What is an article? Basically, an article is an adjective.

Like
adjectives, articles modify nouns.
English has two articles: the and a/an. he is used to refer to
s!ecific or !articular nouns" a/an is used to modify non#
s!ecific or non#!articular nouns. We call the the definite
article and a/an the indefinite article.
the $ definite article
a/an $ indefinite article
%or e&am!le, if ' say, (Let)s read the *ook,( ' mean a specific
*ook. 'f ' say, (Let)s read a *ook,( ' mean any *ook rather
than a s!ecific *ook.
+ere)s another way to e&!lain it: he is used to refer to a
specific or particular mem*er of a grou!. %or e&am!le, (' just
saw the most !o!ular movie of the year.( here are many
movies, *ut only one !articular movie is the most !o!ular.
herefore, we use the.
(,/an( is used to refer to a non-specific or non-particular
mem*er of the grou!. %or e&am!le, (' would like to go see a
movie.( +ere, we)re not talking a*out a specific movie. We)re
talking a*out any movie. here are many movies, and ' want
to see any movie. ' don)t have a s!ecific one in mind.
Let)s look at each kind of article a little more closely.
Indefinite Articles: a and an
(,( and (an( signal that the noun modified is indefinite,
referring to any mem*er of a grou!. %or e&am!le:
(-y daughter really wants a dog for .hristmas.( his
refers to any dog. We don)t know which dog *ecause we
haven)t found the dog yet.
(/ome*ody call a !oliceman0( his refers to any
!oliceman. We don)t need a s!ecific !oliceman" we need
any !oliceman who is availa*le.
(When ' was at the 1oo, ' saw an ele!hant0( +ere, we)re
talking a*out a single, non#s!ecific thing, in this case an
ele!hant. here are !ro*a*ly several ele!hants at the 1oo,
*ut there)s only one we)re talking a*out here.
Remember, using a or an depends on the sound that
begins the next word. So...
a 2 singular noun *eginning with a consonant: a boy; a
car; a bike; a zoo; a dog
an 2 singular noun *eginning with a vowel: an elephant;
an egg; an apple; an idiot; an orphan
a 2 singular noun *eginning with a consonant sound: a
user 3sounds like )yoo#1er,) i.e. *egins with a consonant
)y) sound, so )a) is used4" a university" a unicycle
an 2 nouns starting with silent (h(: an hour
a 2 nouns starting with a !ronounced (h(: a horse
'n some cases where (h( is !ronounced, such as
(historical,( you can use an. +owever, a is more
commonly used and !referred.
, historical event is worth recording.
5emem*er that these rules also a!!ly when you use
acronyms:
'ntroductory .om!osition at 6urdue 3'.a64 handles first#year
writing at the 7niversity. herefore, an '.a6 memo generally
discusses issues concerning English 89: instructors.
,nother case where this rule a!!lies is when acronyms start
with consonant letters *ut have vowel sounds:
,n -/;/ 3material safety data sheet4 was used to record the
data. ,n /6.. !lan 3/!ill 6revention .ontrol and
.ountermeasures !lan4 will hel! us !re!are for the worst.
'f the noun is modified *y an adjective, the choice *etween a
and an de!ends on the initial sound of the adjective that
immediately follows the article:
a *roken egg
an unusual !ro*lem
a Euro!ean country 3sounds like )yer#o#!i#an,) i.e. *egins
with consonant )y) sound4
5emem*er, too, that in English, the indefinite articles are
used to indicate mem*ershi! in a grou!:
' am a teacher. 3' am a mem*er of a large grou! known as
teachers.4
Brian is an 'rishman. 3Brian is a mem*er of the !eo!le
known as 'rish.4
/eiko is a !racticing Buddhist. 3/eiko is a mem*er of the
grou! of !eo!le known as Buddhists.4
Definite Article: the
he definite article is used *efore singular and !lural nouns
when the noun is s!ecific or !articular. he signals that the
noun is definite, that it refers to a !articular mem*er of a
grou!. %or e&am!le:
(he dog that *it me ran away.( +ere, we)re talking a*out a
specific dog, the dog that *it me.
(' was ha!!y to see the !oliceman who saved my cat0( +ere,
we)re talking a*out a particular !oliceman. Even if we don)t
know the !oliceman)s name, it)s still a !articular !oliceman
*ecause it is the one who saved the cat.
(' saw the ele!hant at the 1oo.( +ere, we)re talking a*out a
specific noun. 6ro*a*ly there is only one ele!hant at the 1oo.
Count and Noncount Nouns
he can *e used with noncount nouns, or the article can *e
omitted entirely.
(' love to sail over the water( 3some s!ecific *ody of
water4 or (' love to sail over water( 3any water4.
(+e s!illed the milk all over the floor( 3some s!ecific
milk, !erha!s the milk you *ought earlier that day4 or
(+e s!illed milk all over the floor( 3any milk4.
(,/an( can *e used only with count nouns.
(' need a *ottle of water.(
(' need a new glass of milk.(
-ost of the time, you can)t say, (/he wants a water,( unless
you)re im!lying, say, a *ottle of water.
eographical use of the
here are some s!ecific rules for using the with geogra!hical
nouns.
;o not use the *efore:
names of most countries/territories: Italy, Mexico,
Bolivia" however, the <etherlands, the ;ominican
5e!u*lic, the 6hili!!ines, the 7nited /tates
names of cities, towns, or states: Seoul, Manitoba, Miami
names of streets: ashington Blvd!, Main St!
names of lakes and *ays: "ake #iticaca, "ake $rie e&ce!t
with a grou! of lakes like the %reat "akes
names of mountains: Mount $verest, Mount &u'i e&ce!t
with ranges of mountains like the (ndes or the )ockies or
unusual names like the Matterhorn
names of continents 3,sia, Euro!e4
names of islands 3Easter 'sland, -aui, =ey West4 e&ce!t
with island chains like the ,leutians, the +e*rides, or the
.anary 'slands
;o use the *efore:
names of rivers, oceans and seas: the *ile, the +acific
!oints on the glo*e: the $,uator, the *orth +ole
geogra!hical areas: the Middle $ast, the est
deserts, forests, gulfs, and !eninsulas: the Sahara, the
+ersian %ulf, the Black &orest, the Iberian +eninsula
!mission of Articles
/ome common ty!es of nouns that don)t take an article are:
<ames of languages and nationalities: -hinese, $nglish,
Spanish, )ussian 3unless you are referring to the
!o!ulation of the nation: ("he /!anish are known for
their warm hos!itality.(4
<ames of s!orts: volleyball, hockey, baseball
<ames of academic su*jects: mathematics, biology,
history, computer science
How do you know when to use the indefinite articles?
he choice of article is actually *ased u!on the !honetic
3sound4 >uality of the first letter in a word, not on the
orthogra!hic 3written4 re!resentation of the letter. 'f the first
letter makes a vowel#ty!e sound, you use (an(" if the first
letter would make a consonant#ty!e sound, you use (a.(
+owever, you may follow these *asic rules when deciding to
use (a( or (an,( remem*ering that there are some e&ce!tions
to the rules.
(,( goes *efore words that *egin with consonants.
a cat
a dog
a !ur!le onion
a *uffalo
a *ig a!!le
(,n( goes *efore words that *egin with vowels:
an a!ricot
an egg
an 'ndian
an or*it
an u!rising
#xceptions
7se (an( *efore unsounded (h.( Because the (h( hasn)t any
!honetic re!resentation and has no audi*le sound, the sound
that follows the article is a vowel" conse>uently, (an( is used.
an honora*le !eace
an honest error
When (u( makes the same sound as the (y( in (you,( or (o(
makes the same sound as (w( in (won,( then a is used. he
word#initial (y( sound 3(unicorn(4 is actually a glide ?j@
!honetically, which has consonantal !ro!erties" conse>uently,
it is treated as a consonant, re>uiring (a.(
a union
a united front
a unicorn
a used na!kin
a 7./. shi!
a one#legged man
The Basic Rules: Count and Noncount Nouns
, count noun is one that can *e e&!ressed in !lural form,
usually with an (s.( %or e&am!le, (catAcats,( (seasonA
seasons,( (studentAstudents.(
, noncount noun is one that usually cannot *e e&!ressed in a
!lural form. %or e&am!le, (milk,( (water,( (air,( (money,(
(food.( 7sually, you can)t say, (+e had many moneys.(
Count and Noncount Nouns with Ad$ecti%es
-ost of the time, this doesn)t matter with adjectives. %or
e&am!le, you can say, (he cat was gray( or (he air was
gray.( +owever, the difference *etween a counta*le and
uncounta*le noun does matter with certain adjectives, such as
(some/any,( (much/many,( and (little/few.(
/ome/,ny: /ome and any counta*le and uncounta*le nouns.
(here is some water on the floor.(
(here are some students here.(
(;o you have any food?(
(;o you have any a!!les?(
-uch/-any: -uch modifies only uncounta*le nouns. -any
modifies only counta*le nouns.
(We don)t have much time to get this done.(
(-any ,mericans travel to Euro!e.(
Little/%ew: Little modifies only uncounta*le nouns.
(+e had little food in the house.(
(he doctor had little time to think in the emergency
room.(
%ew modifies only counta*le nouns.
(here are few doctors in town.(
(%ew students like e&ams.(
!ther basic rules
, lot of/lots of: , lot of/lots of are informal su*stitutes for
much and many. hey are used with uncounta*le nouns when
they mean much and with counta*le nouns when they mean
many.
(hey have lots of 3much4 money in the *ank.(
(, lot of 3many4 ,mericans travel to Euro!e.(
(We got lots of 3many4 mos>uitoes last summer.(
(We got lots of 3much4 rain last summer.(
, little *it of:, little *it of is informal and always !recedes an
uncounta*le noun.
(here is a little *it of !e!!er in the sou!.(
(here is a little *it of snow on the ground.(
Enough: Enough modifies *oth counta*le and uncounta*le
nouns.
(here is enough money to *uy a car.(
(' have enough *ooks to read.(
6lenty of: 6lenty of modifies *oth counta*le and uncounta*le
nouns.
(hey have !lenty of money in the *ank.(
(here are !lenty of millionaires in /wit1erland.(
<o: <o modifies *oth counta*le and uncounta*le nouns.
(here is no time to finish now.(
(here are no s>uirrels in the !ark.(