ShortGrammarLessonI

by
Prof.DavielizVillafaeColn
IndefiniteandDefiniteArticles
GrammarRule1
Whenyouhaveasingle,countableEnglishnoun,youmustalwayshaveanarticlebeforeit.
WecannotsayPlease,passmepen.WemustsayPlease,passme

thepen,orPlease,
passme

apen.NounsinEnglishcanalsobeuncountable.Uncountablenounscanbe
concepts(life,happiness)ormaterialsandsubstances(coffee,wood).
GrammarRule2
Uncountablenounsdonotuse

aoran.Thisisbecauseyoucannotcountthem.Forexample,
adviceisanuncountablenoun.

INCORRECT Hegavemeanadvice.
CORRECT

Hegavemeadvice.
Hegavemeapieceofadvice.
Hegavemesomeadvice.

Somenounscanbebothcountableanduncountable.Forexample,wesaycoffeewhenwe
arereferringtotheproduct,butwesayacoffeewhenwearetalkingaboutacupofcoffee
instead.
GrammarRule3

Youcanusethetomakegeneralthingsspecific.Youcanuse

thewithanytypeofnoun
pluralorsingular,countableoruncountable.
Please,passmeapen.anypen
Please,passmethepen.theonethatwecanbothsee
Childrengrowupquickly.childreningeneral
ThechildrenIknowgrowupquickly.notallchildren,justtheonesIknow
Poetrycanbebeautiful.poetryingeneral
ThepoetryofHopkinsisbeautiful.ItisonlyreferringtothepoetryHopkinswrote.

Source:http://www.englishathome.com/grammar/articles/1


ShortGrammarLessonI
by
Prof.DavielizVillafaeColn
MoreUsesofArticlesinEnglish
Rivers,mountainranges,seas,oceansandgeographicareas

allusethe.
The/theThames
The/theAlps
The/theAtlanticOcean
The/theMiddleEast
Uniquethingshavethe.
thesun
themoon
Someinstitutionalbuildingsdonothaveanarticleifyouvisitthemforthereasonthese
buildingsexist.However,ifyougotothebuildingforanotherreason,youmustuse

the.
WithoutThe

WithThe

Herhusbandisinprison.Heisa
prisoner.

Shegoestotheprisontoseehimoncea
month.

Mysonisinschool.Heisastudent.

Iamgoingtotheschooltoseethedirector.

Musicalinstrumentsusethe.
Sheplaysthepiano.
Sportsdonothaveanarticle.
Heplaysfootball.
Illnessesdonothaveanarticlewiththeexceptionofacoldandaheadache.
Hehasappendicitis.
Jobsusetheifyouarereferringtoaspecificposition.Ifyouarereferringtothegeneral
aspectoftheterm,a/anisusedinstead.
Iamateacher.Thissentencereferstothegeneralnotionofthewordteacher.
Iamthe5thgradeteacheroftheCupeyParishSchool.
Ifthenameofacountryissingular,anarticleisnotnecessary.Ifthenameofacountryis
plural,weusethebeforeit.
SINGULAR

PLURAL

PuertoRico

The/theUnitedStatesofAmerica

Japan

ThePeoplesRepublicofChina

England

TheNetherlands

Source:http://www.englishathome.com/grammar/articles/2


ShortGrammarLessonI
by
Prof.DavielizVillafaeColn
Continents,towns,andstreetsdonothavearticles.
Africa
NewYork
ChurchStreet
Theaters,cinemas,andhotelshavethe.
TheOdeon
TheAlmeira
TheHilton
NOTE:CaribbeanCinemasisararecasesimplybecausewedonotrefertothistheater
astheCaribbeanCinemasTheater.WesimplycallitCaribbeanCinemas.Inthis
case,thedefinitearticlewouldnotbenecessary.Forexample:IwenttoCaribbean
Cinemasyesterday.
Abbreviationsusethe.
The/theUN
The/theUSA
The/theIMF
Weusethebeforeclassesofpeople.
therich
thepoor
theBritish

Source:http://www.englishathome.com/grammar/articles/3


ShortGrammarLessonI
by
Prof.DavielizVillafaeColn
Practice
I. Fillintheblankswithindefiniteordefinitearticles.WriteanXwherenoarticleis
necessary.

1. __________TowerofLondonis__________populartouristattraction.
2. Newcastleis__________townin__________northof__________England.
3. __________Princesslivesin__________palacein__________London.
4. __________BuckinghamPalaceiswhere__________QueenofEnglandofficially
lives.
5. Shebought__________expensivenecklaceat__________Harrods.
6. Theywentfor__________strollaround__________St.JamesPark.
7. Thesupermarketisin__________KendellStreetopposite__________LloydsBank.
8. __________hotelwheretheyheldtheirweddingreceptionwascalled__________
GrandHotel.
9. Annawasbornin__________Italy,butshelivesin__________USA.
10. Theconvictisin__________prisonon__________outskirtsoftown.
11. Hisfavoritenewspaperis__________Guardian.
12. __________GatwickAirportisin__________southernEngland.
13. __________DuchessofYorkopened__________newhospitalin__________center
ofLondon.
14. Hewenton__________expensiveholidayto__________Bahamas.
15. __________StatueofLibertyisin__________NewYork.
16. __________NationalParkwasopened__________lastweekby__________mayor.
17. __________expeditionto__________SouthPoleneedsalotofcarefulplanning.
Source:http://www.englishathome.com/grammar/articles/4


ShortGrammarLessonI
by
Prof.DavielizVillafaeColn
18. __________Odeoncinemaisin__________AppletonStreetjustpast__________
library.
19. Lastmonth,Isaw__________movieandthenwentto__________concert.
__________moviewasbrilliant,but__________concertwasboring.
20. Therearethreecarsparkedoutside:__________Mercedes,__________Jaguar,and
__________Fiat.Mineis__________Fiat.
21. __________Harrodsisahugedepartmentstorenear__________Kensington
Gardens.
II. Completethefollowingstorybyinsertingtherightarticle.Theremightbecaseswhereno
articleisnecessary.

________famousdetectiveandhisdeputywerewalkingin________forest.________
forestwasdarkandalittlebitfrightening.Soon,itbegantogetdark,but,luckily,they
had________tentwiththem.Theydecidedtostay________night.Theyputuptheir
tentunder________starsandwenttosleep.Then,inthemiddleofthenight,therewas
________loudnoise.________detectivewokeup.Helookedupat________sky.
Then,hewokeup________deputyandasked,Whatcanyousee?
Thedeputyreplied,Iseemillionsandmillionsof________stars.
Thedetectiveasked,Andwhatisyour________opinionaboutthat?
Thedeputyreplied,Well,iftherearemillionsofstars,and,ifevenafewofthosehave
________planets,itsquitelikelytherearesomeplanetslike________Earthoutthere.
Ifthereare________fewplanetslikeEarthoutthere,theremightalsobe________life.
Thedetectivereplied,Youidiot!Itmeansthatsomebodystole________tent.

Source:http://www.englishathome.com/grammar/articles/5