5/27/2020 An ELT Notebook: An ELT Glossary : Definite, Indefinite and Zero Articles

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An ELT Notebook
A collection of articles on EFL methodology for teachers at all levels of experience.

Featured Articles Complete List of Contents An ELT Glossary Doing the Delta?

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Cambridge English Delta Modules ...
An ELT Glossary : Definite, Indefinite and Zero Articles
If you're preparing for the Delta Module
One exam this session, you probably know
a) Use of the articles that it's been postponed until July 22nd
because of COVID-19. We've therefore
The definite article "the" introduces information which is shared between the writer/reader or also extended the time you can spend on
speaker/listener. The indefinite article "a/an" or the “zero” article, on the other hand, our Online Revision and Exam
introduce information which the writer/speaker assumes will be new to the reader/listener. Preparation Course. You can start any
time from now on, but will have access to
Look at this sentence from George Orwell: Winston Churchill, the former prime minister of the course up to the date of the exam - for
Britain, once said... the same price as the normal six week
programme. See here for full details.
Here, Orwell assumes you know who Churchill is - his role as Prime Minister is assumed to be
shared, and therefore "the" is used. Compare it with:
We run online and face.to face courses to help
you with all three of the Delta Modules.
Andrew Law, a former Prime Minister of Britain, once said that... Wherever you are in the world, whatever
module you're interested and whatever stage
This time, I'm not assuming that you know who Law is - in fact I'm assuming that the information you're at (starting from scratch? Coming up to
will be completely new to you. And so I use "a". the exam? Have been referred and need extra
help?) we've got a course to meet your needs
Another example would be:
Have a look at our website The Delta Course,
I spent my holiday in Dax, a town near the south west coast of France. (I presume you've never choose the course that interests you and
heard of it) contact us for full details.

I spent my holidays in Washington, the city on the east coast that is, not the state on the west
coast. (I presume you already know of both).

To say Winston Churchill, a former Prime Minister.... would therefore sound as if you imagined the
reader had never heard of him and needs to be given information on who he was. Which in this About Me
case would probably sound as if you were insulting the reader's general knowledge.
Sue Swift
See this article by Scott Thornbury for a fuller, and excellent, explanation of the different ways in
View my complete profile
which information may be “shared” and therefore require the definite article.

b) The indefinite and zero articles

We’ve already seen that the indefinite and zero articles are used when the speaker/writer
presumes that the information is new to the listener/reader. However, which one is chosen Copyright

depends on the grammar and phonology of the nouns chosen. The articles and illustrations found on this blog
are copyright to their authors, and have been
The indefinite article is used when the noun is being used as a singular, countable noun – ie it is acquired legally. All articles are copyright Sue
singular in the context but can potentially be made plural (I need a cup of tea!) – and the zero Swift unless another author is specifically
article is used when the noun is being used uncountably (I love cheese!) or in the plural (I love stated. Where photos are made available
under Creative Commons License, this and
horses!). Notice that I said “used countably” rather than “is countable”. Although most nouns are
the photographer's name is stated. You are
generally used either countably or uncountably (so eg piano is usually countable – there were two welcome to use any of the activities which we
pianos in the room - and cheese is usually uncountable), any noun can be used either countably or describe with your classes - but please send
uncountably if the context is right. So eg, when types of cheese are being discussed then the noun us a comment to say how it went. You may
is used countably : Cheshire, Cheddar and Stilton are three British cheeses. also refer to us in anything you write - for
example in another blog or an assignment on
And if you happened to consider a piano to be a food rather than a musical instrument, you would a teacher training course. But please
use it uncountably: acknowledge us - don't steal our ideas.
Baby termite: Mummy I’m hungry. What’s for dinner?
Mummy termite: Piano. Come into the living room and we’ll eat now. The opinions expressed in the articles and
Baby termite : Oh no! I hate piano! comments are those of the individual authors,
and may not necessarily reflect the views of
other ELT Notebook writers.
With nouns used countably, the choice between the two forms of the indefinite article (a/an)
depends on the first sound (NB sound, not letter) of the following noun – a is used before
Amazon Links
consonant sounds and an is used before vowel sounds. So : A pen / A university but An elephant /
An umbrella We are an Amazon Affiliate and you will find
recommended reading links to Amazon in
many sections in the Notebook. Please note
that we earn only if you order goods after

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5/27/2020 An ELT Notebook: An ELT Glossary : Definite, Indefinite and Zero Articles
Want to know more? clicking, not from the clicks themselves. So
feel free to click on as many links as you wish -
Leech et al, An A-Z of English Grammar and Usage, Pearson Education Ltd. often you can "Look inside" the books and see
the table of contents as well as reading a
restricted number of pages. It's always worth
checking them out.

Labels

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An A-Z of Another Day in the Life ...
English Bilingualism
Grammar and
£29.67 Business English
Usage (2nd Cambridge English Delta
Edition)
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Career Development
Classroom Culture
(Amazon will often have both new and used copies of the books you want at prices much cheaper Classroom Management and Affective
Variables
than those advertised - so don't be put off. Click on the link to check. As I write there's one going
for £9.76!) CLIL
Conversation Classes
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Technology
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Using Songs and Music

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5/27/2020 An ELT Notebook: An ELT Glossary : Definite, Indefinite and Zero Articles
Using Technology
Using the Internet
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Younger Learners

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