Made by Bogomaz Natalya, Gartung Stella, Inothemtzev Denis, Korolyov Il’ya, Khanjzhin Ivan

LB1-11-40

THE DEFINITE ARTICLE (THE) A noun is definite (specific) when you and your

listener both know which person, place, or thing you mean.

Use the definite article when: nouns are specific for you and your listener;

a person, place, or thing is unique—there's only one (The Queen, the President, BUT: Queen Victoria, President Barack Obama);

the context makes it clear which person, place, or thing you mean.

Also use the definite article with:

the names of rivers (the Thames);

the names of musical instruments and dances (the guitar, the salsa);

the names of museums (the Louvre);

nationalities (the French);

Also use the definite article with:

historical periods/events

the words morning, afternoon, station, city, village, etc(1. the day after tomorrow, BUT: at night, at noon, at midnight, by day/night; 2. the last Ice Age, the Vietnam war, BUT: World War I);

adjectives used as nouns to refer to a group of people (The blind);

Also use the definite article with: only, last, first used as adjectives and with the

superlative degree of adjectives/adverbs (1. She was the only one who didn’t come; 2. the best, BUT: Most people enjoy going to the cinema);

titles when the name of the person is not mentioned (The King).

Set expressions with the what is the time?

the day before yesterday

the day after tomorrow

on the right (left)

on the whole

to go to the theatre (the cinema)

to play the piano (other instruments)

to tell the truth

on the table (bed … )

in the morning (evening, night…)

Exceptions with the Germany, India, Australia, BUT: the Netherlands, the

Gambia, the Vatican

Bob speaks Polish, French and English fluently, BUT: The Polish language, the French language, the English language.

You can use the with most nouns, count and non-count, singular and plural.

THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE (A/AN) A noun is indefinite (not specific) when either you or

your listener do not have a particular person, place, or thing in mind.

Use the indefinite article with: singular count nouns that are not specific (I can’t find

a taxi);

a noun is often indefinite the first time a speaker mentions it (I have got a car. The car is red.);

the verbs to be and have (got) (Have you got a pen?);

Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms when we refer to an unknown person.

Also use the indefinite article to show: price in relation to weight;

distance in relation to time;

frequency.

Exceptions with a/an A university, a European;

An hour, an honest man.

Use a before consonant sounds and an before vowel.

ZERO ARTICLE Use zero article with plural count nouns and non-

count nouns to make general statements.

Use zero article with: the proper nouns;

the names of sports, games, activities, days, months, celebrations, colors, drinks, meals languages;

the names of countries, cities, streets, squares, bridges, parks, railway stations, mountains, individual islands, lakes, continents;

Use zero article with possessive adjectives or the possessive case;

two-word names when the first word is the name of a person or place;

the names of pubs, restaurants, shops, banks and hotels named after the people who started them, and ending in -s or -'s;

the words bed, church, college, court, hospital, prison, school, university, when we refer to the purpose for which they exist;

seasons.

Recourses Вейхман Г.А. В 26 Новое в английской грамматике:

Учеб. пособие для ин-тов и фак. иностр. яз.-М.: Высш. шк., 1990.-128с.

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