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What are various English language grammar articles? When should you use a/an/the in English language sentences? What are examples of using a/an/the or no grammar article in the English language? What are examples of a + singular noun beginning with a consonant? What are examples of an + singular noun beginning with a vowel? What are the duties and responsibilities of King Asif Qureshi? What are the duties and responsibilities of Doctor Asif Qureshi? What are countable, uncountable, and plural nouns? |
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A/An/The: Using articles in the English language What are various English language grammar articles? A/An/The are examples of English language grammar articles. Let’s examine the use of a/an/the. The emergency is a big entity. An emergency can affect more than 50 essential departments within and outside the state. Is that correct? Yes An emergency is a big entity. The emergency can affect more than 50 essential departments within and outside the state. Is that correct? Why is this incorrect or correct? When should you use a/an/the in English language sentences? A is used before a singular noun that begins with a consonant. An is used before a singular noun that begins with a vowel (remember: a, e, i, o, u). The is used with most singular (and plural) nouns when referring to a specific person(s) or thing(s). There are some situations when a/an/the is not used before a noun. What are examples of using a/an/the or no grammar article in the English language? A use examples. An use examples. The use examples. Situation when a/an/the is not used with a noun. What are examples of a + singular noun beginning with a consonant? A ball A banana A book A bike A car A cup A desk A dog A doll A girl A helicopter A stamp A TV A television A zoo What are examples of an + singular noun beginning with a vowel? An apple An elephant An egg An event An idiot An igloo An issue An orange An umbrella An + nouns starting with a silent "h": an hour A + nouns starting with a pronounced "h": a horse A university A unit A university. “University” starts with the sound /j/. It is a consonant sound. The use examples. What are the duties and responsibilities of King Asif Qureshi? Guide others. What are the duties and responsibilities of Doctor Asif Qureshi? Guide others. The defendant was sentenced and fined. The judge sentenced him to prison. The train was late. "The train" = subject, "was" = verb The elephant had a long trunk. The phone on your desk was manufactured in Kashmir, Asia. The signals that the noun is definite, that it refers to a particular member of a group. The dog The Pope is The moon is very bright tonight. The Shah of Iran He is the tallest boy in the class. It is the oldest building in the town. What are countable, uncountable, and plural nouns? Countable nouns are individual objects, people, places, and things that can be counted. Examples include books, houses, cats, dogs, and cars. A countable noun can be singular (a book) or plural (two books). The singular form of a verb is used with a singular countable noun: The apple is red. The plural form of a verb is used with a plural countable noun: The apples are red. Uncountable or mass nouns are substances, concepts, information, materials, etc., that are not individual objects and cannot be counted. They have no plural form. Here are various examples. Substances: milk, cream, sugar, bread, flour, water, wine Concepts: hope, peace, beauty, entertainment, freedom Feelings and qualities: anger, joy, honesty, pride Activities: homework, sleep, surveillance No a/an is used with uncountable or mass nouns. Drink water if you are thirsty. (not: a water) Uncountable or mass nouns take a singular verb. Water is safe to drink in this area. |
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Where should I use the articles a, an, and the in my sentences? Which one should I use? When should I omit an article? Where exactly do articles go? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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the dog" and when do we say "a dog"? (On this page we talk only about singular, countable nouns.) The and a/an are called "articles". We divide them into "definite" and "indefinite" like this:
We use "definite" to mean sure, certain. "Definite" is particular. We use "indefinite" to mean not sure, not certain. "Indefinite" is general. When we are talking about one thing in particular, we use the. When we are talking about one thing in general, we use a or an. Think of the sky at night. In the sky we see 1 moon and millions of stars. So normally we would say:
Look at these examples:
Of course, often we can use the or a/an for the same word. It depends on the situation, not the word. Look at these examples:
This little story should help you understand the difference between the and a, an: A man and a woman were walking in Oxford Street. The woman saw a dress that she liked in a shop. She asked the man if he could buy the dress for her. He said: "Do you think the shop will accept a cheque? I don't have a credit card." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Determiners with countable and uncountable nouns (SOME, ANY, NO, MANY, MUCH, FEW, LITTLE etc.)
Determiners modify nouns and are always placed before the noun which they modify. Countable and uncountable nouns may take different determiners. (SING: singular noun; PL: plural noun) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
my, your, his, her, its, our, your, their whose (interrogative)
What kind is it? How many are there? Which one is it? Adjectives can be classified into many categories. In English, adjectives are generally used in the order: quantity-->opinion-->size-->age-->shape-->color-->origin-->material-->purpose. Some of these categories are (roughly in the order in which adjectives are used in English):
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The Basic Rules: Adjectives A countable noun is one that can be expressed in plural form, usually with an "s." For example, "cat--cats," "season--seasons," "student--students." An uncountable noun is one that usually cannot be expressed in a plural form. For example, "milk," "water," "air," "food." Most of the time, this doesn't matter with adjectives. For example, you can say, "The cat was gray" or "The air was gray." However, the difference between a countable and uncountable noun does matter with certain adjectives, such as the following: * some/any * much/many * little/few * a lot of/lots of * a little bit of * plenty of * enough * no Some/Any: Both "some" and "any" can modify countable and uncountable nouns. * "There is some water on the floor." * "There are some Mexicans here." * "Do you have any food?" * "Do you have any apples?" Much/Many: "Much" modifies only uncountable nouns. * "They have so much money in the bank." * "The horse drinks so much water." "Many" modifies only countable nouns. * "Many Americans travel to Europe." * "I collected many sources for my paper." Little/Few: "Little" modifies only uncountable nouns. * "He had little food in the house." * "When I was in college, there was little money to spare." "Few" modifies only countable nouns. * "There are a few doctors in town." * "He had few reasons for his opinion." A lot of/lots of: "A lot of" and "lots of" are informal substitutes for much and many. They are used with uncountable nouns when they mean "much" and with countable nouns when they mean "many." * "They have lots of (much) money in the bank." * "A lot of (many) Americans travel to Europe." * "We got lots of (many) mosquitoes last summer." * "We got lots of (much) rain last summer." A little bit of: "A little bit of" is informal and always precedes an uncountable noun. * "There is a little bit of pepper in the soup." * "There is a little bit of snow on the ground." Plenty of: "Plenty of" modifies both countable and uncountable nouns. * "They have plenty of money in the bank." * "There are plenty of millionaires in Switzerland." Enough: Enough modifies both countable and uncountable nouns. * "There is enough money to buy a car." * "I have enough books to read." No No modifies both countable and uncountable nouns. * "There is no time to finish now." * "There are no squirrels in the park." |
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Proper Adjectives Articles There are only three of these special types of adjectives: a, an , and the. Regular Comparatives and Superlatives Irregular Comparatives and Superlatives Adjectives That Cannot Be Comparative or Superlative List of Descriptive Adjectives Descriptive adjectives can be divided into different categories such as colors, sizes, sound, taste, touch, shapes, qualities, time, personality and ages. The following lists provide a few examples of descriptive adjectives in each of their categories: Colors are adjectives Colors - examples: black, blue, white, green, red Sizes Sizes - examples: big, small, large, thin, thick Shapes Shapes- examples: triangular, round, square, circular Qualities Qualities- examples: good, bad, mediocre Personality Traits Personality - examples: happy, sad, angry, depressed Time related Time - examples: Yearly , monthly, annually Age related Ages - examples: new, young, old, brand-new, second-hand Sound related Sound related - examples: loud, noisy, quiet, silent Touch related Touch related - examples: slippery, sticky Taste related Taste related - examples: juicy, sweet Positive Adjectives The positive adjective is the simple form of the adjective without expressing increase or diminution of the original quality: nice. Adjectives expressive of properties or circumstances which cannot be increased have only the positive form; a circular road; the chief end; an extreme measure. Comparative Adjectives The comparative adjective is that form of the adjective which expresses increase or diminution of the quality: nicer. Examples are older than or more expensive than or bigger than or faster than or taller than etc. Adjectives are compared in two ways, either by adding er to the positive to form the comparative and est to the positive to form the superlative. The following adjectives are exceptions to this rule ( irregular ): bad becomes worse or worst good becomes better or best. Comparative adjectives are also formed by prefixing more to the positive for the comparative and most to the positive for the superlative; handsome, handsomer, handsomest or handsome, more handsome, most handsome Superlative Adjectives The superlative adjective is that form which expresses the greatest increase or diminution of the quality: nicest. An adjective is in the superlative form when it expresses a comparison between one and a number of individuals taken separately; "John is the richest man in Boston.". An adjective is also in the positive form when it does not express comparison; as, "A rich man." Adjectives of two or more syllables are generally compared by prefixing more and most. Example: Paris is the most romantic city in the world. Predicate Adjective A Predicate Adjective is an adjective that functions as a predicate, such as "John is handsome", handsome being the Predicate Adjective. Overview An adjective is in the superlative form when it expresses a comparison between one and a number of individuals taken separately; "John is the richest man in Boston." Adjectives expressive of properties or circumstances which cannot be increased have only the positive form; a circular road; the chief end; an extreme measure. Adjectives are compared in two ways, either by adding er to the positive to form the comparative and est to the positive to form the superlative, or by prefixing more to the positive for the comparative and most to the positive for the superlative; handsome, handsomer, handsomest or handsome, more handsome, most handsome Adjectives of two or more syllables are generally compared by prefixing more and most Many adjectives are irregular in comparison; bad, worse, worst or good, better, best. Examples Help - Understanding the Different Adjectives! Understanding the different types of Adjectives is a basic requirement of the English language. We hope the above information will be of some assistance. Proper Adjectives Just like proper nouns, proper adjectives start with a capital letter. In fact, proper adjectives are made from proper nouns. They normally answer the adjective question, "What kind?" Comparatives and Superlatives Many adjectives can have different degrees. By this I mean that something can have more or less of an adjective's quality. For instance, you may find the weather in California to be hot, Tahiti's weather to be hotter, and the Sahara Desert's to be the hottest. See how there are different degrees of the adjective hot? We've just used the comparative and superlative forms of the word hot to show this adjective's different degrees. Positive Comparative Superlative hot hotter hottest Comparative Adjectives Use the comparative form when you are comparing two things. In the examples below, we are comparing Talia and her neighbor. Examples : Talia is richer than her neighbor. Talia is more beautiful than her neighbor. Okay, now that we'd all like to meet the rich and beautiful Talia, let's look at the patterns of comparative adjectives. Most comparative adjectives end in -er (richer, happier, taller...) or begin with more (more beautiful, more peaceful, more spontaneous). There are also irregular comparatives which do not follow this -er or more pattern (better, less, worse...). Superlative Adjectives Use the superlative form when you are comparing three or more things. In the examples below, we are comparing Talia with her neighbor AND her librarian. Examples : Out of Talia, her neighbor, and her librarian, Talia is the richest. Out of Talia, her neighbor, and her librarian, Talia is the most beautiful. Most superlative adjectives end in -est (richest, happiest, tallest...) or begin with most (most beautiful, most peaceful, most spontaneous). But, just like comparative adjectives, there are some irregularities (best, least, worst...). Examples In the chart below, positive simply means the form of the adjective before it is in its comparative or superlative form. Regular Comparatives and Superlatives Positive Comparative Superlative happy happier happiest beautiful more beautiful most beautiful Irregular Comparatives and Superlatives Positive Comparative Superlative good better best little less least bad worse worst Neither Comparative Nor Superlative! There are adjectives, however that cannot change degrees. For example, a woman is either pregnant or she isn't. There is no "pregnanter" or "pregnantest." Your best buddy might be your main man, but you don't have a "mainer" or "mainest" man. Feeling overwhelmed? Just remember the answer to the question, "What is an adjective?" (It's a word that describes a noun or pronoun, remember?) That's the most important thing to remember. Want to see more examples of adjectives? Click here. Adjective or Pronoun? Some words can be either adjectives or pronouns depending on how they are acting in the sentence. How are you going to tell the difference? Well, what is an adjective? It's a word that describes a noun or pronoun, right? So, if a word describes a noun or pronoun, it's an adjective. If a word takes the place of a noun instead of describing it, then it is a pronoun. Confused? Here are a few examples: |
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
| rich | richer | richest |
| lovely | lovelier | loveliest |
| beautiful | more beautiful | most beautiful |
| Certain adjectives have irregular forms in the comparative and superlative degrees: | ||
| Irregular | Comparative | and Superlative Forms |
| good | better | best |
| bad | worse | worst |
| little | less | least |
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much many some | more | most |
| far | further | furthest |
| number | person | gender | possessive adjective | example sentence |
| singular | 1st | male/female | my | This is my book. |
| 2nd | male/female | your | I like your hair. | |
| 3rd | male | his | His name is "John". | |
| female | her | Her name is "Mary". | ||
| neuter | its | The dog is licking its paw. | ||
| plural | 1st | male/female | our | We have sold our house. |
| 2nd | male/female | your | Your children are lovely. | |
| 3rd | male/female/neuter | their | The students thanked their teacher. | |
| singular/plural | 1st/2nd/3rd | male/female (not neuter) | whose | Whose phone did you use? |
your = possessive adjective
you're = you are
its = possessive adjective
it's = it is OR it has
their = possessive adjective
they're = they are
there = adverb (I'm not going there / look over there / there is a car outside)
whose = possessive adjective
who's = who is OR who has
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Compare: your = possessive adjective you're = you are its = possessive adjective it's = it is OR it has their = possessive adjective they're = they are there = adverb (I'm not going there / look over there / there is a car outside) whose = possessive adjective who's = who is OR who has Be careful! There is no apostrophe (') in the possessive adjective "its". We use an apostrophe to write the short form of "it is" or "it has". For example: it's raining = it is raining it's finished = it has finished I'm taking my dog to the vet. It's broken its leg. |
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What do comparisons of adjectives (positive / comparative / superlative degrees) look like in English?
Positive Comparative Superlative red redder reddest happy happier happiest ingenious more ingenious most ingenious good better best In English, some comparisons are regular, like the ones that add -(i)er and -(i)est, or more and most. And some are irregular, like good-better-best. One-syllable adjectives. Form the comparative and superlative forms of a one-syllable adjective by adding –er for the comparative form and –est for the superlative. One-Syllable Adjective Comparative Form Superlative Form tall taller tallest old older oldest long longer longest * Mary is taller than Max. * Mary is the tallest of all the students. * Max is older than John. * Of the three students, Max is the oldest. * My hair is longer than your hair. * Max's story is the longest story I've ever heard. If the one-syllable adjective ends with an e, just add –r for the comparative form and –st for the superlative form. One-Syllable Adjective with Final -e Comparative Form Superlative Form large larger largest wise wiser wisest * Mary's car is larger than Max's car. * Mary's house is the tallest of all the houses on the block. * Max is wiser than his brother. * Max is the wisest person I know. If the one-syllable adjective ends with a single consonant with a vowel before it, double the consonant and add –er for the comparative form; and double the consonant and add –est for the superlative form. One-Syllable Adjective Ending with a Single Consonant with a Single Vowel before It Comparative Form Superlative Form big bigger biggest thin thinner thinnest fat fatter fattest * My dog is bigger than your dog. * My dog is the biggest of all the dogs in the neighborhood. * Max is thinner than John. * Of all the students in the class, Max is the thinnest. * My mother is fatter than your mother. * Mary is the fattest person I've ever seen. Two-syllable adjectives. With most two-syllable adjectives, you form the comparative with more and the superlative with most. Two-Syllable Adjective Comparative Form Superlative Form peaceful more peaceful most peaceful pleasant more pleasant most pleasant careful more careful most careful thoughtful more thoughtful most thoughtful * This morning is more peaceful than yesterday morning. * Max's house in the mountains is the most peaceful in the world. * Max is more careful than Mike. * Of all the taxi drivers, Jack is the most careful. * Jill is more thoughtful than your sister. * Mary is the most thoughtful person I've ever met. If the two-syllable adjectives ends with –y, change the y to i and add –er for the comparative form. For the superlative form change the y to i and add –est. Two-Syllable Adjective Ending with -y Comparative Form Superlative Form happy happier happiest angry angrier angriest busy busier busiest * John is happier today than he was yesterday. * John is the happiest boy in the world. * Max is angrier than Mary. * Of all of John's victims, Max is the angriest. * Mary is busier than Max. * Mary is the busiest person I've ever met. Two-syllable adjectives ending in –er, -le, or –ow take –er and –est to form the comparative and superlative forms. Two-Syllable Adjective Ending with -er, -le, or -ow Comparative Form Superlative Form narrow narrower narrowest gentle gentler gentlest * The roads in this town are narrower than the roads in the city. * This road is the narrowest of all the roads in California. * Big dogs are gentler than small dogs. * Of all the dogs in the world, English Mastiffs are the gentlest. Adjectives with three or more syllables. For adjectives with three syllables or more, you form the comparative with more and the superlative with most. Adjective with Three or More Syllables Comparative Form Superlative Form generous more generous most generous important more important most important intelligent more intelligent most intelligent * John is more generous than Jack. * John is the most generous of all the people I know. * Health is more important than money. * Of all the people I know, Max is the most important. * Women are more intelligent than men. * Mary is the most intelligent person I've ever met. Exceptions. Irregular adjectives. Irregular Adjective Comparative Form Superlative Form good better best bad worse worst far farther farthest little less least many more most * Italian food is better than American food. * My dog is the best dog in the world. * My mother's cooking is worse than your mother's cooking. * Of all the students in the class, Max is the worst. Two-syllable adjectives that follow two rules. These adjectives can be used with -er and -est and with more and most. Two-Syllable Adjective Comparative Form Superlative Form clever cleverer cleverest clever more clever most clever gentle gentler gentlest gentle more gentle most gentle friendly friendlier friendliest friendly more friendly most friendly quiet quieter quietest quiet more quiet most quiet simple simpler simplest simple more simple most simple * Big dogs are gentler than small dogs. * Of all the dogs in the world, English Mastiffs are the gentlest. * Big dogs are more gentle than small dogs. * Of all the dogs in the world, English Mastiffs are the most gentle. |
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The Basic Rules: Adjectives
A countable noun is one that can be expressed in plural form, usually with an "s." For example, "cat--cats," "season--seasons," "student--students." An uncountable noun is one that usually cannot be expressed in a plural form. For example, "milk," "water," "air," "money," "food." Usually, you can't say, "He had many moneys." Most of the time, this doesn't matter with adjectives. For example, you can say, "The cat was gray" or "The air was gray." However, the difference between a countable and uncountable noun does matter with certain adjectives, such as the following: * some/any * much/many * little/few * a lot of/lots of * a little bit of * plenty of * enough * no Some/Any: Both "some" and "any" can modify countable and uncountable nouns. * "There is some water on the floor." * "There are some Mexicans here." * "Do you have any food?" * "Do you have any apples?" Much/Many: "Much" modifies only uncountable nouns. * "They have so much money in the bank." * "The horse drinks so much water." "Many" modifies only countable nouns. * "Many Americans travel to Europe." * "I collected many sources for my paper." Little/Few: "Little" modifies only uncountable nouns. * "He had little food in the house." * "When I was in college, there was little ______ to spare." "Few" modifies only countable nouns. * "There are a few doctors in town." * "He had few reasons for his opinion." A lot of/lots of: "A lot of" and "lots of" are informal substitutes for much and many. They are used with uncountable nouns when they mean "much" and with countable nouns when they mean "many." * "They have lots of (much) ______ in the ______." * "A lot of (many) Americans travel to ______." * "We got lots of (many) mosquitoes last summer." * "We got lots of (much) rain last summer." A little bit of: "A little bit of" is informal and always precedes an uncountable noun. * "There is a little bit of pepper in the soup." * "There is a little bit of snow on the ground." Plenty of: "Plenty of" modifies both countable and uncountable nouns. * "They have plenty of ______ in the ______." * "There are plenty of ______ in ______." Enough: Enough modifies both countable and uncountable nouns. * "There is enough money to buy a car." * "I have enough books to read." No No modifies both countable and uncountable nouns. * "There is no time to finish now." * "There are no squirrels in the park." |
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A, An, The or Nothing 1. This is ___ easy question. an 2. Please speak ___ little louder. a 3. May I have your ___ phone number? nothing 4. I have never seen ___ UFO. a 5. May I ask you ___ question? a / the 6. David is ___ best student in our class. the 7. What is ___ name of the next station? the 8. He has ___ my car today. nothing 9. I went to ___ sea during my summer vacation. the 10. Is there ___ public telephone near here? a |
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I only want ......... little sugar in my tea, please.
(a) a (b) the (c) such Correct answer: (a) a In ......... end we decided not to go to the cinema but to watch television. (a) the (b) this (c) an Correct answer: (a) the Your answer was: correct It is important sometimes to stop and look around you at all the wonderful things .......... (a) nature (b) in nature (c) in the nature Correct answer: (b) in nature It is ......... book that I have ever read. (a) funniest (b) a funniest (c) the funniest Correct answer: (c) the funniest I want to go to the cinema to see a film about ......... and the French. (a) France (b) a France (c) the France Correct answer: (a) France Can anyone give me ......... please because I have just fallen over? (a) hand (b) a hand (c) the hand Correct answer: (b) a hand The interesting thing about ......... is all the roads that they built in Britain. (a) Romans (b) a Romans (c) the Romans Correct answer: (c) the Romans She always said that when she grew up she wanted to be .......... (a) doctor (b) a doctor (c) the doctor Correct answer: (b) a doctor I have left my book in ......... and I would like you to get it for me. (a) kitchen (b) a kitchen (c) the kitchen Correct answer: (c) the kitchen Are you studying foreign languages at school, like .........? (a) French (b) a French (c) the French Correct answer: (a) French |
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What is an article?
Basically, an article is an adjective. Like adjectives, articles modify nouns. English has two articles: the and a/an. The is used to refer to specific or particular nouns; a/an is used to modify non-specific or non-particular nouns. We call the the definite article and a/an the indefinite article. the = definite article a/an = indefinite article For example, if I say, "Let's read the book," I mean a specific book. If I say, "Let's read a book," I mean any book rather than a specific book. Here's another way to explain it: The is used to refer to a specific or particular member of a group. For example, "I just saw the most popular movie of the year." There are many movies, but only one particular movie is the most popular. Therefore, we use the. v "A/an" is used to refer to a non-specific or non-particular member of the group. For example, "I would like to go see a movie." Here, we're not talking about a specific movie. We're talking about any movie. There are many movies, and I want to see any movie. I don't have a specific one in mind. Let's look at each kind of article a little more closely. Indefinite Articles: a and an "A" and "an" signal that the noun modified is indefinite, referring to any member of a group. For example: * "My daughter really wants a dog for Christmas." This refers to any dog. We don't know which dog because we haven't found the dog yet. * "Somebody call a policeman!" This refers to any policeman. We don't need a specific policeman; we need any policeman who is available. * "When I was at the zoo, I saw an elephant!" Here, we're talking about a single, non-specific thing, in this case an elephant. There are probably several elephants at the zoo, but there's only one we're talking about here. Remember, using a or an depends on the sound that begins the next word. So... * a + singular noun beginning with a consonant: a boy; a car; a bike; a zoo; a dog * an + singular noun beginning with a vowel: an elephant; an egg; an apple; an idiot; an orphan * a + singular noun beginning with a consonant sound: a user (sounds like 'yoo-zer,' i.e. begins with a consonant 'y' sound, so 'a' is used); a university; a unicycle * In some cases where "h" is pronounced, such as "historical," use an: An historical event is worth recording. In writing, "a historical event" is more commonly used. Remember that this rule also applies when you use acronyms: Introductory Composition at Purdue (ICaP) handles first-year writing at the University. Therefore, an ICaP memo generally discusses issues concerning English 106 instructors. Another case where this rule applies is when acronyms start with consonant letters but have vowel sounds: An MSDS (material safety data sheet) was used to record the data. An SPCC plan (Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures plan) will help us prepare for the worst. If the noun is modified by an adjective, the choice between a and an depends on the initial sound of the adjective that immediately follows the article: * a broken egg * an unusual problem * a European country (sounds like 'yer-o-pi-an,' i.e. begins with consonant 'y' sound) Remember, too, that in English, the indefinite articles are used to indicate membership in a group: * I am a teacher. (I am a member of a large group known as teachers.) * Brian is an Irishman. (Brian is a member of the people known as Irish.) * Seiko is a practicing Buddhist. (Seiko is a member of the group of people known as Buddhists.) Definite Article: the The definite article is used before singular and plural nouns when the noun is specific or particular. The signals that the noun is definite, that it refers to a particular member of a group. For example: "The dog that bit me ran away." Here, we're talking about a specific dog, the dog that bit me. "I was happy to see the policeman who saved my cat!" Here, we're talking about a particular policeman. Even if we don't know the policeman's name, it's still a particular policeman because it is the one who saved the cat. "I saw the elephant at the zoo." Here, we're talking about a specific noun. Probably there is only one elephant at the zoo. Count and Noncount Nouns The can be used with noncount nouns, or the article can be omitted entirely. * "I love to sail over the water" (some specific body of water) or "I love to sail over water" (any water). * "He spilled the milk all over the floor" (some specific milk, perhaps the milk you bought earlier that day) or "He spilled milk all over the floor" (any milk). "A/an" can be used only with count nouns. * "I need a bottle of water." * "I need a new glass of milk." Most of the time, you can't say, "She wants a water," unless you're implying, say, a bottle of water. Geographical use of the There are some specific rules for using the with geographical nouns. Do not use the before: * names of most territories: Italy, Mexico, Bolivia; however, the Netherlands, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines * names of cities, towns, or states: Seoul, Manitoba, Miami * names of streets: Washington Blvd., Main St. * names of lakes and bays: Lake Titicaca, Lake Erie except with a group of lakes like the Great Lakes * names of mountains: Mount Everest, Mount Fuji except with ranges of mountains like the Andes or the Rockies or unusual names like the Matterhorn * names of continents (Asia, Europe) * names of islands (Easter Island, Maui, Key West) except with island chains like the Aleutians, the Hebrides, or the Canary Islands Do use the before: * names of rivers, oceans and seas: the Nile, the Pacific * points on the globe: the Equator, the North Pole * geographical areas: the Middle East, the West * deserts, forests, gulfs, and peninsulas: the Sahara, the Persian Gulf, the Black Forest, the Iberian Peninsula Omission of Articles Some common types of nouns that don't take an article are: * Names of languages and ______: _______, English, Spanish, _____ * Names of sports: volleyball, hockey, baseball * Names of academic subjects: mathematics, biology, history, computer science |
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Uncountable nouns are for the things that we cannot count with numbers. They may be the names for abstract ideas or qualities or for physical objects that are too small or too amorphous to be counted (liquids, powders, gases, etc.). Uncountable nouns are used with a singular verb. They usually do not have a plural form.
Examples ◾ air ◾ anger ◾ beauty ◾ evidence ◾ fear ◾ knowledge ◾ love ◾ money ◾ research ◾ rice ◾ safety ◾ sugar ◾ tea ◾ water We cannot use a/an with these nouns. To express a quantity of an uncountable noun, use a word or expression like some, a lot of, much, a bit of, a great deal of , or else use an exact measurement like a cup of, a bag of, 1kg of, 1L of, a handful of, a pinch of, an hour of, a day of. If you want to ask about the quantity of an uncountable noun, you ask "How much?" Examples ◾ There has been a lot of research into the causes of this disease. ◾ He gave me a great deal of advice before my interview. ◾ Can you give me some information about uncountable nouns? ◾ He did not have much sugar left. ◾ Measure 1 cup of water, 300g of flour, and 1 teaspoon of salt. ◾ How much rice do you want? Uncountable Plurals Sometimes in English, we do use uncountable nouns in plural forms. This is most commonly done with liquids and substances. It usually takes on the meaning of "cups of", "bottles of" or "types of". Examples: •We'll have two coffees. Cups of coffee •I bought three waters. Bottles of water |