How to Understand Articles in English Once and for All and Stop Making Mistakes: Advice from a Teacher
There are no articles in Russian, so many people don't understand why they are needed in English. The most resourceful even try to do without them. However, a grammatically correct English phrase conveys the meaning more accurately and expressively, says teacher Tata Beshenkova. In the online edition Tinkoff She shares life hacks to help you understand English articles.
Photo: Sanhanat Pimpa | Dreamstime.com
What is an article?
An article is a functional part of speech that comes before a noun. There are only two articles in English, but there are three ways to use them:
- Definite - the.
- Undefined - a or anThere is only one article, but its form depends on the sound the word begins with: a placed before a consonant, an — before a vowel.
- Zero - no article.
Articles do not have an independent meaning or translation, but they help to understand what object or person is being discussed - known or unknown to the interlocutor. In Russian, the function of the article is performed by the context.
I see the man — this is what they will say about a specific person whom the interlocutors know.
I see a man — this is what they would say about a stranger.
To convey the desired meaning in Russian, one would have to say “I see some man” or “I see that very man.”
On the subject: Russian English: subtle mistakes in speech that betray immigrants
Use of articles
Definite, the, are used when we are talking about something specific and understandable to the participants of the conversation. There are many cases, here are some of them:
- The item has already been mentioned or is known from the context. I had a sandwich and an apple for breakfast. The sandwich was good, but the apple was rotten. In the first part, food is mentioned for the first time, so it is necessary a и an. In the second one, the apple and the sandwich are already known, so we put the.
- An object that is unique in its kind, such as the Moon or the Sun. Let's look at the moon.
- With words in the superlative degree. You're simply the best.
- With ordinal numbers. We can't make it on the 22nd.
- With proper names - names of seas, rivers, oceans, mountain ranges, newspapers. We sailed across the Pacific Ocean.
Indefinite, a/an, placed before singular nouns when talking about something for the first time or if the object or person is unfamiliar to the interlocutor. Article a used before words that begin with a consonant sound, an — with a vowel.
Here are the main cases when the definite article is used:
- When the subject has not yet been mentioned and is unknown from the context. There's a pear in my bag.
- In descriptive characteristics. Can you recommend a good restaurant in the area?I mean any good restaurant, not any specific one.
- In set phrases: as a rule, as a result , to go for a walk and others.
Zero. Sometimes nothing is put before nouns - this is often called the zero article. It is used:
- With abstract nouns, for example patience, kindness. She's teaching with interest and pleasure.
- With words in the plural without further clarification. There were dolls and teddy-bears in the box.
- With uncountables. These are concepts or phenomena that cannot be counted, for example water, sugar, information. The jug is full of cream.
- With proper names. London is the capital of England.
- With names of languages, days of the week, months, seasons. He speaks English fluently.
Instead of the zero article, pronouns are sometimes used some и AnyThey help to talk about something without specifying the quantity (like “several” and “a little” in Russian).
Some more often used in affirmative sentences. There are some eggs in the refrigerator if you're hungry.
Any, as a rule, is used in interrogative and negative sentences. Do you have any sugar?
What are the articles and when to use them
| Article | When to use | Example |
| Definite, the | The item has already been mentioned or is known from context | I bought a book. The book is about photography |
| An object that is unique in its kind or in a given situation | Can you turn off the light, please? | |
| With words in superlative degree | This is the most beautiful painting I've ever seen | |
| With ordinal numbers | The room is on the 5th floor | |
| With some proper names | They crossed the Atlantic Ocean on their cruise | |
| Indefinite, a/an | The item has not yet been mentioned and is unknown from context. | There's a cat somewhere in here |
| In descriptive characteristics | We stayed in a cozy hotel by the sea | |
| In set phrases | I need your love eight days a week | |
| Null | With abstract and uncountable nouns | It's nice weather today |
| With plural words meaning uncertainty | All cars have wheels | |
| With most proper names | They met in Paris thirty years ago | |
| With names of languages, days of the week, months, seasons, cardinal numbers | She has been studying French on Mondays and Wednesdays for two weeks in November |
How to understand the logic of using articles
To understand articles, it is important to understand the logic behind their use, rather than just memorizing the rules. Here are some tricks to help you remember these rules.
Remember the etymology. Article the is associated with the demonstrative pronoun this. It has the meaning of indication.
Look at this man what is the best look at the man. Only in the first case there are more specifics.
Article a comes from a numeral one — "one". This explains why it is not used with plural words.
There's only a woman behind the door.
There's only one woman behind the door.
If you don't know which article to use, try using the word "one" or "some" to see if you're talking about something undefined.
Think like a conversationalist. Often the concepts of "known word" and "new information" confuse students. For example, in the phrases "I have a car" or "I bought an apartment." Why is this information considered new if you saved for many years and then carefully thought out the purchase?
It is important to remember: the criterion of familiarity or obscurity is determined by the perception of the interlocutor, not ours. When a person says "I bought an apartment", he shares news. Perhaps he has long dreamed of it and even took out a mortgage for 30 years, but for the interlocutor the apartment is new information. Hence the well-known school rule: if we name an object for the first time, we use the indefinite article.
My sister has a babyFor you, the child is a relative, but your interlocutor is hearing about him for the first time.
We found a kitten in the backyard. You have experienced this event, but for your interlocutor this is new information.
And vice versa. This is the girl I've been telling you about. You have already discussed this girl, and the other person knows about her.
Pay attention to grammar. Usually the subject is the object that does the action, so we know who we are talking about. It often starts a sentence and is preceded by the definite article the.
But if the action is performed by someone unknown, such as a stranger outside the door, the article will be indefinite.
The dog next door is barking loudly. We know which dog is barking, so we say the.
A dog is barking outside. This is the first time the dog is mentioned, and we do not specify which one.
Another life hack is to look at adjectives. If a noun is preceded by a descriptive adjective (something that specifies a quality or characteristic), it will almost always be accompanied by a or anAfter all, people usually describe an object in detail when they see it for the first time.
She gave me an old photo of her family.
I need a comfortable chair for my office.
He bought an expensive watch yesterday.
Place emphasis. Article a/an selects a word from a multitude of heterogeneous objects, the — from homogeneous ones.
When you speak I can see a car, then you single out the car from a multitude of other objects: you see the car, not an elephant, a whale or a stork.
When you speak I can see the car, then you select a specific car: you see exactly this car, and not some other one.
Replace articles with pronouns. If you are unsure which article to use, or are afraid of making a mistake in the flow of speech, salvation is possessive pronouns. Instead a year or the can say my, your, his, her, their, if they fit the meaning.
Instead of There is a lipstick in the bag can say There is my lipstick in the bag.
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When the rules for using articles are violated
In fiction, rules are broken to add an emotional tone: to strengthen a comparison, emphasize significance, or highlight something from the general series.
Articles with proper names can be placed irregularly in order to give them new shades of meaning.
In the song There's a moon over Bourbon Street, instead of the expected the, they use a — it turns out to be “some kind of moon”, which adds mystery.
My husband is a real Othello. The indefinite article emphasizes that the husband is “one of those like Othello,” and Othello becomes a household name.
This is the very Kate. The definite article before the name adds expressiveness and focuses the interlocutor's attention on the fact that Kate is famous. The article in the title of the novel "The Great Gatsby" works in a similar way - The Great Gatsby.
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Ten Fun Ways to Learn English Without a Single Book
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