1. Use an indefinite article when you speak about A
person and
a definite article when you speak about THE person.
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2. New Year Grammar Resolutions!!!
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3. Objectives:
 define appropriately the term article;
 learn the types of articles;
 know their place in a sentence;
 understand how to choose the right article in a
sentence;
 practice.
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4. What is an article?
 is a type of a determiner;
 it comes at the beginning of a noun phrase;
 signal whether the information is new or familiar;
 can tell something about quantity.
Use an indefinite article when you speak about A person
and
a definite article when you speak about THE person.
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5. What do articles look like?
indefinite article: a and an
definite article: the
zero article
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6. Idioms and other fixed expressions
a bit of in a hurry make a start have a drink
on the coast in the pink off the record do a good turn
go to the wall have the blues pay through the nose at[ ] sea
feel[ ] blue on [ ] loan out of [ ] action in [ ] debt
in very good be destroyed a slight
health financially confused owing money amount of sth
to move very to drink to do sth kind
quickly something which helps sb on the land private
begin doing pay too much being lent /
something money for sth borrowed not working feel sad
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7. How to choose?
We can leave articles before
 plural nouns: [ ] Dreams often come true.
 uncountable nouns: Give me [ ] money.
We can only leave an article out before a singular
noun if we replace it with another determiner:
 possessive adjectives: her brother.
 demonstrative adjectives: that book.
 many quantifiers: any occasion, every day.
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8. The kind of noun that follows affects
our choice!!!
Singular nouns Plural nouns Uncountable nouns
a / an a book
- -
no article [ ] books [ ] rice
-
the the book the books the rice
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9. A / an: introducing what is new
 used with singular nouns.
Indicates something:
 new;
 unexpected;
 the listener / reader is unaware of.
Once upon … sunny morning … man who sat in …
a a a
breakfast nook looked up from his scrambled eggs
a a
to see … white unicorn with … golden horn.
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10. The: indicating “common ground”
 signals that the readers or listeners know or will soon
know what the speaker or writer is referring to;
 context is very important in finding the “common
ground”.
Refers: The man went up to …
… the
 backwards; bedroom where his wife was
 forwards; still asleep and woke her.
 external reference
(shared experience / He is the man who saw …
… the
general knowledge). unicorn.
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11. No article – generalizations
 left out before plural and uncountable nouns when we
are referring to something general
I usually have [ ] sandwiches
…
for lunch.
[ ] English parsley has curly
…
leaves.
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12. Rules of thumb!!!
They teach us that we use a / an:
 with there is: There’s an apple in my bag.
 the first time we mention sth: I bought a cake. The
cake was mouldy.
 after have / have got: Have you got a car?
 in naming things: It’s a rhinoceros.
 with occupations: I’m a teacher.
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13. Rules of thumb!!!
They teach us that we use the:
 when we have already mentioned what we’re talking
about: I bought a cake. The cake was mouldy.
 when there is only one of something: The Moon (i.e.
the moon which revolves around the planet)
Can you lay the table? (i.e. the table in the room we’re
both in)
 with defining relative clauses: Speak to the person who
wrote the book.
 in superlative expressions: She is the best teacher.
 in comparative expressions with the same: Give me
the same as usual, please.
 with particular adjectives: the first, the next, the last.
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14. “Sub-rules”
which contradict the “basic rules”
A / an
 with the sense of ‘every’ in expressions of time and
quantity: forty times an hour / thirty pounds a kilo
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15. The
 Leisure activities / forms of entertainment / travel:
Entertainment: I went to the cinema.
the pub.
the shops.
Transport: I arrived at the airport.
the bus stop.
the station.
Musical instruments: I play the piano.
the violin.
the acoustic guitar.
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16. The
 Proper nouns:
Rivers: the Thames
Mountain ranges: the Andes
Oceans and seas: the Atlantic
Deserts: the Sahara
Group of islands: the Maldives
Hotels: the Hilton
Cinemas: the Odeon
Political bodies: the Labour Party, the Government
Countries: the United Kingdom, the Check Republic, the
Philippines
Newspapers: the Guardian
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17. No article
 ‘Belonging’ to institutions:
Is she still in [ ] hospital? (i.e. as a patient)
He went to [ ] sea when he was fourteen. (i.e. as a sailor)
 Meals: She came to [ ] lunch.
 Time expressions:
next [ ] week last [ ] year on [ ] Sunday at [ ] six o’clock
 Work, home, bed:
She left [ ] work. I got [ ] home. She went to [ ] bed.
She is at [ ] work / home. She is in [ ] bed.
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18. No article
Proper nouns:
 people:
[ ] Mark [ ] Barak Obama
 places such as villages, towns, cities, parks, streets,
woods, forests
[ ] Knoxville [ ] Parsonage Lane [ ] Sherwood Forest
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19. An exception!
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20. BRIDGET: Is some people's opinion of Kafka... but they couldn't be more
wrong. This book is a searing vision... of the wounds our century has
inflicted on-- on traditional masculinity. It's positively Vonnegut-esque.
Thank you for calling, Professor Leavis.
DANIEL: Guest list for launch party.
BRIDGET: Ah.
DANIEL: Was that...F.R. Leavis?
BRIDGET: Mm-hmm.
DANIEL: Wow. Huh. The F.R. Leavis... who wrote "Mass Civilization
and Minority Culture"?
BRIDGET: Mm-hmm.
DANIEL: The F.R. Leavis who died in 1978? Amazing.
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21. Common mistakes!!!
 In the struggle to communicate, some speakers ‘squeeze
them out’:
e.g. *Have you got pen? * I want new car.
 Miss out articles where they are missed out in their own
language:
e.g. *She is tax inspector.
 Use articles where they are not needed:
e.g. *I didn’t have a lunch yesterday. *I watched the television.
 May use the in generalizations:
e.g. *I like the sports. *The international tourism has
benefited many countries.
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22. Common mistakes!!!
 Do not realize that the noun is uncountable:
e.g. *She plays the tennis.
*She has a flu.
*It was a good fun.
 Use an article before a possessive adjective:
e.g. *Where is the my book?
 Use one instead of a / an:
e.g. *I went to one party last night.
 Use a instead of an:
e.g. *They reached a agreement.
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