Grammatical
Summary
Rules for Selection of Articles
We have now looked at each of the four main
factors that influence the choice of articles in English. The
correct choice of article depends on consideration of all four
factors!
1. count versus non-count
2. singular versus plural
3. specific versus general
4. specific and known versus specific but unknown
The following chart sets out the general rules
that cover article usage in English:
Use of the Article the
Use the when you
are talking about something specific and you are confident that
the reader will know what you are talking about. The article
the is used with both count (singular
or plural) and non-count nouns.
The assignment
on page 4 is due Monday.
(assignment = count, singular, specific,
and known)
I read the e-mails you sent me yesterday.
(e-mails = count, plural, specific,
and known)
It snowed yesterday. The snow was
light and fluffy.
(snow = non-count, specific, and
known)
In all of the above examples, use of the article
the signals that the writer expects
the reader to know which assignment, which e-mails, and which
snow he or she is writing about.
Use of the Article a
(an)
Use a
(an) to mean "one"--where
many are possible. The article a (an)
is used only with count, singular nouns. The noun may be specific
or general, but if it is specific, the reader should not
know which one you are talking about.
My dad runs a company
in Rochester.
(company = count, singular, and
specific)
A company usually has to pay taxes
to the government.
(company = count, singular, and
general)
In the first example, a company
refers to a specific company, namely, the particular company
that my dad runs. However, the writer does not expect the reader
to know which company this is. In the second example, a
company refers in general to any company at all, not
to one specific company.
Use of the Article Ø
Ø,
that is, no article at all, is used to mean "all"
or "some." Ø is
used only with count, plural nouns and non-count nouns. The
noun may be specific or general but, if it is specific, the
reader should not know exactly what you are talking about.
My daughter got Ø good
grades this semester.
(grades = count, plural, and specific)
Some instructors never give Ø
high grades.
(grades = count, plural, and general)
We added Ø sodium to chlorine
in the laboratory today.
(sodium = non-count and specific)
Ø Sodium should be avoided
by people with high blood pressure.
(sodium = non-count and general)
In the first two examples, grades
is a count, plural noun. In the first example, grades
refers to the specific good grades that my daughter got; in
the second example, grades refers,
in general, to any high grades that some instructors might or
might not give.
In the third and fourth examples, sodium
is a non-count noun. In the third example, sodium
refers to the particular sodium that we added to chlorine in
the laboratory today; in the fourth example, sodium
refers to any and all sodium that certain people should avoid.
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