Articles Intermediate Articles The indefinite a an singular

Articles Intermediate

Articles The indefinite: a/an singular countable nouns The definite: the singular/plural nouns adjectives/numbers

The indefinite articles • • We use a/an in the following ways: before unspecified singular countable nouns. She works in an office. with the names of professions. She’s an executive and he’s a waiter. in expressions of measurement. We charge $500 an hour. It sells at $ 1. 75 a litre. before a noun to mean all things of the same type. A loss leader is an article that a store sells at a low price to tempt customers to buy other goods.

The definite articles • • • We use the: when it is clear from the context what particular thing or place is meant. I’ll meet you in the reception area. before a noun that we have mentioned. They had a villa in Cannes and a chalet in Innsbruck but they sold the villa. before superlative adjectives/adverbs. He is the most successful employee in the firm. before ordinary numbers. He lives on the third floor. with the words only, last and first (used as adjective). She was the only one who understood me.

The definite articles • • • We use the: with nouns that are unique. (the sun, the Earth) with the names of families (the Smiths, the Charles) with the names of musical instruments and dances (the piano, the tango) with the words station, cinema, theatre, library, shop, coast, beach, country(side), city, jungle, world, ground, weather. We went for a drive along the coast. with the words day, morning, afternoon and evening. It was late in the afternoon. BUT: at (mid)night, at noon, by day/night

the + adjective = plural noun • We use the before adjectives to specify a category of people or things. the rich, the poor, the French, the unemployed, the world wide web, the wounded, the English, the local

Zero article • We do not put an article before mass nouns used in general statements. (0) Money is the root of all (0) evil. • There is no article before the words work, home, bed, court, prison, school. I need to be at (0) work by 10 o’clock. • There is no article before the names of places and people. (0) Poland (0) Japan (0) Dr. Spock BUT: countries when they include words such as States, Kingdom, Republic we use article the USA, the UK, The Czech Republic