Definite and indefinite articles love. Definite article (the)

Zero article or significant absence of article

1. If there are other determiners before a noun - possessive, demonstrative, interrogative, indefinite pronoun or a noun in the possessive case, then this noun is used without an article. My house is big.

2. There is no article before a countable noun in plural, in that case, if in the singular it were preceded by an indefinite article. I saw a book on the table. – I saw books on the table.

If a countable noun in the singular is used in a classifying meaning, or with a definite article in a generalizing meaning, such a noun in the plural does not have an article. A tiger is a wild animal. -Tigers are wild animals. The elephant lives in India. -Elephants live in India.

3. If you need to emphasize the number of countable nouns, then a cardinal number is placed in front of them. In this case it is a descriptive definition. Usually nouns with cardinal number are used without an article. There were t hree boys. But if the noun is specified, the definite article is used – The two boys were dirty. A noun with a cardinal numeral in the ordinal meaning is also used without an article. Unit six, page twenty Also if a noun is followed by a letter designation – point C, exhibit D

4. No article before real noun indicates the use of a noun in a generalized sense . I don't like coffee. The name of a substance can be used with a descriptive definition, which narrows the range of homogeneous nouns, and therefore does not require changing the article. Strong coffee is bitter. The names of substances denoting a variety, type or portion become countable and are used according to general rules: a coffee = a cup of coffee.

Countable nouns denoting meat as a type of food are used with a zero article - chicken, fish, turkey, duck, lamb etc. If it is important to indicate a certain number of uncountable nouns, indefinite pronouns are usually used some, any. These pronouns are usually not translated into Russian. Bring me some water. Do you have any cheese?

5. An abstract noun is used without an article when it expresses generalized concept. Time will show who is right. Also, an abstract noun can be used with a descriptive adjective, which makes the noun less general. But this does not lead to a change in the article. He doesn’t love abstract art. Sometimes a noun in the generalized case can act as a descriptive definition. In this case, the article is also not used . I am fond of science fiction If an abstract noun has a descriptive definition expressing a type of quality, state, feeling, such a noun can be used with an indefinite article. He got a good education. If an abstract noun has an individualizing definition, or is specified by a situation, the definite article is used . I like the music of this film.

The following nouns are never used with the indefinite article: advice, assistance, bliss, breeding, cunning, control, evidence, fun, guidance, health, information, money, nature, news, nonsense, permission, progress, trade, weather, work.

6. Used without an article collective nouns denoting a group of objects: advice, baggage, chinaware, equipment, furniture, information, news etc.

7. Before a noun in circulation functions no article is used. Good morning, captain! Can I ask you a question, young man?

8. The article is not used before nouns denoting Times of Day in the event that they denote light, darkness: day, night, morning, afternoon, noon, daytime, evening, twilight, dusk, nightfall, midnight, sunrise, sunset. Night came unexpectedly.

After nouns with prepositions: at, after, before, by, till, until, towards, past the article is also not used. I came home at night.

If the definition of a noun is words tomorrow, yesterday, or days of the week, the zero article is used. Since Friday evening I haven’t seen him.

The article is not used in the following prepositional combinations: all day (long), all night (through), day after day, day in day out, from morning till night, night after night, day and night, from day to day etc.

9. Titles seasons are used without an article. I don't like autumn. If the noun - the name of the season - is a nominal part of a compound predicate, the zero article is required. It is winter now. The appearance of a descriptive definition requires the indefinite article. It was a terribly rainy autumn. But the presence of adjectives late And early indicates the use of the zero article . It was early spring. If an individuating definition is present, the definite article is required . It was the summer of 1991, when he married. After prepositions during, for, through The definite article is also used. We always move to the country for the summer.

10. Titles meals used without an article . What would you like for dinner? If dinner, or any other meal is formal, or if it is individualized, then any article can be used. They gave a dinner. The lunch you cooked was marvelous.

11. Titles diseases usually used without an article. He has fallen ill with flu. Some nouns that are not medical terms name diseases: a headache, a pain in the back, a cold, a sore throat, etc. In English, these nouns are used without an article; in American English, they are used with an indefinite article. I have a terrible headache! If the noun denoting disease is plural, then it is used without an article .measles,mumps,shingles.

12. Titles home and sports games, sports, are used without an article. Why did you start playing football?

13. Titles sciences and school subjects used without an article . My favorite subject is Geography.

14. If nouns school, college, university, kindergarten, class, court, hospital, prison, jail, bed, sea, table, church, work are used without an article, this means the type of activity directly related to them. Dinner is ready. Sit down to table. If these nouns name a building, they are combined with the article that is appropriate for the situation. He was taken to hospital. We are going to the hospital to visit him.

15. The following are used with the zero article:

a) Noun town in opposition to the word country, and in the following phrases: to be in town, to go to town, to come back to town, to live (stay) in town, to be out of town, to leave town.

b) Noun space meaning “space”. When a child I used to dream of space.

c) Noun society in the meaning of “an organized society of people living in one place” People should work for the benefit of society.

d) Noun most meaning "majority". Most frogs can swim.

16. The article is omitted for brevity in newspaper and magazine headlines, advertisements, telegram texts, geographical maps, theater stage directions . Doctor saves child. Can arrive later prepare room.

17. Proper nouns are used with a zero article:

a) C first and last names of people, names of animals. I saw Kate. If they are preceded by adjectives young, poor, lazy, etc., the article is also missing. Little John If before your own name there is a word denoting rank, title, profession, title (with a capital letter), or a noun expressing family relations, the article is not used. Lord Byron, Aunt Polly. When the preposition of appears, the definite article is used – the Duke of York. If the rank is a title without a proper name, then the article is required - the President. The article is not used with a noun in a prepositional phrase c of, where the main word means post, title. He was nominated for the post of President. Words denoting family members - father, sister, are considered as proper names if they are used in the speech of members of the same family. In this case, they are used without an article, with a capital letter.

If the surname is plural and denotes the entire family, the definite article is used - the Ivanovs.; or if there is an individualizing definition - It is the Belov, who phoned yesterday.

A proper name may be used with the indefinite article to indicate that it is “one of...” Is he not a Sympthon?; to give meaning to “some” - A Mr Brown called you.; when using a name to associate a quality inherent in it: My husband is a real Othello!

b) With names schools, colleges, universities, unless the name of the institution contains a restrictive qualification expressed by a prepositional phrase with of – the university of New York

c) With names magazines Times, Cosmopolitan

d) With names days of the week and months Friday, April

d) With names languages English, Chinese. If the language name contains the word language, the definite article is used.

e) With names holidays Christmas, New Year

g) Before abbreviations BA=Bachelor of Arts, and words denoting the names of organizations, when all capital letters making up the word are read as a single word: NATO, UNO

h) Geographical names are used with a zero article: continents, regions, countries, cities, villages. Britain, Canada. Exceptions – the Ukraine, the Argentine (but Argentina) the Lebanon, the Cameroon, the Ivory Coast, the Congo, the Caucasus, the Crimea, the Hague, the Vatican, the Ruhr, the Sudan, the Senegal, the Tyrol, the Yemen, the Philippines. If the name of the state contains a common noun – kingdom, commonwealth, union, state, republic, lands, federation, this name is used with the definite article . the USA

Titles areas with definition north(northern), south (southern), minor, Latin, middle, ancient, old . Ancient Greece

Titles streets, squares, bridges, city districts, public buildings, parks Oxford Street, Buckingham Palace, Red Square. Street names with ordinal numbers - Fifth Avenue. Exceptions – the Arbat, the Garden Ring, the Via Manzoni, the Gorky Park, the Snowdonia National Park, the Botanical Gardens, the Strand, the Mall, the Main Street, the High Street, the Bronx, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Severn Bridge.

Titles mountain peaks, islands – Everest, Corfu; lakes- only if there is a word lake – lake Baikal, But the Baikal.

Titles bays and peninsulas, in the absence of a word peninsula – Kamchatka, Hudson Bay. But in a prepositional construction with of the definite article is used - the Gulf of Mexico.

Titles capes Cape Horn, except the Cape of Good Hope.

Titles airports, train stations – Heathrow, Waterloo Station.

Titles waterfalls – Niagara Falls.

Titles restaurants, shops – Luigi's, Harrod's

Titles companies, airlines – Kodak, British Airways

Titles planets– Saturn, Mars

Titles churches, especially if they are named after a saint - St Paul's Cathedral

Geographical names with center used with the zero article – Lincoln Center

18. There is no article before nouns used in pairs and connected by prepositions from… till/to– from beginning to end, from hand to mouth.

If there is a preposition before a noun – by, at, off, on, in– by plane, at home

If two nouns are connected by a conjunction and– husband and wife.

Before nouns qualified by words next, last , if they mean future and past – last week.

The article is absent in a number of stable phrases, for example:

A noun that is inseparable from a verb.

to ask for permission
to be in bed
to be at home
to be at school
to be at table
to be in prison
to be in town
to be on holiday
to be out of
to catch (lose) sight of
to declare war
to give offence (permission)
to give way to
to go by water (air, sea, land)
to go home
to go to bed
to go to school
to go/(travel, come, arrive) by bus/(car, boat, ship, plane, air, train)
to go to sea
to go to town

to go to church
to keep house
to keep time
to leave school
to leave town
to lose touch with
to lose track of
to make fun of
to make haste
to make use of
to pay attention to
to play chess (cards, football, tennis, hockey, etc.)
to set fire to
to shake hands with
to take care
to take notice of
to take part
to take place
to tell lies

Noun inseparable from preposition

at breakfast (dinner, lunch, supper)
at hand
at home
at dawn
at daybreak
at dusk
at first
at first sight
at night
at noon
at peace
at present
at school
at sunrise
at sunset
at table
at twilight
at war
at work
by accident
by air
by chance
by day
by hand
by heart
by land
by letter
by mail
by means of
by mistake
by name
by night
by phone
by post
by sea

by telegram
by train (tram, boat, bus, taxi, etc.)
in addition to
in (on) behalf of
in care of
in case of
in charge of
in conclusion
in debt
in demand
in detail
in fact
in mind
in reference to
in search of
in secret
in sight
in spite of
in time
in trouble
on board
on business
on condition that
on credit
on deck
on foot
on holiday
on sale
on time
out of date
out of order
out of place
out of sight

A combined combination of two nouns with a preposition.

arm in arm
day after day
day by day
from beginning to end
from left to right
from morning till night
from town to town

from time to time
from day to day
from east to west
from side to side
from head to foot
hand in hand
side by side

Practical part

“Don’t cry, ... baby,” said Carlson.
You can see a sign in a plane: “Fasten... seatbelt when sit.”
… President Medvedev invited … Mikhalkovs to the Kremlin. It was an official meeting with… President. … President of Russia made a speech in honor of the family.
-...Mr. Bean is waiting for you in the room, Sir.
– Is he... Mr Bean who was calling all... day long yesterday?
- No, Sir.
My dream is a trip to… lake Baikal! … Baikal is the deepest and the most beautiful lake in the world!
The koala means “no water”. ... koalas get liquid from eucalyptus leaves.
I always bring… chinaware for my mum as a present.
History class is in …room F.
– Why do you like ... PE?
– Because I like playing … basketball and we play it very often.
He is in...prison. … prison is a public building used to house criminals. … prison where he is, is a modern one with a gym, a computer room and even an art center.
…most teachers in Russia choose this profession because they have a call for teaching.
More and more people go to live in … town every year. Farming is not popular nowadays.
Have...fun! Don’t think about… money.
–I think, I’ll take... ice-cream.
- Ok. And I will have… juice. I don’t like… ice-cream.
I remember… time when I was five. I was really happy.
When I looked out of the window I saw … three girls who weren’t at … school yesterday. They had… three new schoolbags.
When I lived in Sukhumi my favorite dish was … stewed lamb.
It is not your toy! It is...Mike's computer!
…twilight can be scary for little children.
All...day long we were preparing for theexam.
It is…summer now. It is… horribly hot summer. In spite of the fact that it is … late summer, the temperature is 30 degrees Celsius! We’ll remember … summer of 2010, for sure! During … summer we drank liters of water every hour!
Children mustn’t eat crisps for… breakfast every day! It's unhealthy. … breakfast they can buy in a canteen is nutritious and warm.
Nearly all the class has got...measles. Some children had … sore throat and … runny nose. So they've caught... cold.

Keys and comments

Baby (noun in the function of address).
Seatbelt (the article is omitted for brevity in advertisements).
President (before your own name there is a word denoting the position (with a capital letter); the Mikhalkovs (the surname is in the plural and denotes the whole family); the President (position without a proper name); the President of Russia (an article with a noun in the prepositional phrase c of, where the main word means post, title).
A Mr Bean (to give the meaning “some”); the Mr Bean (individualizing definition); all day long (prepositional combination).
lake Baikal (presence of the word lake); the Baikal (name of the lake).
Koalas (singular (the koala) is used with the definite article in a general sense).
Chinaware (collective noun denoting a group of objects).
Room F (letter designation of a noun).
PE (name of school subject); basketball (name of the sport).
In prison (type of activity directly related to the noun); a prison (general concept); the prison (noun specified).
Most teachers (noun most meaning “majority”).
Town (noun town in opposition to the word country).
Fun, money (never used with the indefinite article, generalized meaning).
An ice-cream (portion); juice (generalized meaning); ice-cream (generalized meaning).
The time (abstract noun, has an individualizing definition).
The three girls(noun specified); at school (a noun inseparable from the preposition); three new bags (descriptive definition).
Lamb (meat as a type of food).
Mike's computer (possessive case).
Twilight (noun denoting time of day; means darkness).
All day long (prepositional combination).
Summer (noun - the name of the season, is a nominal part of a compound predicate); a horribly hot summer (descriptive definition); late summer (with adjectives late And early); the summer of (individualizing definition); the summer (after the preposition during).
Breakfast (meal names); the breakfast (meal is individualized).
Measles (plural noun meaning disease); a sore throat, a runny nose, a cold (a non-medical noun that names a disease).

Hello again! The Article is the main determiner of a word in an English sentence. Before using any noun, you need to decide what object is being talked about: any or specific. In English, an article is almost always placed before a noun, depending on the type of word (specific/generalized) - definite (Definite) or indefinite (Indefinite). The indefinite article in English

In this article we will look at what it is the Indefinite Article and cases where the indefinite article is used in English.

Let me remind you that the indefinite article "a/an" derived from the Old English evolved numeral " one" This auxiliary part of speech singles out one item from many similar ones, which is no different from its analogues and you know a minimum of information about it: I had a sandwich.

Word with undefined The article is the name of the object as a whole, and not a pointer to a specific object. For example, saying the word “ a book“We present books in general, and not any specific book. In Russian, its meaning can be expressed in the following words: some, one of, any, one, every, some, each, any. May sometimes be replaced by pronouns any(everyone) and some(some).

The fact that Indefinite Article comes from a numeral determines the basic rules for its use:

"a/an" is only used with countable persons or objects that we can count: a lamp, a car, an apple a cup - Have a drink
Since this is the numeral “one,” “a/an” is used only with words in the singular, and in the plural the article is omitted: lamps, cars — There are bottles

Use of the indefinite article

What is the difference between "a" and "an"?

In English there are two types of neodef. article: "a" And " an". What is the difference between them? Take a close look at the presented examples and you will see a certain pattern: “a” is used when the subsequent word begins with a consonant letter or sound ( a h ouse, a c at, a y ard), and “an” - before a vowel sound or letter ( anh our, an o ld woman, an a pple).

See you later!

Watch the video lesson

Many foreign languages have such a part of speech as the article (The Article). This is a auxiliary part of speech and acts as a noun determiner. There is no such part of speech in the Russian language, so it is difficult for Russian-speaking people starting to learn English to get used to using articles in speech. How and why are articles used in English?

But if we do not use them, difficulties may arise in communicating with an Englishman, because it will not be clear to him what kind of subject we are talking about, whether he knows anything about it or not. To avoid problems in communication and to simply learn how to express yourself correctly, it is important and necessary to study articles in English and cases of their use.

Today we will talk about such an important topic as the use of articles in English, and we will also look at cases when it is necessary to use articles.

There are two types of articles in English:

Definite Article
Indefinite Article (indefinite article)

THE- definite article or Definite Article, and it is pronounced [ ðǝ ] when a noun begins with a consonant and [ ðɪ ] when the noun begins with a vowel. For example: the [ ðǝ ] school, the [ ðɪ ] apple.
A or AN— indefinite (Indefinite Article). When a noun begins with a consonant, we say " a banana", but if with a vowel, then " an orange."

To better understand what the difference is between the definite and indefinite article in English, we will give an example in Russian: When articles are used in English

Cases of using articles in English

Here it is important to remember what rules exist for using articles in English:

The article is used before every common noun.
We do not use the article when the noun is preceded by a demonstrative or possessive pronoun, another noun in the possessive case, a cardinal number or the negation no (not not!).

This is a girl. - It's a girl.
My sister is an engineer — My sister is an engineer.
I see the girls jumping the rope. — I see girls jumping rope.

As a rule, the indefinite article in English is used when the subject is spoken about for the first time, as well as if nothing is known about the subject. The definite article (Definite Article) is present where something is already known about the subject or it is mentioned again in conversation. Let's see this with a few examples. Note:

He has got a computer.- He has a computer (what kind of computer, what’s wrong with it, what brand, etc. - we don’t know.
The computer is new. - The computer is new (Now some information about the computer has appeared - it is new).
This is a tree. — This is a tree (it is not clear what kind of tree, nothing is known about it).
The tree is green. — The tree is green (something is already known, the tree is covered with green leaves).
What articles are used and when in English?

Indefinite Article a, an can be used in exclamatory sentences beginning with the word what: What a surprise! - What a surprise! What a beautiful day! - What a beautiful day!
Indefinite article a, an in English it is used only with countable nouns: This is a book. - This is a book. I see a boy. - I see a boy.
Definite Article is used with both countable and uncountable nouns: The book I read is very interesting. — The book I am reading is very interesting. The meat you've bought is fresh. — The meat you bought is fresh.
Indefinite Article is used before an adjective if it is followed by a noun: We have a large family. - We have a big family. I read an interesting book. — I’m reading an interesting book.
The indefinite article can be used in a sentence to mean “one, one, one”: My father has three children, two sons and a daughter. — My father has three children - two sons and one daughter. Today I bought a copy-book and two pens. — Today I bought one notebook and two pens.
Definite Article is used in the superlative degree of adjectives: Pink Street is the largest street in that town. — Pink Street is the largest in this city.
The definite article is used with geographical names, that is, before the names of rivers, canals, seas, mountains, oceans, bays, straits, archipelagos. But it is not used with the names of lakes, countries, continents. Exceptions: the United States of America, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Netherlands, the Ukraine, the Congo, the Crimea.

And now, friends, pay attention to which stable phrases in English always contain a definite article:

In the south
In the north
In the east
In the west
To the south
To the north
To the east
To the west
What's the use?
To the cinema
To the theater
To the shop
To the market
At the cinema
At the theater
At the shop
At the market.

There are still many individual cases of using articles in English. We will look at them in more detail in articles, which are separately devoted to the definite article and separately to the indefinite article.

In general, the situation with articles in English is very serious. They need and should be used in speech, without them there is simply no way, otherwise we ourselves can get confused and confuse our interlocutor in the information presented. And in order not to get confused about which articles exactly and when to use them, just memorize these cases. And you will see how this small but very necessary service part of speech will bring clarity to your conversation, and your speech will be beautiful and complete! So let the kids the, a and an become your assistants in your English speech!

It is impossible to boast of knowledge of English grammar without knowing seemingly insignificant but important details, for example, articles. One of the most insidious and treacherous of them is the definite article “the”. When communicating with a native speaker, it is very easy to get burned by using it inappropriately, or vice versa, by missing it. Knowing the following 10 rules, you can
strengthen your knowledge on the front of articles and be more confident in the correctness of your sayings. But be extremely careful - the rules are full of exceptions and pitfalls. Don't say “thanks” just yet. Check what we have in store for ya!

Let's start with something simple. You use an article when you want to distinguish a word from its other possible versions. If there is no confusion regarding what you mean, then you don't use the article. So if everyone already knows, for example, where you go to school (university or work), you simply say: “I"m going to school,” because there is no confusion. Or if you say that are you ever going to go to school in general, you don't use articles « the" The same applies to the house - usually everyone has one, and hell and Heaven, about which everyone knows. So, the next time you think about where you will go after death, think in English, and do it correctly: “I"m going to hell.” However, when we talk about special hell of a particular religion, the article “the” should already be: “ The hell of Islam is far worse than the hell of Chirstianity.»

With that being said, it is important to remember that if countable noun (one gun, two guns), That always use the article (the / a / an). And at the same time remember that can't bet his before plural (guns, books) or innumerablenouns(water, blood, advice, chocolate, meat etc.).

Generally

We don't put « the", When talking about something generally, without specifics.

Cats are awesome pets!

Here we are not talking about one specific awesome cat or pet, but about all awesome cats and pets at once.

Women love it when men do it right.
People are evil in that neighborhood.

Sport

Names of sports and other types of physical activity don't require article "the".

I love to go skiing in the winter.
I play baseball every day after school.
He loves watching hockey on TV.
She does yoga 3 times a week.
My daughter really enjoys dancing.

Family

We use « the"when we talk about family(by last name), but not about a specific person or combinations with names:

We"re having dinner with the Smiths tonight.
The Browns are going to the play with us.

John is coming over later.
Mary Carpenter is my boss.
Prince Charles is Queen Elizabeth's son.
President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.

Numbers

We don’t put an article, When:

after the noun there is a number:

He's staying at the Haunted hotel in room 221.
The train to Noplaceville leaves from platform 2.
My Exorcism class is in room 6 on the first floor(“first” is the adjective in this sentence and describes “the floor.”)

year indicated:

1948 was a wonderful year.
He was born in 1995 .

We put the article before:

superlative adjectives and ordinal numbers:

the third movie
the tallest kid
the last hour

decades and other periods of years:

I"m the kid of the nineties.
This is a painting from the 1820's.

Only

If there is such a word in a sentence, then feel free to put “the” in front of it:

This is the only day we"ve had sunshine all week.
You are the only person she will listen to.
The only tea I like is black tea.

Not for the first time

We put " a"when we talk about something for the first time, and then change to « the"when what is being discussed is it's becoming clear. Also put « the"when everything is with completely obvious, or when something or someone is one of a kind. Using this rule, you will be right in most cases, but remember about hell and Heaven.

He was talking to a man. The man was laughing.
She gave him a present. The present was very expensive.
I cleaned the bathroom this morning.
The sun is hot today.
He walked around the world.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner

We don't use article before the names of meals:

We had lunch at noon.
I have breakfast at 7 a.m.

Proper names

Majority names holidays, companies, languages, countries, streets, airports, stations, cities, continents, islands, individual mountains, lakes etc. - all these are proper names, and article Here usually not needed. But it is precisely in this section of the rules for using “the” that there is many exceptions, so be extremely careful.

McDonald's has restaurants in 119 countries.
Victoria Station is in the center of London.
Can you direct me to Bond Street?
She lives in Florence.
I got some cool ideas for Halloween. (there is only 1 Halloween that everyone knows about)
Asia and Europe are two continents, in case you didn't know.
Her son graduated from Harvard. (but “He has a master’s degree from the University of Toronto»).
I"m leaving for America next week (but " the United States»).
Lake Ontario and Lake Huron are 2 of the Great Lakes(“the Great Lakes” - a group of lakes on the border between Canada and the United States requires an article).
I teach people how to speak English / Chinese / Spanish / Russian(however, when talking about the inhabitants of a particular nation: “ The Spanish are known for their warm hospitality").
Mount Everest is the one I plan to climb next week (but “ the Ends», « the Rockies" or unusual names of individual mountains, such as Mt. " the Matterhorn"(peak in the Pennine Alps).
Easter Island, Maui, Key West- none of these islands I "ve visited (but chains islands like " the Aleutians», « the Hebrides" or" the Canary Islands» require an article).

Names, establishments and places

We don't use « the" before:

names of professions, school subjects, shops and some places:

My office is located on Main Street/Washington Blvd..
I usually go to church on Sundays.
Did you go to school today?
She's studying business at university.
Engineering is a well-paid career.
He'll probably study medicine.
I"ll get the card at Smith's.
Can you go to Boots for me?

names of subjects at school:

math
geography
business
history
science

before the following words in a general sense:

school
prison
college

I hope to go to college.
He spent three years in prison.

We use « the" before:

names of rivers, oceans and seas ( the Nile, the Pacific,the Arctic, the Atlantic, the Black Sea, the Thames);
countries ( the Netherlands, the Philippines), also before those whose names include the words " republic", « states" And " kingdom» ( the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, the United Kingdom);
points of the globe ( the Equator, the North Pole);
geographical areas ( the Middle East, the West);
deserts, forests, sea bays and peninsulas ( the Sahara, the Persian Gulf, the Black Forest, the Iberian Peninsula).
names of newspapers and famous buildings, works of art, museums and monuments ( the New York Times, the Guardian,the Vietnam Memorial, the Louvre, the Mona Lisa, the Eiffel Tower,the Globe).
before the names of hotels and restaurants, unless they are named after a person ( the Golden Lion, the Hilton).
in front of already known places that people usually go to ( the bank, the supermarket, the doctor's)

Let's go the movies.
My dad is in the hospital(Americans will put the article here, but the British may omit it).
She works at the post office.
What time do you have to be at the airport?
Please drop me off at the bus stop.
She doesn't like to go to the doctor or the dentist.

Abbreviations

Or acronyms are shortened forms of the name of something, using the capital letters of each word to form a new one. So, if the acronym is pronounced like a word, We we don't use « the»:

NATO['neɪtoʊ] (North Atlantic Treaty Organization here pronounced as one word) ambassadors met to discuss the situation.
UNSECO(United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) was formed in 1946.
Sorry, you've got AIDS(Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome).

The same goes for abbreviations names of educational institutions:

She has a Ph. D from MIT(Massachusetts Institute of Technology).

However, if the abbreviation is spelled out, That article"the" is needed. And you may well say the NATO member(NATO member).

The UN was created after the Second World War (United Nations = UN and spelled).

The same applies to the following abbreviations:

the EU(European Union)
the US(United States)
the CIA(Central Intelligence Agency)
the FBI(Federal Bureau of Investigation)

Now, in theory, you should be from “the” to “you,” but do not rush to become familiar. Don't forget about exceptions and the main rule. Good luck in learning English and keep the progress going!

Big and friendly EnglishDom family

Articles are an important part of the English language. But unfortunately, this topic is not always clear to Russian-speaking students. Because such a phenomenon is absent in their native speech. The rules for using articles must be studied by a person who wants to competently use various means of the English language. And in some situations, small and seemingly insignificant articles even help to correctly understand the interlocutors.

What are articles and what are they?

An article is one that is inextricably linked with a noun. It does not have its own meaning (translation into Russian), but conveys only a grammatical meaning.

In English, the article does not indicate gender or case of nouns. In some cases it conveys the only thing, or, in general, it carries only the category of certainty-uncertainty. Based on this, there can be three situations with the article: its absence, indefinite and definite. Each of these three situations has its own specifics and its own rules.

The definite article was once formed from that. Therefore, in Russian you can often find the translation “this”, “these”, etc. Formally, this is not entirely true, because the function parts of speech have no translation, but in the case of the article, especially certain, this is often allowed. It's all about the special stylistic function that it can play in a sentence, pointing in a special way to objects and people.

The use of the article the will be the topic of this article. We will look at various situations and give examples. There will be quite a lot of cases of use, but don’t be alarmed if you can’t understand everything at once, much less remember. As you become more and more immersed in the English language through constant study, you will understand this logic and will soon be able to easily determine which article is needed in each case.

The definite article before nouns

The classic case when it is necessary to use the article the before the name of an object (person, animal) is the latter.

1. The called noun is unique.

For example: the sun - the sun, the world - the world.

2. The noun is unique in a given situation.

Do you like the pie? − Did you like the pie?

3. This subject (person, animal) has already been mentioned in this conversation and therefore the interlocutors understand what (whom) we are talking about.

I've got a cat. Her name is Lucy, she’s very cute. May I take the cat with me? − I have a cat. Her name is Lucy, she is very sweet. Can I take my cat with me?

4. This article is also placed before proper names when you need to designate a whole family. For example: the Smiths.

The definite article before other parts of speech

Of course, the article the and any others are used only with nouns. Articles are not needed before other parts of speech. But it often happens that between the article and the associated noun there is a numeral or an adjective. We will consider such cases.

1. The definite article is always placed before ordinal numbers: the twentieth century − twentieth century.

2. The article the is also invariably placed before adjectives: the brightest star - the brightest star.

3. It is necessary to use the definite article when denoting a group of people united by a common characteristic: the young − youth.

Definite article with geographical names and concepts

With those concepts that in one way or another relate to geography, the article the is used especially often.

1. Cardinal directions: the East (East).

2. Names of individual countries: the Russian Federation.

3. Oceans, seas, rivers, waterfalls: the Indian Ocean.

4. Groups of islands, lakes, mountains: the Bahamas.

5. Deserts and plains: the Great Plains.

When using the article (or lack thereof) with geographical names, there are also many exceptions, so the most reliable option is simple memorization. And if you have any doubts, you should always look at the grammar reference book and clarify the question for a specific case.

The definite article in special cases

There are also a number of words that can serve as a modifier before a noun. These words are given in the table below.

	previous
	past, past, last
	the only one
	next
	next
	upcoming
	correct, on the right

	central
	exactly the same one
	wrong, wrong
	the same
	upper, highest

You should always use the English article the with them. For example:

This is the very book I need! - This is exactly the book I need!

The last time I saw him was Friday − The last time I saw him was on Friday.

The definite article is also required before words:

Definite article to enhance meaning

Separately, situations are highlighted when the article the carries a stylistic function. In these cases, it can be used before proper names, which under normal conditions remain without an article. This is best seen with an example. Compare two sentences: the first with the usual use of a proper name, and the second with a stylistic reinforcement of meaning.

This is Jack, always cheerful and generous! - This is Jack, always cheerful and generous!

This is the Jack I love most − cheerful and generous! - This is the same Jack whom I love most - cheerful and generous!

As is easy to see, there is something common in all cases of using the definite article: it is usually placed before words that carry a certain, specific, narrow, unique meaning. Remember this when you doubt the choice of a function word, and the reference book is not at hand.