UNIT VIII: ARTICLES AND OTHER DETERMINERS

UNIT VIII: ARTICLES AND OTHER DETERMINERS

VIII.1. ARTICLES: BASIC INFORMATION 1. Determiners

Articles are members of a group of words called determiners, that are used before nouns. Other determiners are the possessives (my, your, etc); the demonstrative (this, that, these, those); any, some;

Two determiners can not usually be used together. So it is not possible, in English, to say *the my uncle or *the that man. We say either the uncle or my uncle, the man or that man, depending on the meaning.

Note also that another begins with the article an, so we cannot say *the another (two articles cannot be used together). We say the other.

2. The use of articles

The use of articles is complicated, because it depends on three different things.

a) First of all, it makes a difference what kind of noun we are using. Articles are not used in the same way with singular countable nouns (like cat, bridge), with plural countable nouns (like cats, bridges) and with uncountable nouns (like water, rice).

b) Secondly, we use articles in one way if we are talking about things in general (for example or the guitar, or life in general, or whisky), and we use them in a different way when we are talking about particular examples of these things (for example, an Englishman, or a guitar that we want to buy, or the life of Beethoven, or some whisky that we are drinking).

c) Thirdly, when we are talking about particular examples, it depends whether these are definite or indefinite. If they are definite (in other words, if our hearer or reader knows exactly which ones we mean), we normally use the. If we are talking about indefinite things (which our hearer doesn’t know anything about), we use articles differently (a, some, or no article).

VIII.2. ARTICLES: COUNTABLE AND UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS

* Countable nouns are words like cat, bridge, house, idea. We can count them (one cat, two houses, three ideas), so they can have plurals. The indefinite article a / an really means one, so we can use it with singular countable nouns (a house, an idea), but not with plurals.

We live in a small house.
I’ve got an idea.
I’m afraid of spiders. (Not: *…a spiders.)
She was wearing blue trousers. (Not: *…a blue trousers.)

Uncountable nouns are words like water, rice, energy, luck. These are things that we can divide (a drop of water, a bowl of rice, a piece of luck), but not count. You cannot say *one water, *two waters, etc. These words do not have plurals. The indefinite article a / an cannot be used with uncountable words.

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This is a list of English uncountable nouns which might lead foreign students into error: health, weather, English, advice, information, travel, progress, research, news, luggage, furniture, knowledge, hair, toast. None of these words, therefore, can be used with the indefinite article or take plural forms (news is a plural only in form, not in meaning).

It’s nice weather. (Not: *…a nice weather.)
Water is made of hydrogen and oxygen. Not: *A water…) My father’s in very good health.
I speak very good English.
Can you give me some advice? (Or: …a piece of advice.) I need some information. (Or: …a piece of information.) I live travel.
Can I have any more toast?

Some expressions, however, can be used to quantify or divide uncountable nouns. Here follows a list of the most useful ones:

– a piece of news, advice, information, furniture, luck, chalk, iron, chocolate, toast, etc. – a loaf bread.
– a clap of thunder.
– a kilo / pound / etc. of flour, etc.

– a pint / litre of beer, water, milk.
– a lump of sugar, earth, etc.
– a spoonful of sugar, medicine, etc.
– a sheet of paper.
– a great deal of money, enthusiasm, etc. – a slice of bread, cake.

Note
1) A lot of words can be both countable and uncountable, with different meanings or uses (e.g. iron, an

iron; coffee, a coffee).
2) Some plural words have no singular (e.g. trousers, scissors).

* The complete rules for the use of articles with countable and uncountable nouns are: A) a / an can only be used with singular countable nouns (a cat).
B) the can be used with all kind of nouns (the cat, the cats, the water).

C) Plural nouns and uncountable nouns can be used with no article (cats, water), but singular uncountable nouns cannot.

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A very important point: singular countable nouns must always have an article (or another determiner like my, this). We can say a cat, the cat, this cat my cat, but not *cat. There are some exceptions in expressions with prepositions like by car, in bed. Do not leave out the article before the names of professions.

Alice is studying to be a doctor. (Not: *…to be doctor.)

VIII.3. TALKING ABOUT THINGS IN GENERAL
1)When we want to talk about things in general (e.g. all music, or all literature) we usually use a plural

or uncountable nouns with no article.

Carrots are my favourite vegetable. I love music, poetry and art.

When we use an article with a plural or uncountable noun, the meaning is not general, but particular. Compare:

He likes cars, girls, food and drink. (Not particular cars or girls – he likes them all.)
The cars in the garage belong to the girls who live next door. (Particular cars and girls.)

She loves life. (A very general idea – she loves everything in life.) He is studying the life of Beethoven. (A particular life).

Books are expensive. (All books.)
Move the books off the chair and sit down. (Particular books.)

Note that society is usually used without an article when it means ‘the society that we are living in’, and space has no article when it means ‘the empty space between the stars’.

Society turns people into criminals and then locks them up. Man has just taken his first steps into space.

Most (when it means ‘the majority of”) is used without an article.

Most birds can fly.

Some expressions are ‘half-general’ – the middle between general and particular. If we talk about eighteen-century music or poverty in Britain, we are not talking about all music or all poverty, but they are still rather general ideas (compared with the music we heard last night or the poverty that I grew up in). In these ‘half-general’ expressions, we usually use no article. However, articles are often used when the noun is followed by of. Compare:

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eighteen-century art the art of the eighteen century African butterflies the butterflies of Africa

2) Another way of generalizing is to use a singular countable noun with an article. The indefinite article (a / an) is often used in this way to talk about things in general.

A baby deer can stand as soon as it is born.
One should give a child plenty of encouragement. A healthy society can tolerate a lot of criticism.

A, here is rather like any. The sentences would mean almost exactly the same if we used plural nouns with no article (e.g. One should give children plenty of encouragement.)

The definite article (the) is often used in generalizations with singular countable nouns. This is common when we are talking about science and technology.

.

Galileo claimed that he had invented the telescope. I hate the telephone.
The whale is a mammal, not a fish.
Man’s greatest discovery is the hot bath.

We also talk about musical instruments in this way.

I’d like to learn the guitar.
In Heaven, Miles Davis will play the trumpet every night.

We also talk about the cinema and the theatre as general ideas.

I prefer the cinema to the theatre

3) We use the with a few adjectives to refer to general classes of people. the blind the rich the Irish

VIII.4. TALKING ABOUT THINGS IN PARTICULAR:

A / THE

When we talk about particular thing (not things in general), there is an important difference between the articles.

1) The has a ‘definite’ meaning. We say the car, the girls, etc in two cases: (i) when our listener already knows which car, which girls, etc we mean, and (ii) when we are telling him which car, which girls etc we mean.

Shut the door! (It is obvious which one – there is only one open.)
I had trouble with the car this morning. (I mean my car, of course.)
How did you like the film? (The listener knows which film is meant.)
Those are the girls who live next door. (The end of the sentence makes it clear which girls are meant.)

We use the with words like sun, moon, stars – if we talk about the sun, it is obvious which one is meant (there is only one); and when we say the stars, it is the same (we mean all the stars).

2) Things can be particular (not general), but ‘indefinite’. If we say Pass me a piece of bread or Let me buy 65

you a drink, the piece of bread or the drink are not definite – it could be any one of several pieces of bread, any one of several kinds of drink. If we say I met a friend of yours yesterday, it could also be any one of several – the listener does not know which one. In cases like these, we do not use the. With singular countable nouns, we use a / an.

I’ve lost a button.
Shall we go and see a film? There’s a letter for you.
Could I have a p stamp, please? I’ve got a headache.

With uncountable and plural nouns, we express this ‘indefinite’ meaning by using either some / any or no article.

Would you like some cheese? I haven’t got any problems. We need beer.
I think we’ve got mice.

We also use a / an when we say that a person or thing is a member of a particular class or group. or when we say what people or things are like.

She’s a doctor.
A sailor is a man who works is ships. ‘What’s that?’ – ‘It’s an adjustable spanner.’ You’re a beautiful girl.

No article is used with uncountable and plural words in this case; some and any are not used.

What’s that?’ – ‘It’s petrol.’ They’re original Russian icons. You’re fools.

3) When we mention something for the first time, we will probably use an indefinite article (or some or no article with uncountables and plurals), because our listener knows nothing about it. But when we mention the same thing again, it becomes definite (because now he knows which one we mean).

A man came up to a policeman and asked him a question. The policeman didn’t understand the question, so he asked the man to repeat it.

VIII.5. SOME, ANY OR NO ARTICLE
1) Uncountable and plural nouns can often be used either with some / any or with no article at all, without

much difference of meaning.

Would you like (some) cheese? Did you buy (any) screws?

Some / any are mostly used when we are talking about uncertain, indefinite or unknown numbers or quantities. Compare:

You’ve got some great jazz records.
You’ve got beautiful toes (…some beautiful toes would suggest an indefinite number, perhaps six or

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seven.)
Is there any more beer in the fridge? (indefinite quantity.)

We need beer, sugar, butter, eggs, rice and toilet paper. (The usual quantities.)

2) There is a special use of the strong form of some ([s ̧m] ) with singular countable nouns.

She’s going out with some footballer. There’s some man at the door for you.
His got some plan for changing the world.

In cases like these, some means ‘I don’t know about him / her / it, and I’m not very interested.’ VIII.6. SOME, ANY, NO AND NONE

1.Some and any compared

some is used:
– With affirmative sentences.
They took some honey.
– With questions when the answer ‘yes’ is expected.

Can I have some coffee?
Can you give me some information about interesting places? – In offers and request. Would you like some wine?
Could you do some typing for me?

any is used:

– In negative sentences.

I haven’t any matches and Tom hasn’t any either.

– With hardly, barely, scarcely (which are almost negatives).

I have hardly any time.

– With questions except those noted above.

Have you any money? Did you see any eagles?

– After if / whether, and in expressions of doubt. I don’t think there’s any petrol in the tank.

If you have any difficulty, let me know.

2. No and none

no (adjective) and none (pronoun) can be used with affirmative verbs to express a negative; they are 67

therefore an alternative to negative verb + any.

I have no apples = I haven’t any apples. Tom has none = Tom hasn’t any.
I took no photos = I didn’t take any photos.

On the whole a negative verb + any is more usual than an affirmative verb + no / none.

3. Compounds with some, any and no

someone, somebody, something, anyone, anybody, anything, no one, nobody, nothing Compounds with some, any and no follow the rules in 2 and 3 above.

A: Somebody / Someone gave me a ticket for a pop concert.
B: No one / Nobody has ever given me a free ticket for anything. Does anyone know the time the concert starts?
Do you want anything from the chemist’s?
Would anyone like a drink?

VIII.7. ARTICLES: SPECIAL RULES AND EXCEPTIONS

1. Common expressions without articles

.

In a number of common expressions, an article is dropped after a preposition

to school at school from school in / to class
to / at / from university / college to / in / into / from church to/in/into/outofprison/hospital/bed to/at/fromwork

to / at sea
at / from home at lunch
at night
on foot

to / in / from town
for breakfast
to dinner etc
by car / bus / bicycle / plane / train / tube / boat

Note the use of home instead of *to home (e.g. I’m going home)

When the above expressions are used with articles they have special meanings. Compare:

He’s in prison. (as a prisoner)
He’s in the prison. (perhaps as a visitor)

When with or without is followed by a singular countable noun, an article is normally necessary. We say You can’t get there without a car, not *…without car. However, articles are often dropped in double expressions with prepositions, like with knife and fork, with hat and coat, from top to bottom, on land and sea, arm in arm, inch by inch, day after day.

2. Genitives (possessives)

Articles are not normally used in genitive expressions when the first word is a proper name. 68

John’s coat.
America’s economic problems.

3. Nouns as adjectives

When a noun is used as an adjective (before another noun), the first noun’s article is dropped. Lessons in how to play the guitar are guitar lessons; a spot on the sun is a sun spot.

4. Man and woman

When we generalize with singular countable nouns, we normally use an article (the telephone, a whale). Man and woman are exceptions: they can be used without articles.

God created man and woman for each other.

5. Radio and television

When we talk about radio and television in general, we do not use articles.

It’s easier to write plays for television than for radio.

Articles are used in the expressions listen to the radio, on the radio, but not in watch television, on television (or on TV).

6. Musical instruments

We normally use the definite article in expressions like play the guitar, learn the piano. Note the difference in the use of articles between the languages of classical music and jazz / rock.

with Alfred Brendel at the piano.
with Eric Clapton on guitar, Phil Collins on drums…

(The definite article is not used with the names of games. compare play the piano, play the guitar, play chess, play football)

7. All and both

Articles are sometimes dropped after all and both. All (the) eight students in the class passed the exam.

Both (the) children are good at maths.
We can say all year, all week, all day, all night, all summer, all winter, but not *all hour or *all century. I’ve been waiting for you all day.

8. Illnesses

The names of illnesses are usually uncountable, and we talk about them with no article. 69

I think I’ve got measles.
She’s had appendicitis-
We say a cold, I’ve got a cold.

We say a headache, but other aches (toothache, earache, etc) are uncountable, with no article, in British English.

9. Numbers

The indefinite article is used in a hundred, a thousand, a million, a billion, etc.

It’ll cost about a hundred pounds.
Note the use of the article in expressions like sixty pence a pound, seventy miles an hour, forty hours a week.

10. Seasons

We can say spring or the spring, in summer or in the summer, etc. There is very little difference between the expressions with and without the article. The article is usually used in in the fall (US).

11. Positions

In certain constructions, the names of positions that people can occupy are used without articles.

Elizabeth II, Queen of England.
They elected George chairman.
Henry was made captain of the team.
Mr Lewis was appointed chief clerk in 1968.

Note (i) the name of the position is the complement, not the subject of the sentence (you cannot say *Chairman came to lunch, with no article) (ii) these are ‘unique’ positions – there is only one Queen of England, only one captain of the team.

Do not drop the indefinite article before the name of a profession or job in other cases. We say He’s a doctor or I don’t want to be a secretary.

12. Exclamations

We don’t leave out a / an in exclamations after what. What a lovely dress!

13. Ships

The definite article is used in the names of ships.

The Titanic.
The Queen Mary.

14. Geographical areas

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We often use the with the words country, sea, seaside and mountains, even when we don’t say which sea, or which mountains, etc. are meant.

I’m going to the country for a week.
I love the mountains, but I hate the sea.

15. Place-names

We usually use the with the following kinds of place-names:

seas (the Atlantic)
mountain groups (the Himalayas)
island groups (the West Indies)
areas (the Middle East, the Ruhr, the Midwest, the Gulf) rivers (the Rhine)
deserts (the Sahara)
hotels (the Grand Hotel)
cinemas (the Odeon)
theatres (the Albert Hall)

We generally use no article with:

continents (Africa)
counties, states, departments, etc (Berkshire, Westphalia, Texas) towns (Oxford)
streets (High Street)
lakes (Lake Windermere)
countries (Andorra, Brazil)

Exceptions: countries whose name contains a common noun (The People’s Republic of China; The United Kingdom of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; The United Arab Emirates; The USA; The USSR)

Note also The Netherlands, and its capital The Hague.
We do not usually use articles in expressions which refer to the principal buildings of a town:

Oxford University Cambridge Polytechnic Westminster Abbey Salisbury Cathedral Bognor Town Hall Wigan Police Station Birmingham Airport

Names of single mountains usually have no article (Everest, Snowdon). But we use the with the names of European mountains if their name has an article in the local language: Das Matterhorn = The Matterhorn; La Meije = The Meije. Exception: the is not used before Mont(e): Le Mont Blanc is called Mont Blanc in English.

16. Special Styles

There are some styles in which articles are dropped. For instance:

Newspaper headlines: MAN KILLED ON MOUNTAIN
Titles in notices, posters, etc: SUPER CINEMA; RITZ HOTEL Instructions: Open packet at other end.
Telegrams: WIFE ILL MUST CANCEL HOLIDAY

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Dictionary entries: palm inner surface of hand between wrist and fingers. Lists: Take car to garage; buy buttons; pay phone bill…
Notes: In 17th century, balance of power between King and Nobles changed.

VIII.8. ARTICLES: GOLDEN RULES

If the rules for the use of articles seem to complicated, just remember these three:
1) Do not use the (with plural and uncountable nouns) to talk about things in general. Life is hard. (Not: *The life is hard.)

2) Do not use singular countable nouns without articles. the car a car but not *car

3) Use a / an to say what people’s professions or jobs are. She’s a bank manager. (Not: *She’s bank manager.)

Most mistakes with articles are made through breaking one of these rules.