Definite and indefinite

articles

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What do you already
know? Answer the
questions.

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 What do you already know?

(1) We only use the indefinite article (a/an)

with _______ countable nouns.
a) singular
b) plural
c) both singular and plural

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 What do you already know?

(2) The choice between a and an depends

on _______, we use a before a ______.
a) punctuation…vowel
b) letters…vowel
c) sounds…consonant

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 What do you already know?

(3) We DO NOT use _________ to talk

about things in general.
a) the definite article
b) the indefinite article
c) any article

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What are articles?

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 Articles

• used at the beginning of a noun

phrase
• There are two types:
 the definite article ‘the’
 the indefinite article ‘a/an’

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 Articles

• Refer to things that the

speaker/writer knows (‘definite’), the
listener/reader knows (‘indefinite’),
or nobody knows (‘indefinite’)

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When do we use the
definite article (the)?

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We use the definite article
(the) with …
• both uncountable nouns and
countable nouns, singular or
plural:
e.g.
the water, the sugar,
the car(s), the apple(s)
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We use the definite article
(the) with …
• unique things – things there are
only one of
e.g.
the world, the sun, the moon,
the truth

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We use the definite article
(the) with …
• specific things – anything that
we already know
e.g.
Are you feeding the dogs?
The train is coming!

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We use the definite article
(the) with …
• institutions and government
bodies
e.g.
the police, the SAR government,
the Immigration Department

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We use the definite article
(the) with …
• hotels
e.g. the Peninsula, the Hilton

• some means of transport

e.g. the MTR, the bus

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We use the definite article
(the) with …
• mountain ranges, oceans,
rivers and deserts
e.g.
the Pacific Ocean, the Pearl River

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Don’t use the with names of
individual mountains:

Kanchenjunga is in the Himalayas.

Individual Mountain
mountain range

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We use the definite article
(the) with …
• nature and the environment in
general
e.g.
the sea, the sky, the rain,
the climate, the weather

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We use the definite article
(the) with …
• countries with names in phrases
or the plural form
e.g.
the United States of America,
the United Kingdom, the Philippines

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We use the definite article
(the) with …
• musical instruments
e.g. the piano, the guitar
• directions/locations
e.g. the right, the top

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We use the definite article
(the) with …
• some entertainment venues
e.g.
the cinema, the theatre, the opera

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When do we use the
indefinite article
(a/an)?

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We use the indefinite article
(a/an) with …
• singular countable nouns:
e.g.
a car, an apple, a man
 use a before nouns beginning with a consonant
sound
 use an before nouns beginning with a vowel
sound
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Sally is a student in Class
1A. She exercises for at
least an hour every day.

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We use the indefinite article
(a/an) with …
• things/people we mention for the
first time, or when it is not
important exactly what/who we
mean

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My sister is married to
a doctor and has a son
called Tom.

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Can we NOT use any
articles?

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Situations without articles

• before most proper names,

including names of people,
countries, cities and streets
e.g.
John, Michelle, Hong Kong, Japan,
Hennessy Road

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Situations without articles

• before names of parks, squares,

lakes and mountains
e.g.
Ocean Park, Tiananmen Square,
Lake Titicaca, Victoria Peak

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Situations without articles

• with home, bed, church,

school/university/college,
hospital, prison and court when
talking about the functions of
these places

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I stayed in bed at home, but
my sister went to school.

Home, bed and school refer to

functions, not the structures
themselves
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Situations without articles

• with names of meals

e.g.
at breakfast, out for lunch,
we’re having afternoon tea

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BUT we use the with very specific
meals:

The Sunday brunch in this hotel is

excellent!

very specific
meal

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And we can use a/an with adjectives
to describe a meal:

That was a very filling breakfast.

adjective

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Situations without articles

• with names of most illnesses

e.g.
cancer, HIV, SARS, asthma,
influenza, bird flu

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That is not the case for all illnesses.
e.g. the flu

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 Definite article the Indefinite article a/an

I’m going to the post office. Is there a post office?

(the listener knows it) (not sure which post office)

She’s got a boy and a girl.

She’s got two children: a boy
The boy is fourteen and the
and a girl. (first mention)
girl is six. (mentioned before)

The tiger is in danger of

I want a dog for my birthday.
becoming extinct.
(not sure what kind of dog)
(the natural species)

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 with article without article

The stars are really bright Stars vary greatly in size.

tonight. (tonight’s stars only) (any star)

I left my coat in the hospital

Jane is in hospital.
when I was visiting Jane.
(the hospital’s function)
(the hospital building)

Please give me a piece of He is always happy to offer

advice. (singular advice on solving problems.
countable) (uncountable)

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Review

What is the difference

between definite and
indefinite articles?

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 Definite article Indefinite articles

Before a noun if there is only

one of its kind
When the listener/reader knows
what we are talking about
At the first mention of
a person, an object or
a place

With any noun,

Only with singular
countable/uncountable and
countable nouns
singular/plural

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The end

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