Articles

 In which positions are they used in a sentence?

 What types of articles do you know? What are the differences among them?
 Which larger grammatical/syntactic category are they the members/subtypes of?

Categorize the uses of the following articles. (Write the numbers next to the articles.) Provide examples of these uses as well.
- the: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………………..
- a/an: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………………..
- zero: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………………..

1. used to refer to something specific and indicates a particular noun

2. used with plural countable nouns
3. used with singular countable nouns
4. used with uncountable nouns (abstract nouns and substances)
5. used to emphasize the following noun
6. with names of meals
7. with names (surnames, first names)
8. with “few” or “little” when the meaning is contrasted with “none” or when used with “only” or “just”
9. with the names of rivers, groups of lakes or mountains, oceans, seas, and deserts
10. with names of institutions when these places are visited for their primary function (e.g. church to pray, school to study, hospital
for patients, etc.)
11. with plural names
12. when generalizing about abstract nouns
13. with symptoms of illness (when the symptom begins with the verb “have”)
14. when the noun has already been mentioned
15. with certain numbers (e.g. half, quarter, third)
16. when the noun is specified by a prepositional phrase, an adjective clause or phrase
17. in exclamations before countable nouns
18. with superlatives
19. in expressions of quantity, price or speed
20. with double comparatives
21. with single letters and numbers (e.g. „B”)
22. when generalizing in the plural
23. with the names of universities or colleges that contain the word “of”
24. with the names of universities or colleges that do not contain the word “of”
25. with most street names (with some exceptions)
26. with the names of countries (collective or plural) with the words “united”, “kingdom”, and “republic”
27. with the names of cities, states, or countries without the words “united”, “union”, “kingdom”, or “republic”
28. with the names of single lakes, mountains, islands, or canyons
29. with mountain ranges
30. with groups of islands
31. with the names of halls or hospitals
32. with the names of hotels, motels, theatres, bridges, and some buildings
33. with the names of zoos, museums, societies and institutes
34. with the names of stadiums, malls, or parks
35. when the noun refers to something unique that is the only one in existence
36. to express the plural of nationalities that have no plural form + before national groups as a whole
37. with “few” or “little” when the meaning is contrasted with “many”
38. with numbers referring to centuries and decades
39. with continents
40. with titles and special names
41. before jobs and positions
42. with the names of newspapers
43. with the words “work” and “home”
44. with musical instruments
45. with surnames when the person is unknown to the speaker
46. with military, police, or similar institutions or departments