Monday 23 February 2015
Thursday 19 February 2015
Wednesday 18 February 2015
Wednesday 11 February 2015
Friday 6 February 2015
The article
Article Chart
Specific
(This one, that one)
(This/that group)
Which one?
Which ones?
|
Non-Specific
Any one
Any group
One of many
One of many groups
|
Generic
In general
| ||||
Count
Singular
|
The apple
The bird
The child |
An apple
A bird
A child
|
*
*
| |||
Count
Plural
|
The apples
The birds
The children
|
Some apples
Some birds
Some children
|
Apples
Birds
Children
| |||
Non-count
|
The water
The information
|
Some water
Some information
|
Water
Information
|
Notes:
Specific articles are used with nouns which have been identified previously. (The speaker and the listener both know which thing/person/substance/idea is being referred to.)
The teacher is coming up the stairs.
(Both listener and speaker know which teacher and which stairs.)
Give me the red shirt. (I know which one you are talking about.)
Non-specific articles are used with nouns that have not been identified previously (by both the speaker and the listener.) They are used with items that have not been singled-out yet. (Note: As soon as the items are identified, they require a specific article.)
I want a candy bar. (Any candy bar will do.)
Which one do you want? (Asking for specification)
The one on the right. (I choose that one.)
Give me some milk. (Any milk is fine.)
I need some new shoes. (But I haven't decided which ones to buy yet.)
I bought some shoes at Valmart. (I know which shoes, but you don't.)
These are the shoes that I bought. (Now we both know which ones.)
Non-count and plural nouns are used without articles in the generic sense.
Cats are afraid of dogs. (in general)
Water is necessary for survival.
*However, singular count nouns cannot stand alone in a sentence, so an article (usually a or an) is used.
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