What are the basic rules for using the articles?

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 466.

Articles

Nouns and Articles

Correctly using and choosing the proper article is one of the biggest problems in English grammar.

1.The indefinite articles, a / an, can be used to talk about

ü objects or ideas in general

ü one particular person or thing, when it is mentioned for the first time, or when the reader does not know which one is meant, or when it does not matter which one.

2.The definite article, the, can be used

ü when the noun is singled out as unique or specific

ü when the reader already knows which particular person(s) or thing(s) etc you are talking about.

The indefinite article (a / an) is used with singular countable nouns referring to a non-unique item in general:

ü separate objects, people, ideas, etc.

The definite article (the) is used with nouns referring to a unique specific item. A noun can have a definite article when

ü it is modified by a superlative or ordinal number

e.g. the first experiment, the last measurement, the most significant results, the only time

ü it refers to an entire type or species

e.g. The telephone can be used to transfer data.

ü it refers to an item previously mentioned

e.g. They connected a phone line to a modem. The modem was connected to a computer in order for the computer to access the internet.

ü there is only one of something or it is fully specified by the context or background knowledge

e.g. The periodic table is often used in chemistry.

The internet is now used by millions of people across the world.

ü it is followed by of + noun phrase

e.g. The coefficient of expansion of brass is 0.000026^oC.

The importance of international co-operation is emphasised in the report.

Note:Some generalisations may be needed in scientific use, in which case the is left out in long, complex, uncountable or plural noun phrases, in particular those including an of + noun phrase. In these sentences, both options, i.e. using the articles or omitting them, are correct.

e.g. (The) Little-known sources of air pollution are misfires in a car's engine.

(The) Creation of the simulation model allows for a degree of optimisation of (the) engine performance.

What is the difference between countable and uncountable nouns?

The distinction between these two types of nouns is very important in English and understanding this will help you to use articles more accurately. Most nouns are either countable or uncountable, while some can be either, depending on the meaning or the context.

Countable nounsare things we can count. We use them with the indefinite article a / an, and we can make them plural.

e.g. car, table, job, experiment, employer, teacher, laboratory, suggestion

Uncountable nounsare things we cannot count. They include many abstract nouns that you may use frequently in scientific writing. They have no plural form and cannot be used with the indefinite article a / an. When you want to itemise these nouns, you have to add a phrase like a piece of …

information, advice, evidence, music, money, progress, research, work, travel, luggage

The use of articles with countable and uncountable nouns is as follows:

Some words which are basically uncountable nouns can also be used as countable nouns with a somewhat different meaning, and this applies to many words in scientific and technical English.

ü As uncountable nouns, they refer to something general,

e.g. metal, fuel, material, mass, velocity, pressure, power, water, analysis, science, sound, temperature