to-face or on the phone, listen for when the other person uses “the.” Then, try to mirror (copy) them.
For example, if your friend were to say, “The weather here is terrible,” you could say, “Why is the weather so bad?”
Try writing sentences with “the.”
Include “the” in the sentences you create when you practice English writing.
If you’re not sure when to use “the” or a similar word (like “a” or “an”), you can try grammar exercises to help you see how “the” should—or shouldn’t—be used.
These exercises will also help you figure out when to use no article (words like “the,” “a” or “an”):
- The English 4U Articles Exercise has shorter sentences, and is better for beginners studying British English.
- In the English Articles Final Test from EnglishPage.com, the sentences in Part 1 are shorter and simpler. The sentences in Part 2 are more for intermediate (mid-level) learners.
- EnglishCurrent has exercises for learners at all levels to practice using “the,” “an” or “a.”
When to Use “The” in English: The Definitive Guide
Knowing when to use “the” in English isn’t always easy. We’ll look at some examples and guidelines (general rules).
There are many reasons to use “the” in English. Here are a few common ones.
Getting specific.
Especially in American English, “the” is used to talk about a specific person, place or thing.
Let’s say you were having lunch at a restaurant. If there were soups, salads, burgers and sandwiches on the menu, you could say, “I’ll have the spinach salad and the mushroom burger.”
The restaurant would likely have more than one salad or burger available (ready), but you’re using “the” to state that you want those specific menu items, based on all other possible choices.
Here are a few more examples of this very common way to use the word “the”:
- “I want to adopt the puppy we saw yesterday.” (You don’t just want any puppy, you want that specific puppy.)
- “I’ll get the kids ready to go outside.” (You’re referring to a group of specific kids, maybe yours or ones who you’re responsible for.)
- “Did you play the game all night?” (You’re interested in a specific game, not any game—most likely one that you’ve spoken about before.)
Hearing unspoken words.
You might hear a friend say, “I’m going to the store to get some potatoes.” Since there is more than one store, which one would be “the” store?
Later that night, you’re watching the news. You hear that someone was injured (hurt), and “taken to the hospital.” Again, you know that there is more than one hospital, so this is a little confusing.
It helps to understand that there are unspoken words in these sentences.
For example, when we say, “the store” or “the hospital,” we might really be saying “the [closest] store” or “the [local] hospital.” The movie “The Naked Gun” makes fun of this, giving their hospital the literal name “The Hospital” (but your local hospital is likely to have an actual name!).
You could also say, “I’m going to the office” when you mean, “I’m going to the office where I work.” That’s another example of hidden or unspoken words.
British versus American English usage.
For certain words, such as “hospital,” British and American English use of the word “the” will be different. Let’s look at a few examples:
| Word(s)/Concept(s) | American English | British English |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital | «I was in the hospital.» | «I was in hospital.» |
| Market | “We went to the market.” | “We went to market.” |
| Seasons of the Year | “He wears warm clothes in the winter.” | “He wears warm clothes in winter.” |
| Days of the Week | “She went there on Monday.” | “She went there on the Monday.” |
Try to focus on the rules for the type of English you’re studying, but don’t worry too much about these differences.
Fluent speakers of American English and British English can usually understand each other fairly easily. So, no matter which set of rules you follow for these special words, native and fluent English speakers should still understand you.
Talking generally about a group.
You can use “the” with a singular noun to talk about a whole group.
So, for instance, you could say, “The cat is a furry animal.” Of course, there are many, many cats in the world. But when you say, “The cat is a furry animal,” people will know that you’re talking about cats as a species (special group).
“The” is used to talk about other groups in general:
- “The English and the Italians played in the World Cup.”
- “The elderly (older people) have different needs than the young.”
Talking about some countries.
English doesn’t normally use “the” with country names. For example, you would not say, “the Germany,” “the France” or “the Croatia.” However, there are exceptions (examples that don’t follow the rules).
We do use “the” in English when talking about countries comprised (made up) of many lands, territories, states or islands:
- The Philippines
- The Bahamas
- The Netherlands
Talking about geography.
You would use “the” in front of names of oceans, rivers, seas, straits and gulfs—as well as mountain ranges:
- The Indian Ocean
- The Mississippi River
- The Caspian Sea
- The Bering Strait
- The Gulf of Mexico
- The Pyrenees
A few bays would also use “the,” usually when their names follow the pattern, “the Bay of ______”:
- The Bay of Bengal
- The Bay of Fundy
- The Bay of Kotor
Natives to the American states of Maryland and Virginia almost always call their shared bay “the Chesapeake Bay,” even though it doesn’t follow the usual pattern.
San Francisco Bay and Paradise Bay, on the other hand, would not use “the.”
Highlighting uniqueness.
When there’s only one of something, we use “the” when we’re talking about it.
There’s only one universe—so we say that it’s the universe.
In the universe, there are billions of stars—but only one sun around which our planet orbits (circles). So, we call it “the sun.”
There are billions of planets in the universe. But there is only one home planet for humans right now, which we call “the earth.”
Making something special.
Sometimes, very ordinary English words are used to talk about something special and unique. For instance, 50 states make up a particular country called “the United States.” And the leader of that country—the President—lives in a pale building we call “the White House.”
Both “white” and “house” are ordinary (common) words, as are “united” and “states”—so we use “the” to make it clear that we’re talking about something very specific.
The same is true when we talk about “the European Union,” “the United Nations,” “the United Kingdom” or “the World Cup.”
Giving importance.
Adding “the” can show importance.
During a heated discussion (talk), you might say, “That’s not the point.”
When you say this, you’re telling your listener know that they aren’t understanding the main point of your argument.
If you say, “You’re the love of my life,” you’re telling someone special that they’re the greatest love in your entire (whole) life. Even if you’ve been in love before, that person is “the one” for you.
“The one” isn’t always about romance. Sometimes, it simply means, “the one that I want” or “the one you’re talking about.”
Keeping things in order.
“The” is often used when describing the order of things. It’s used with ordinal numbers in English, like “first,” “second,” “third” or “eighteenth.”
“The” can be used with words like “most,” “only,” “best” and “worst.” (These types of words, which change the meaning of nouns and other words in English, are called adjectives.)
For example, in a romantic moment, you might say, “The first time we met, I knew you were the only one for me. And I knew this would be the last time I’d fall in love. The worst days of my life are behind me now. I want to spend the best part of my life with you.”
You can also use “the” with dates. For example, “The United States celebrates Independence Day on the fourth of July.” Or, “Children dress up for Halloween on the thirty-first of October.” (The word “day” is unspoken. You’d really be saying, “the fourth day of July” or “the thirty-first day of October.”)
When Not to Use “The”
It’s just as important to know when not to use “the.” There are a few guidelines for figuring this out.
Talking about some proper names.
“The” is not used with given (personal) names or family names in English, unless you’re using a last name to talk about a family group. For example, you would never say “the Mary” or “the Mr. Smith” but you can say “the Smiths are going shopping.”
For many company names, you might only add “the” when you used the full name. For instance, the full name of Disney would be “The Walt Disney Company.”
You wouldn’t use “the” unless you added something before or after the name:
- “We went to the McDonald’s down the street.”
- “I wanted the mobile I saw at the Vodafone store in High Street.”
- “The local Tesco just started selling a new brand of hot sauces.”
When you add words like “company,” “corporation” or “association” after a proper name, you can add “the” in front of the proper name.
Some proper names, like names of corporations (big companies), use the word “the” as part of their names. For example, “The Home Depot” is a large North American store that sells hardware and building supplies.
“The” is often not used with the names of schools, colleges and universities:
- “He got a degree from Harvard University.”
- “Bart and Lisa are students at Springfield Elementary School.”
- “Rydell High held a school dance.”
- “The students at Hogwarts live in four houses.”
However, if you were talking about a school with a name like “the University of Maryland” or “the University of Exeter,” you would use “the” before the word “university.”
Using an “understood” possessive.
You’ll often hear native English speakers say things like, “I’m going to work after I drive my daughter to school.”
“To work” or “to school” almost sound like verbs in their infinitive (basic, unchanged) forms.
In this case, though, “work” and “school” are both physical places. Yet, you wouldn’t use “the” in front of either “work” or “school” in this sentence.
Imagine that there are unspoken or “understood” possessives (words that show belonging) in sentences like this. So, “I’m going to work after I drive my daughter to school” could be understood as “I’m going to (my) work(place) after I drive my daughter to (her) school.”
Speaking about something in general.
When you’re talking about more than one non-specific item, like “books” or “fruits” or “vegetables,” you wouldn’t use “the.”
If you’re speaking generally about some personal qualities, such as “patience” or “kindness,” you’d leave out the word “the”:
- “Books can teach us a lot.”
- “Fruits and vegetables are good for health.”
- “Patience is a virtue.”
- “Kindness makes it easier to get along with others.”
When to Use “A” or “An” Instead of “The”
There are times when you want to talk about just one of something—and you aren’t talking about a specific something.
That’s when you’d use “a” or “an” in English.
Talking about single, non-specific items.
If you want to talk about a single item—or even a person—and you’re not talking about any special one, you can use “a” or “an” instead of “the”:
- “A boy was eating an apple while reading a book about a toy train.”
Or you might say, “I’d like a cup of coffee, please.” You’re not asking for a specific cup of coffee. Any cup of coffee at all will do.
Matching “a” or “an” to the words they describe.
“A” and “an” mean exactly the same thing and are used basically the same way.
“A” is used with words that start with consonant sounds.
“An” is used with words that start with vowel sounds.
We’ll look at this more closely—especially for cases where you have to be extra careful when choosing between “a” and “an.”
Vowels that don’t sound like vowels.
English words like “Europe,” “use” and “universe” start with a vowel, but not a vowel sound.
So you’d say, “a European country,” but not “an European vacation.”
Let’s say you were talking about how a certain word is spelled. With letter names that start with vowel sounds, you’d use “an.”
For instance, you might say, “There’s an e in the beginning of the word ‘Europe.’” But, you could then say, “The second letter in ‘Europe’ is a u.”
The letter “h.”
The letter h at the start of an English word can be a problem.
Sometimes, it’s pronounced (said) like a consonant. Think of the English words “history” and “help” and “helmet.”
Other times, the h in English silent. The first sound you hear in a word starting with an h might a vowel. In the words “hour,” “honest” and “heir,” the letter h is not pronounced.
Let’s see this in action:
- “An honest man named Harpo was an heir to the throne of Freedonia. A history of his country says that he often wore a helmet.”
“Historic(al)” debate.
A very special case is the word “historic.” Even native English speakers can’t agree whether we should use “a” or “an” with “historic.”
This is also a problem with a related word, “historical.”
The good news is that you can use either “a” or “an.” You might hear either one from native English speakers.
With the examples we’ve looked at, “the” will be less of a mystery to you.
So, the next time you speak or write in English, you’ll have a better idea whether or not to use “the,” “a” or “an.” And that’s an important step to becoming a more fluent English speaker!
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Definite and Indefinite Articles ( A, An, The)
What is an Article?
The word A, An/The says Article. According to Modern English Grammar, Article comes/called Determiners, which are used before Nouns. If an adjective comes before Noun then use the Article before the adjective.
If Noun comes before an Adjective and an Adjective comes before Adverb then we use the article before the Adverb.
These are some Examples
Sita is a girl.
Sita is a very good girl.
Sita is an ideal girl.
Sita is an intelligent girl.
This is the horse.
This is the strongest horse.
In many situations Articles come after such as All, Both, Such, Double, Half, Rather, etc.
These are some Examples
All the boys.
Such a woman.
half an hour.
Double the amount.
If the Adjective comes before Noun and How/so/too/as comes before the Adjective, then the article comes middle of the adjective & Noun. Such as How/so/too/as + adjective + a/an + noun are these serial.
These are some Examples
How fine a day.
too proud a girl
It is so fine a day!
How brave a warrior was he!
Definite and Indefinite Articles.
There are two types of Articles:-
1. Definite Articles- The
2. Indefinite Articles- A/An
What are Definite Articles?
Definite Articles says “The”. The definite article (the) is used before a noun to indicate that personal, certain, or former acquaintance; which has already been discussed and well-acquainted speaker and audience. In other words, The uses were to denote certain metals/persons/animals. The is used with countable Nouns (Singular noun & Plural noun) and uncountable nouns.
Uses of Definite Article
1. Before a Noun
We use ” The ” when we talk about something that has already been referred to in the prior sentence, we use “The”.
Example:
A cat got in honor of our dog today. The dog wins the battle.
2. Already Noun Knows to the User
When the user already knows the thing you are talking about, at such places use “The”. Instead of describing that thing since it is known to the user.
Example:
“Mr. Micheal is wearing a suit at the party.” In this example, a person already knows about the party to which the other person is referring in this sentence, and thus used “the” to refer to the party.
3.Before Unique Nouns
“The” will always refer to Universal things Like The Sun, The Moon, The Arabian Ocean, The Bermuda Triangle, The Eiffel Tower, The Himalayas, etc. All these Universal things or Places are certain and would not change. So you use “The” to refer to such things.
4.Superlative Adjectives
Superlative adjective is used for Definite Nouns and to describe some special and unique.
Example:
My mother cooks the Best North Indian Food in Society.
At 3307 ft. Height, Burj Khalifa Tower is The Tallest tower in the world.
Here “Best” and “Tallest” are the superlative adjectives, and thus we used “The” before them.
5.Before Adjectives are Used as Nouns
When you are talking about some advice or duty, we also use “The” in such places.
Example:
The government should do something for the jobless people.
Here Jobless People are used both as a noun and adjective, that’s why we used “The” before it.
6.Proper Nouns
With Proper Nouns such as Nation’s Name, Plural names of nations, some titles, some associations, some structures, papers, masterpieces, explicit family names, mountains, waterways, oceans, gatherings of islands, and deserts, that use “the”.
Example:
The Indian sea, The Bay of Bengal, The Netherlands, The Caspian, The United States of America, The Taj Mahal, The Times of India, The Suez Canal, The Bay of Bengal, and The Guptas.
7. With Nationalities
When we talk about any nationality, we must use “the” before it to emphasize that word.
Example:
The Mughals and The British controlled India for a long time.
Regardless of whether nationality is in the plural. Like:
The Indians.
The Chinese.
The Americans.
8. Mentions of Services and Systems
Switch on the television to watch the newest show.
We must go to the police station to report the crime.
You should take this to the buyer’s court.
9.Comparative Proclamations
When we compare two things with each other motivational advice or something else, must be used “in such a sentence.
Example:
The more he works, the more he will be successful.
The more we travel, the more we shall fall in love with Nature.
General Rules / Tricks to use “The” Definite Article
• Use them for things that have been mentioned already.
• Use when there is something unique, even if not mentioned already.
• Use them when we are expressing a statement for a particular person or object.
What are Indefinite Articles?
The indefinite article says “A/An”. Because it does not refer to a particular person or thing, but rather to an indefinite person or thing.
Uses of Indefinite Article-
1. Before Singular Countable Noun (Common noun & Collective noun)
2. If the adjective or adverb +adjective comes before Noun then A/An is used according to comes closest word.
Example:
She is a girl.
She is an extremely beautiful girl.
3. If word sounds start with vowel sounds, then use “An”. If a word sound starts with a consonant sound then use “A”.
4. Some words are starting with vowel letters but it is not necessary its sound starts with a vowel sound.
5. “A/An” is used in the sense of one or anyone.
Example:
I saw a Boy.
A farmer had three sons.
6. “A/An” using before rate, weight, and speed indicators.
Example:
Grain sells for eight rupees a kilo.
The car runs sixty kilometres an hour.
7. “A/An” comes before count pointers.
Example:
A couple, A dozen, A hundred, A thousand, etc.
I have a hundred rupees.
He has a dozen bananas.
Definite and Indefinite Articles Examples
Definite Articles Examples:
- The dog is a faithful pet.
- The pen is Japanese.
- Govind is the tallest boy in the class.
- Who invented the radio?
- Mahendra will play the violin.
- Ramesh missed the last train for his hometown.
- Where is the headmaster?
- The Congress party is the national party.
- Mr Narendra Modi is the prime minister.
- Rakesh goes to the office at 10.
Indefinite Articles Examples:
- A lion killed a deer.
- An apple grows on a tree.
- Mr Ramshanker Katherina is an M.P.
- They filled an F.I.R.
- You are a Shakespeare.
- He is a Sachin Tendulkar.
- We walk Five kilometres an hour.
- Radha ran without an ambarella.
- Mr Shanky is a doctor.
- An Elephant killed a man.
Difference Between Definite and Indefinite Articles
Serial No. |
Definite Articles |
Indefinite Articles |
|
1 |
Definite Articles are used to indicate something specific | Indefinite Articles are used to indicate something nonspecific |
|
2 |
Can be used after introducing the noun or noun phrase | Can be used to introduce the noun or noun phrase |
|
3 |
Can be used with singular and plural nouns and can | Can be used with plural nouns |
|
4 |
Used to discuss something that is already known by the reader or listener can not can not | Cannot be used to discuss something that is already known by the reader or listener |
|
5 |
Used with a countable and uncountable noun | Cannot be used with a countable and uncountable noun |
Definite and Indefinite Articles Exercise
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate articles in the following sentences:
1. I am …… honest boy.
Ans: An
2. …… milk was very tasty.
Ans: The
3. ……. milk of this cow is very sweet.
Ans: The
4. ……. Coffee was hot.
Ans: The
5. This is ……. interesting story.
Ans: An
6. You are ….. Indian.
Ans: A
7. …….. Hour is enough to finish my work.
Ans: An
8. Have you ….. two rupee notes?
Ans: A
9. It was ….. one-sided game.
Ans: A
10. He is ….. university professor.
Ans: A
11. Ramu is ….. one-eyed boy.
Ans: A
12. You are ….. B.A.
Ans: A
13. He is ….. M.A.
Ans: An
14. It was ….. unique sight.
Ans: A
15. Are you …… I.A.S.?
Ans: An
16. He is ….. F.O.
Ans: An
17. Are you …… forest officer?
Ans: A
18. …… girl I meet yesterday has come today.
Ans: The
19. ……. gold of India is not very yellow.
Ans: The
20. ……. water of this well is pure.
Ans: The
21. ……. watch was old.
Ans: The
22. I have ….. watch.
Ans: A
23. I lost ……. watch you gave me.
Ans: The
24. ……. Ram of ….. Ramayan is …… ideal personality.
Ans: The, The, An
25. …….. horse is …… useful ….. animal.
Ans: A/The, An
26. ……. Indian Nation was …..important daily.
Ans: The, An
27. …… TajMahal is …. historical building.
Ans: The, A
28. …… man you met yesterday is ….. very bad man.
Ans: The, A
29. ……. coffee was very good.
Ans: The
30. …… Ramayan is ….. religious book of …… Hindus.
Ans: The, A, The
FAQ’s
Que 1. What are the 4 definite articles?
Ans. In English grammar there, are three articles: a, an, and the. The definite article (the) is used before a noun to indicate that the identity of the noun is known to the reader/listener. In Spanish, we have to choose between four definite articles: el, la, Los, and las. Which one we choose depends on the noun which follows. All nouns (including words for things) are either masculine or feminine: this is called their gender and they can also be either singular or plural.
Que 2. What are the 2 types of articles?
Ans. There are two types of Articles:-
1. Definite Articles- The
2. Indefinite Articles- A/An
Que 3. What is the difference between definite and indefinite tenses?
Ans. We use indefinitely to mean non-specific. Indefinite is general. We use definitely to mean specific.
Que 4. What are the 3 indefinite articles?
Ans. There are three indefinite articles in English – two for the singular form (a, an) and one for the plural form (some).
English Level: Upper-Intermediate, Advanced
Language Focus: A review of when to use the definite article with the names of places
Worksheet Download: definite-article-geography-worksheet.docx (scroll down to study the exercises online)
Jump to: Exercises
A proper noun is the unique name of a person, place, or thing that starts with a capital letter, for example, ‘John’, ‘Sweden’, ‘Google’. Before proper nouns, we generally do not use an article. For example,
- Matthew is a man.
- He lives in Canada.
- He worked for IBM.
However, sometimes you can find the definite article ‘the‘ before proper nouns.
- Carver lives in the United States.
- He lives near the Pacific Ocean.
Why? Well, it’s hard to give a reason. However, there are some rules we can follow. Please read below and do the exercises to practice.
Boats on the Pacific Ocean
Rule #1: Use the Definite Article ‘The’ with Countries that are States, Unions, Republics, etc.
We use ‘the’ before countries that contain a word like ‘Union’, ‘Emirates’, ‘Kingdom.’ These words mean that the country is a group of smaller states.
- the United States
- the Republic of Ireland
- the Czech Republic
- the United Arab Emirates
We also use ‘the’ before countries that end in a plural ‘s’.
- the Philippines (= the full name is The Republic of the Philippines)
- the Bahamas (= the full name is The Republic of the Bahamas)
- the Netherlands
Rule #2: Use the Definite Article ‘The’ with Names of Rivers, Seas, Oceans, etc.
We say the following:
- the Nile / the Nile River
- the Caspian Sea
- the Pacific / the Pacific Ocean
- the Mediterranean / the Mediterranean Sea
- the Panama Canal
Rule #3: Use the Definite Article ‘The’ with Deserts
- the Sahara / the Sahara Desert
Rule #4: Do Not Use ‘the’ with Lakes or Mounts
- I live by Lake Ontario.
- I swam in Lake Superior.
- He can see Mount Fuji.
- She can see Mount Rushmore.
Rule #5 — Use the Definite Article ‘The’ with Mountain Ranges
Just like how we add ‘the’ to countries that end with a plural ‘s’ (the Philippines), we add ‘the’ before mountain ranges (which also end in a plural noun).
- the Rockies / the Rocky Mountains
- the Himalayas / the Himalayan Mountains
Rule #6 — Use the Definite Article ‘The’ with Building Names
We usually use ‘the’ before the names of buildings.
- the Emperor’s Palace
- the Tower of Pisa
- the Louvre
- the Pentagon
- The Marriott / The Marriott Hotel
This is not true, however, in some cases:
- The names of stations: Grand Central Station, Main Station
- The names of airports: Pearson Airport, Gatwick Airport
- The names of universities (without ‘of’): Columbia University, Santa Monica College
General Rule: Use the Definite Article ‘The’ with Names that Have the Preposition ‘Of’
- the Island of Lesbos
- the University of Toronto
- the Republic of Congo
- the Gulf of Mexico
To summarize, use ‘the’ before the following:
- proper nouns that contain a word that means they are a group (unions, republics, etc.)
- deserts (the Mojave)
- rivers, seas, oceans, etc. (but not lakes!)
- mountain ranges (the Rockies)
- building names (the Pentagon)
- proper nouns that include ‘of’ (the University of Michigan)
Do not use ‘the’ for everything else, which includes
- lake names (Lake Superior)
- mounts (Mount Everest)
- street names (Main Street)
- airports (JFK Airport)
- stations (Broadway Station)
After reviewing the above rules, try the practice exercises below.
Exercises: Using Articles with Names of Places
Instructions: Add the definite article `the’ if necessary.
- Prague is the capital of Czech Republic.
- When I was in England, I visited Tower of London.
- Rhine is a river that goes through Netherlands.
- On my trip in Asia, I had a chance to visit Mount Aso and Yangtze River in China.
- I left Hong Kong via Hong Kong International Airport.
- Mohave Desert is located in United States.
- Appalachian Mountains are in North America.
- When I was in New York, I visited Empire State Building and Seneca Lake.
- Sea of Japan is located between Japan and South Korea. It is part of Pacific Ocean.
- MET Museum is located on Fifth Avenue.
- I met a man from New Zealand when I was skiing in Swiss Alps.
- On my trip around the world, I visited Jamaica, Bahamas, Australia, and Republic of Congo.
- John lives on Fraser Street in Sydney.
- Poland is part of European Union.
- The tourist arrived at Manaus Airport and then took a tour of Amazon River.
I hope these general rules about article use will be helpful. If you find a mistake or have any questions, please leave a comment below.
Best of luck in your English studies.
— Created by Matthew Barton (copyright) of Englishcurrent.com
Related Lessons:
- Article Practice Exercises (All Levels)
- Help Understanding Articles (Beginner)
- The Indefinite Article & Word Sounds (Advanced)