Using English articles (#4), more English
Using English Articles (#4)
Because the English articles (a, an, the) are often verychallenging for learners of the language, the next severalHints will provide guidelines on their usage.
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The Definite Article The
The definite article the is used in several different waysin English.
One use is with nouns (singular or plural, countableor uncountable) that are specifically identified becausethe listener or reader knows (or can assume) that onlyone specific noun is being talked or written about.
Another use of the happens when a non-specific nounis mentioned more than one time: the first timethe noun is mentioned, a or an is used (because at thatpoint the noun is non-specific). After the noun has beenmentioned the first time, however, the is used (becauseat that point it's clear which noun is being referred to,so it's specific).
Examples:
Tony bought a computer yesterday. He paid forthe computer with money he earned by workingafter school.
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Yesterday there was an accident on the freeway.The accident was caused by ice on the road.
Two weeks ago, I bought some* milk. I openedthe milk today and found that it was sour.
There will be a special meeting tomorrow morning.The meeting will begin at 9:30 AM.
Did you know that Elsa has a horse? She keepsthe horse at her uncle's farm.
I heard that Samira had a baby. Do you knowthe baby's name?
Fred won some* money in the lottery. He'll use the money to buy a car.
Dave Sperling has two children, a boy and a girl.The boy's name is Benjamin and the girl's nameis Shannon.
Professor Vázquez received an honorarium for hisconference speech. The honorarium was $500.
A friend of mine made an interesting website in 1995.The website is called www.tron.prv.pl "
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Special Note:
The indefinite articles a and an can be used only withcountable nouns; uncountable nouns use some ora quantifier (for example, a lot of / a carton of /a quart of / a bottle of).
The definite article the can be used with both countableand uncountable nouns, however.
Next: more on articles
B3371