REFERRING TO NOUNS

I. ARTICLES
1. A/An (can only use with singular countable nouns)
- To refer to something for the first time
VD: I would like to tell you about an exciting story
- To refer to any one from a group of several
VD: Climate protection is a challenge for our society (many challenges)
- To classify people or things as belonging to a group
VD: Envisat is a fully-equipped observation satellite (different kinds of satellite)
- To say what job somebody does
VD: My brother is an engineer
2. The
- When the listener/reader knows which thing we mean (or have been mentioned before)
VD: Envisat is a fully-equipped observation satellite. The satellite was launched in 2002
- When there is only one of this thing
VD: the sun, the earth, the twentieth century, the sixties (60s), the Government, the
Prime Minister
- For superlatives (so sanh nhat)
- To talk about playing a musical instrument
VD: He plays the piano/She plays the guitar
- With certain proper nouns (danh tu rieng)
VD:
o Nationalities (the British, the Chinese, the Vietnamese)
o Rivers (the Nile, the Red River, the Thames)
o Island groups (the Philippines, the Hoang Sa, the Maldives)
o Mountain ranges (the Himalayas, ….)
o Seas and Oceans (the Pacific, the Black Sea, the Mediterranean)
o Countries that represent a group (the United Kingdom – the UK, the U.S.A – the
United States of America)
o Famous/historical buildings (the White House, the Louvre, the Big Ben, the Eiffel
Tower)
o Universities (the University of Hanoi)
3. No Article
- With plural or uncountable nouns to talk generally about things
VD: The Internet provides information about many things
It is everything that scientists could wish for
- With certain proper nouns:
o Continents (Europe, Asia, America…)
o Countries (Vietnam, China, Japan, Korea….)
o States (California, Florida…)
o Towns or cities (Hanoi, Tokyo, Bangkok)
o Mountains (Everest, Kilimanjaro)
o Lakes (West Lake, Sword Lake)
o Companies (Apple, Microsoft, Samsung)
 o Airports (Noi Bai Airport, Tan Son Nhat Airport)
- With mealtimes:
VD: I have lunch at 11 a.m
- In common expressions after prepositions (gioi tu):
o To school/At school (university)
o To class/In class
o In prison/hospital/bed
VD:
When I was a child, I used to walk to school
When I was a child, I went to the school on the other side of town
o At home
o At/to work
o At night
o By bus/bicycle/car/train/plane
o On foot

II. DEMONSTRATIVES (THIS/THAT/THESE/THOSE)

- To show whether something is near or remote in terms of time and place

near Remote
time I just talked to my teacher I called my mom on that
this morning (today) day (different day)
place I like these pictures (here) I prefer those pictures
(over there)

- To refer back to something previously mentioned in the text/speech

VD:
Climate protection is very important. Envisat helps people understand this/that.

III. POSSESSIVES (My/your/his/her/its/our/their)

- Tell us what or who something belongs to
 This our planet => This planet of ours
 My father’s cat => The cat of my father
 The price of the hotel = the hotel’s price (only use “noun + of” when it is not a
person or an animal)

IV. INCLUSIVES
1. Each/Every (use with singular nouns or verbs)
- “Each” is used for things or people in a group of 2 or more, with a focus on the
individuals in the group
VD:
Each person has to contribute 2 dollars for the charity fund.
- “Every” is used for 3 or more things with a focus on the group
VD:
Every citizen will receive money from the Government
- We use “each” with “of + noun/pronoun”
VD: Each of the students gave their homework to the teacher
2. All/Most/Some
- Use with plural nouns to talk about things in general
VD:
Most children like candies.
Some people believe that the USA is the most powerful country in the world.
- Use with “of + the/this/that/these/those + noun” to refer to a specific group
VD:
Most of the children in my class play football
- All the children = All of the children
- All us/them = All of us/them
 I study hard all day (I study hard for one day)
 I study hard every day (I always study hard)
3. Both/Neither/Either/None
- Both/Neither/Either refer to 2 people or 2 things
o Both + plural nouns
o Either/Neither + singular nouns
VD:
Both teachers are my favourite
Neither teacher is my favourite
o Both + of + the/this/that/these/those + plural noun (plural verb)
o Either/Neither + of + the/this/that/these/those + plural/singular noun
VD:
Either of my sister and my parents live in the same house as me
Both of my sisters live in the same house as me
- None = no one in the group (can be followed by singular or plural verb)
VD:
None of our countries is/are able to stand against China