ARTICLES

DEFINITION
The articles A, AN, THE
are called determiners
or noun markers. Here
are some guidelines:

1. A and AN are indefinite

articles used to introduce a
new noun (first mention) or a
noun used in the general
sense:
Maria bought a new car.
It's a brand new day.

An is used in front of
singular count nouns
beginning with vowel
sounds: an essay, an
hour, an umbrella

2. THE is a definite article

used in front of singular or
plural nouns that:
occur in some set
expressions (idioms):
It's the same story (lesson,
way, message).
One of the musicians can play
the flute.

plural
noun and countries made up of
states/provinces/other countries:
precede most countries that end in a

the United States

the Russian Federation

precede the names of oceans, seas,

and rivers:

The
The
The
The

Pacific Ocean
Mediterranean Sea
Gulf of Mexico
Mississippi River

gulfs

precede specific nouns that are easily

identifiable because they refer to a
unique object or are modified by
superlative adjectives:

The sky is blue and the sun is shining.

The computer that you are using needs
more software.
She's studying the Indonesian language.
Is this the right answer or the wrong
answer?

occur in expressions of time

and ordinal numbers:

She is the first (second, third,

last) person to get the right
answer.

 have already been introduced (second mention) or

are defined in the context of the sentence:
Note the first and second mention from "The Fox and The
Crow," one of Aesop's fables:

One day, a hungry fox was walking

along a path when he saw a crow
sitting on a branch of a tree, eating a
piece of cheese. The fox wanted the
cheese, so he said to the crow, "Mister
Crow, you have such a beautiful voice.
Would you please sing a song for me?"
Flattered, the crow opened his mouth
to sing the song, and the cheese fell
right into the mouth of the clever fox.

Incorrect:
She is working for
Spanish radio station.
An apple a day is
good for you.

Correct:
She is working for a
Spanish radio station.
An apple a day is
good for you.

He's living in United

States.
Everyone has to
arrive on the time.
An earth rotates
around a sun.

He's living in the

United States.
Everyone has to
arrive on time.
The earth rotates
around the sun.
.

EXERCISES
1) My grandmother likes__
flowers very much.
2) I love___ flowers in your
garden.

3) See you on____ Wednesday.

4) I always listen to ____radio in
the morning.
5) Alex goes to ____work by bus.

6) Don't be late for____ school.

7) Listen! Dennis is playing____
trumpet.
8) We often see our cousins over
_____Easter.
9) She has never been to ____Alps
before.
10) What about going to Australia
in___ February?

1)Lucy has___ dog.

2) Let's sing __song.
3) Emily needs ___new desk in her room.
4) I need ___blue pen.
5) Ben has ___old bike.