The Article

There are three articles in English: The Definite Article (the), The Indefinite Article (a/an) and The Zero Article (Ø)

The Definite Article

Uses:

1. When the noun has already been mentioned or it is well known: e.g. Yesterday I saw a film. The film was
very interesting.
2. Before nouns which are considered unique, ‘the only one’: e.g. the earth, the Bible, the sky, the sun
3. Before a noun that is particularized by a relative clause: e.g. This is the boy who broke my window.
4. Before a noun followed by a prepositional phrase: e.g. The capital of France/The house with large
windows/This is the road to Bristol.
5. Before a singular noun used as a representative of a class: e.g. The elephant is a big elephant.
When such nouns are turned into the plural, the definite article is no longer used: e.g. Elephants are big
animals.
6. Before a common noun followed by a proper noun which identifies it: e.g. The novelist Hemingway/the
play Macbeth. But nouns expressing professions usually follow the proper names and are preceded by
the: Brown, the lawyer, Jackson, the singer. Similarly, nouns in apposition take the before them: e.g.
Bucharest, the capital of Romania, Lucy, the girl we met yesterday.
7. Before the name of a country: e.g. The United Kingdom, The United States of America, The Netherlands
8. Before names of rivers, seas, oceans, chains of mountains, groups of islands: e.g. The Thames, The Black
Sea, The Pacific (Ocean), The Carpathians, The Rocky Mountains, The Hebrides, The Isle of Man
9. Before names of ships, trains, aeroplanes: e.g.The Titanic, The Flying Scotsman
10. Before names of shops, hotels, buildings, institutions: e.g. The Ritz, The White House, The University of
Florida
11. Before names of persons to particularize a certain person: e.g. The John I’m talking about is not your
friend.
12. Before plural names to refer to a group as a whole: The Browns (=the family), The Tudors (=the dynasty)
13. Before adjectives, Past Participles or Gerunds used to represent a whole class: e.g. the rich, the poor, the
accused, the grey-haired, the missing
14. Before names of nationalities to refer to a group as a whole: e.g. The English, The French
15. Before superlatives and ordinal numbers: e.g. the best, the longest, the first, the second
16. Before names of musical instruments: e.g. to play the piano/guitar/violin
17. Before names of publications: e.g. The Guardian, The Times (but: Time)
18. Before names of days, months, seasons, when the reference is made to a special day, month, season, or
when these names are preceded by the prepositions in or during:
e.g. I remember the Sunday we left London.
The winter of 1954 lasted five months.
I think I met her in the January of 1980.
19. Before historical epochs or documents: e.g. The Stone Age, The Middle Ages, The French Revolution, The
Magna Carta
20. In a number of phrases: e.g. by the way, on the one hand/on the other hand, in the mountains, in the
country(side), at the seaside, for the time being, on the whole, in the morning, in the afternoon, in the
evening, to tell the truth etc.
The Indefinite Article

e.g. a /ә/ book

an /әn/ apple
heir
honest man
hour

The Indefinite Article can be used with singular countable nouns, irrespective of their gender: e.g. a boy,
a girl, an egg. A few pluralia tantum nouns can also be preceded by a/an:
e.g. A barracks was seen in the distance.
A headquarters was established near the city.

Uses:

1. When a countable noun is mentioned for the first time: e.g. I looked out of the window and I
saw a big dog.
2. Before a singular countable noun used as a representative of a whole class: e.g. A driver is a
person who drives a car.
3. When we want to classify people in terms of:
a) their origin: e.g. He is a Mexican
b) their occupation: e.g. I’m a doctor
But if the noun denotes a title or office that can only be held by one person at a time, the
Indefinite Article is no longer used: e.g. Jack was elected captain of the team.
Besides, the Indefinite Article is not used after the verb to turn when it means to become:
e.g. She used to be a teacher, but then she turned singer.
c) their religion: She’s a Catholic
d) their politics: Tom is a Republican
4. With the meaning ‘one’, ‘no matter of which’: Mother, can I have an apple?
5. In expressions of measurement:
a) Price in relation to weight: 90 p a/per killo
b) Distance in relation to speed: 80 km an/per hour
c) Distance in relation to fuel consumption: 50 miles a/per gallon
d) Frequency in relation to time: twice a/per week
6. Before Miss/Mr./Mrs. +surname, to denote a person known only as a name: e.g. A Mrs.
Williamson is waiting for you.
7. With the meaning ‘the same’: e.g. Birds of a feather flock together
8. Before a noun in apposition: e.g. John, a friend of mine, saw this film.
9. With little and few: e.g. She has a little money to spare/We have a few friends here.
10. In exclamatory sentences beginning with what, such or so: e.g. What a difficult problem!/What
a day!/The news gave me such a shock.
Mention should be made of the fact that the Indefinite Article precedes the adjective when used
with such and it follows the adjective when used with so: e.g. He was such a good worker!/He
was so good a worker!
11. Before a noun preceded by as: e.g. He came to the ball dressed as a pirate./She gave me a
camera as a present.
 12. In a number of phrases: as a rule, as a reward, as a matter of fact, at a distance, all of a sudden,
in a loud/low voice, on an equal footing, once upon a time, once in a blue moon, three times a
week, it’s a pity, it’s a shame, to be in a hurry, to have an appetite for, to have a head for, to
have a talent for, to put an end to, to make a fortune, to make a fuss, to take an interest in, to
take a seat

The Zero Article

Uses:

1. Before abstract nouns used in a general sense: life, death, freedom, love etc.
e.g. Most people fear death.
2. Before names of materials used in a general sense: milk, bread, butter, coffee, gold, iron, snow, cotton,
wool
e.g. Coffee is rather expensive. BUT The coffee you bought yesterday is very good.
3. Before plural nouns used in a general sense: Books are silent friends. BUT The books you lent me are
interesting.
4. Before names of meals used in a general sense: We have breakfast at 7 o’clock every morning.
5. Before titles followed by a proper noun: Queen Elizabeth, King Richard , Doctor Brown, President Obama
6. Before words like: church, school, prison, hospital, market, bed when they are used for their primary
purpose: e.g. go to church, go to school, go to hospital
7. Before names of days, months, seasons, holidays: Monday is the first day of the week/February is the
shortest month of the year.
8. Before names of subjects: Physics, Chemistry
9. Before means of transport: by air, by bicycle, by bus, by car, by land, by coach, by plane, by sea, by
ship, by train, on foot
10. In a number of phrases: arm in arm, face to face, from top to bottom, hand in hand, to come to light, to
keep in mind, to make fun of, to make friends, at dawn/dusk/night, by day/night, in the face of danger, to be in
debt/trouble, beyond reach, beyond hope, to shake hands with, to stay at home, from time to time, by means
of, at random, on sale, to live from hand to mouth (= a trăi de azi pe mâine)