Indefinite article

• A/An – for singular countable nouns to talk about

indefinite (not specific) things or one thing (e.g. a class)
• Plural nouns never go with a/an
• An - when a noun starts with a vowel or an adjective that
modifies a noun that starts with a vowel (e.g. an apple, an
interesting subject but a subject)
• A/An - often used after the verbs be and have
• H - a history but an hour
• A/an – with money, fractions, measures, whole numbers,
price, weight, frequency/ distance, speed, illnesses (a
headache, a fever, a temperature, catch a cold, have a
cold, (a) toothache, (a) backache)
 Definite article
Use the definite article (the) when something is specific
(it may be singular or plural):

• When referring to something that is already known to

the listener because it has been mentioned before.
E.g. So I showed the photos to the police. (I’ve mentioned
these photos before.)

• When referring to something that is already known to

the listener because it is obvious from the context.
E.g. I forgot to give the cat her supper. (It is obvious I am
talking about my cat.)

• Superlatives (e.g. the best, the greatest).

• Ordinal numbers (e.g. the first).
• Words like last, next, only (when they do not refer to
time)
 Definite article
• When a defining or prepositional phrase makes the
noun (singular or plural) specific.
E.g. It’s the house at the top of the street.
• The words: beach, cinema, coast, country(side),
earth, ground, jungle, radio, sea, seaside, sky,
theatre, weather, station, library, pub, post office,
centre, shop, village, capital(city), morning, evening,
afternoon
• TV (television) vs the TV (the device) – different
meanings
• The is optional with seasons
“The” is used before:
• Nouns which are unique (e.g. the moon, the
equator)
• Names of cinemas, hotels, theatres, museums,
galleries
• Newspapers and magazines
• Names of ships
• Institutions (e.g. the UN, the EU)
• Titles (when no name is given, but if a title is
given with a name, no article is used) (e.g. the
Queen, but Queen Elizabeth)
• Adjectives used as plural nouns (e.g. the old, the
young, the unemployed, etc.)
“The” is used before:
• Rivers, oceans and seas
• Groups of islands and states
• Mountain ranges
• Canals and deserts
• In “of” constructions
• The north/ south/ east/ west (but not with
northern/ southern/ eastern/ western)
• Musical instruments (e.g. the piano) and dances
• Names of families
• Nationalities that end in –sh/ -ch/ - ese (other
plural nationalities can go with or without “the”)
 Zero article
Use the zero article (no article):
• Before abstract nouns.
E.g. you can’t stop time.
• Before general plural nouns.
E.g. Computers are very powerful now.
• But if the abstract or plural noun is made
specific by a defining phrase, we use an
article.
E.g. The computers we’ve just bought are
fantastic.
 Zero article
• Before people’s names and the names of
most companies, materials.
E.g. Jane works for Deutsche Bank.
• Before the names of types of institutions
(used for the purpose for which they are
built), for example, school, hospital,
university, college, church, prison, court.
E.g. My brother is about to start school.
But if we are referring to a particular building,
we use the definite article.
E.g. Excuse me. Is the school near here?
“Zero article” is used before:
• Sports, games, activities
• Days, months, holidays
• Colours, drinks, meals
• Languages (unless the word “language” follows it): e.g.
English, but the English language
• Names of countries (unless a country name includes such
words as kingdom, states, republic, federation): e.g.
Portugal, Lithuania, America, England, but the USA, the
UK, the Republic of Lithuania (exception: the Netherlands)
• Cities (e.g. Kaunas), but there are exceptions (e.g the
Vatican City, the Hague)
• Streets, squares, bridges, parks, stations
• Continents
• Individual mountains and islands
• Lakes
“Zero article” is used before:
• Two-word names whose first word is the name of
a person/ place (e.g. Buckingham Palace,
Charles de Gaulle Airport, but the White house)
• Home/ father/ mother/ parents when we mean
our own
• Means of transport: e.g. by car/ by train/ by plane
(but in the car, on the bus; on the 3rd o’clock
train)
• Flu/ the flu; measles/ the measles; mumps/ the
mumps (“diabetes” is not used with any article)