“The Article”

Ceavdari Daniela
Group 1lm1
 Presentation Plan:
• General Notion
• Use of the Article with Common and Proper Nouns;
• Use of the Article in Certain Expressions;
• Special Difficulties in the Use of the Article;
• Use of the Article with Nouns modified by Certain Adjectives,
Pronouns, Numerals;
• Omission of the Article;
 Questions:

• When we use the indefinite article with proper nouns?

• Which words aren’t used with definite article when they lose
their concrete meaning?
• Does “next” mean the same as “the next”?
 The Article

• A structural part of speech used with nouns. (Kayshanskaya)

• A form word that serves as a noun determiner. (Kobrina)
• Determining unit of specific nature accompanying the noun in
communicative collocation. (M.Y.Blokh)
Before a consonant Before a vowel
(/ðə//muːn/) ( /ði://əːθ/)
 Use of the Article with Common Nouns
The Indefinite Article
• When the speaker mentions a noun (which is countable) for the first time;
I have a cat.
• When the speaker presents the object expressed by the noun as belonging to a
certain class; We saw a house with a lawn in front of it.
• With a predicative noun, when the speaker states that the object denoted by the
noun belongs to a certain class; My husband is a sailor.
• When the noun is used in a general sense; A cat is a domestic animal.
• When it preserves its old original meaning of “one”. An hour in the morning is
worth two in the evening
 The Definite Article
• When the speaker mentions a noun for the second time. I saw a boy. The boy was nice.
• When the speaker and the hearer know what particular object is meant. No special
indication is necessary. The room is bright.
• When the situation itself makes the object definite and when the speaker
wants to talk about something that is associated with an earlier item.
I went to the window again to try to smash the glass.
• When the noun denotes the object or group of objects, which is unique or
considered to be unique. The Devil, The Sun, The North
• With nouns used in a generic sense. The telephone was invented in the 19th
century.
 Proper Nouns
The Indefinite Article The Definite Article
• Names denoting the representative • Names of people denoting the
of a family. She will never be a Forest. whole family.
• Names of people modified by The Dashwoods were invited.
adjective certain. I heard it from a • Names of people modified by a
certain Mr.Brown. particularizing attribute. You aren’t
the Smith I married.
 Use of the Article in Certain Expressions
With Indefinite Article
• In a hurry- in graba-
• To fly into a passion- a fi cuprins de
manie, прийти в ярость
• To have a great mind to do something-
a avea dorinta de a face ceva, очень
хотеть сделать что-либо
• To get in a fury- a deveni furios, Впасть в
ярость
• In a low voice- in soapta, тихо
• A great many- foarte multe, много
• It is a pity – ce pacat, жаль
With Definite Article
• This is out of the question- nici nu se
discuta, даже не обсуждается
• In the original- in original, в
оригинале
• To play the piano,violin
• To take the trouble to do something- a
depune effort, потрудиться
• To be on the safe side- a se asigura,
для верности
 Special Difficulties in the Use of the Article
Do not use
• Nouns day, night, morning, evening;
• Seasons (spring, winter, fall, summer);
• Meals ( dinner, breakfast, lunch);
• Nouns school, church, college, university, bed, prison, jail,
church.
• Nouns morning and evening modified by early and late
• Names of language if they aren’t followed by word
language
The definite article is used when the nouns is modified by
a particularizing attribute or the situation makes them
definite, and the indefinite article – descriptive attributive
• He will never forget the day he met • I had a sleepless night.
her. (particularizing attribute)
(descriptive attributive)
• The dinner was a success.
• It was a cold spring.
• It happened the spring of 1930.
• We had a hearty breakfast.
• We saw the school/the jail/the
hospital. (the building)
• The English of America differs from
The English of England.
 Use of the Article with Nouns modified by
Certain Adjectives, Numerals
• Most + adjective : the most interesting chapter, a most amusing man (very);
• Most + of + noun : most of the gentlemen, most flowers smell sweet;
• Few has a negative meaning. A few/The few(cativa/putinii) have a positive meaning.
• Little has a negative meaning. A little/The little (oleaca) have a positive meaning.
• Two, three-numerals ,the two, the three mean cei doi (ambii), cei trei
• Next means “viitoarea” next summer , The next means “urmatoarea” the next
door.
• A number means “many”, The number means “figure”.
 Questions:

• When we use the indefinite article with proper nouns?

• Which words aren’t used with definite article when they lose
their concrete meaning?
• Does “next” mean the same as “the next”?
 Bibliography
• Blokh M.Y. “A Course of Theoretical English Grammar”
• B.A. Ilyish “The structure of modern English”
• V. Kaushanskaya “A Grammar of The English Language”
• N.A. Kobrina, E.A. Korneeva, M.I.Osovskaya, K.A. Guzeeva “An English
Grammar. Morphology.Syntax”
• “The history of English Grammars”