English Articles: Foreword

English articles include the indefinite article "a" (an) and the definite article "the". Articles
are used with nouns. The choice of an article depends on the type of noun and its meaning
and also on the context.

Use of articles with different types of nouns

The indefinite article a/an is used with countable nouns in the singular. The indefinite article
a/an is not used with uncountable nouns. (But there are special cases in which uncountable
nouns are used as countable nouns.) The main function of the indefinite article is to name
one item belonging to a class of similar items.

The definite article "the" can be used with countable nouns in the singular and plural as well
as with uncountable nouns. The main function of the definite article is to point out a noun
and to make it definite and specific.

The indefinite article is rarely used with proper names. The definite article can be used with
certain proper names.

Difficulties in studying articles

English articles are difficult for us because there are no articles in Ukrainian. Students often
have a problem deciding where and which article to use.

Students sometimes try to avoid this problem by not using any articles with nouns. For
example, they use "my, his, her, our, your, their, some, any" instead of the articles. Though
it may be a fitting substitute in a number of cases, this method doesn't work everywhere.
Here is an example of how students try to avoid articles, and how strange it may sound.

Strange: I went to my kitchen, made my coffee, ate some sandwich, washed some dishes,
and left for my work.

Normal: I went to the kitchen, made coffee, ate a sandwich, washed the dishes, and left for
work.

You need to know how to use articles; you can't avoid them or do without them in English.
You won't see many "some, any" in the examples in the materials on articles. This was done
on purpose, so that you could clearly see where and which article to use.

Students also say that the rules of the use of articles do not seem logical to them, and the
worst thing is that in many cases either variant is possible (a/an or the), or even any of the
three variants is possible (a/an, the, or no article), and this is very confusing.

Yes, variants are possible in many cases, but the meaning of the noun changes when the
article changes.

He is a doctor.

He is the doctor I told you about.

There is a book on the table.

The book is on the table.

This vase is made of glass.

The glass this vase is made of is called Venetian glass.

Where are my glasses?

Could you give me a glass of water?

Some students formulate helpful tips on the use of articles with geographical names. For
example:

The name of a river, a sea, an ocean – the definite article; the name of a lake – no article.

The name of a mountain – no article; the name of a mountain chain – the definite article.

Part 1. Articles with Countable Nouns: Basic Rules

Countable nouns are nouns that can be counted: a table, two tables; a house, four
houses; a cat, three cats; an answer, several answers.

Rule 1

A countable noun in the singular requires an article (a/an or the).

The indefinite article a/an has the following meanings: one, some, any; one item out of
the group of many similar items.

I need a pen.

I have a question.

She is eating an apple.

The definite article "the" has the following meanings: this, that; the only one; the one
that we are speaking about; the one that has already been mentioned. The meaning of
the definite article with a plural noun is close to "these, those".

The pen that you gave me doesn't write.

The question that you asked is difficult.

The questions that you asked are difficult.

Note: a, an

The indefinite article "a" is used before words beginning with a consonant sound: a
book, a cat, a driver, a game, a number, a problem, a report, a truck, a window. Its
variant "an" is used before words beginning with a vowel sound: an actor, an eagle, an
icon, an owl, an umbrella.

"A" is used before the initial letter "u" when it is pronounced [yu:], before the initial
letter "y" [y], and before the word "one": a union, a useful book, a yellow bag, a young
man, a one-way street, a one-day stop.

"An" is used before the mute initial letter "h" (because such words begin with a vowel
sound): an hour, an heir, an honor, an honest man. If the initial letter "h" is pronounced,
"a" is used before it: a hero, a hint, a house, a hot day, a hungry look.

Rule 2

If you mention a countable noun in the singular for the first time and/or mean "one,
some, any", use the indefinite article a/an.

He is a teacher.

A tomato is a vegetable.

An elephant is an animal.

A penguin is a bird.
A cat and a dog ran past me.

A triangle has three sides.

A poet writes poems.

Chicago is a large city.

I want to buy a new car.

I need a book about India.

He wrote a long article on gardening.

Do you have a dog?

He doesn't have a telephone.

Rule 3

If you mention a countable noun in the plural for the first time and/or mean "some,
any", don't use any article. The definite article is not used in such cases, and the
indefinite article can't be used with a plural noun because its original meaning is "one".

They are teachers.

He likes tomatoes and cucumbers.

Elephants are clever animals.

People live in houses.

Monkeys eat fruit, nuts, and berries.

Penguins can swim very rapidly.

Triangles have three sides.

Poets write poems.

Cities are becoming too big.

Books are necessary to students.

This magazine has interesting articles about dogs.

Atoms consist of particles.

Telephones and computers are in almost every home today.

Note: Singular and plural nouns

There is a certain connection between the indefinite article before a countable noun in
the singular and the absence of any article before such a noun in the plural.

If a countable noun in the singular is used with the indefinite article, it usually means
that this noun can be used in the plural without any article in similar context.

Usually, the opposite is also true: If you see a plural countable noun without an article,
it usually means that this noun can be used in the singular with the indefinite article in
similar context.

An eagle has a sharp beak. – Eagles have sharp beaks.

Children like to play. – A child likes to play.

There are exceptions and special cases, of course. For example: countable nouns with
the same singular and plural form (a deer, three deer; a means, various means),
countable nouns used only in the plural (trousers, scissors, goods, clothes), and some
other cases. (See Irregular Plural Nouns in the section Writing.)

Rule 4

If you need to single out a countable noun in the singular and to make it specific and
the only one, use the definite article "the". Usually, some additional information is
needed in the sentence to single out this noun, for example, the of-phrase or a
subordinate clause.

Rome is the capital of Italy.

Who is the author of this story?

The result of his actions was awful.

The tomato in this bowl is yellow.

The elephant on the right is from Africa.

The story that I'm reading is very sad.

He is the teacher that I told you about.

Here is the article that we discussed yesterday.

The car that I like is expensive.

I bought the table that cost fifty dollars.

I need the book written by Professor Baker last year.

He asked the girl at the information desk how to get to the train station.

Note:

If additional information doesn't make the object the only one, use the article a/an.

She is a teacher of English. (She is not the only teacher of English.)

I have a feeling that he is lying. (It is not the only feeling that I have.)

I have an idea that will save us. (It is not the only idea that I have.)

Tom is a friend of mine. (i.e., one of my friends)

I bought a book on Ukrainian history. (It is not the only book on Ukrainian history.)

Rule 5

If you need to point out a countable noun in the plural and to make it specific, use the
definite article the. Usually, some additional information in the sentence is needed to
point it out, for example, the of-phrase or a subordinate clause.

My friends Tom and Maria are the authors of this story.

The results of his actions were awful.

I bought the books that I needed.

She bought the new books written by Professor Baker.

The articles that we discussed yesterday were published on Monday.

The cars that I like are expensive.

The hotels where we stayed were not very expensive.

The students in my English class are lawyers and economists.

Do you know the people who live in that house?

The tomatoes in this greenhouse grow much better than in that one.

She asked the neighbors on the tenth floor to help her.

Note: The definite article may be implied in certain situations. For example: Open the
door, please. She looked out of the window. He put the bags into the car. Did you find
the keys?

Part 2. Articles with Uncountable Nouns: Basic Rules

An uncountable noun denotes something that cannot be counted: information,
health, money, music, weather. Generally, uncountable nouns are not used in the
plural or with the indefinite article. If an uncountable noun is the subject of a
sentence, the singular form of the verb is used.

If necessary, the definite article can be used with an uncountable noun. For
example, depending on the situation you can say "water, money, information" or
"the water, the money, the information", but you cannot use the indefinite article
with these nouns.

Types of uncountable nouns

Several terms are used in reference to these nouns in English: uncountable nouns,
noncount nouns, noncountable nouns. Some linguistic sources use the term "mass
nouns" for all types of uncountable nouns.

In general, uncountable nouns include concrete mass nouns (liquids, gases, solid
substances), various abstract notions, names of scientific subjects and fields of
study, names of languages, names of sports and games, names of various
activities, names of natural phenomena. The list below contains some commonly
used uncountable nouns.

Liquids: water, tea, coffee, milk, cocoa, honey, lemonade, fruit juice, vinegar, soy
sauce, vegetable oil, soup, beer, wine, champagne, vodka, whiskey (whisky),
alcohol, petroleum, oil, petrol, gasoline, blood, shampoo, ink, glue.

Gases: air, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide,
natural gas, methane, propane, ammonia, smoke, steam.

Solid substances: bread, butter, cheese, meat, beef, pork, fruit, ice, gold, silver,
iron, steel, coal, glass, wood, paper, rubber, plastic, wool, cotton, silk, nylon, soap,
toothpaste, dirt, mud.

Powder, grain: sugar, salt, pepper, grain, corn, wheat, barley, buckwheat, oats,
rice, rye, corn, maize, flour, starch, sand, cement, dust.

Other concrete mass nouns: food, furniture, equipment, machinery,

transportation, traffic, software, hardware, baggage, luggage, mail, money,
clothing, jewelry, hair, grass, garbage, trash.

Various abstract notions: beauty, chaos, charity, capitalism, democracy,

eternity, evidence, homelessness, individualism, faith, infinity, liberty, loyalty,
luxury, misery, motivation, observation, poverty, privacy, slavery, stability,
unemployment, violence, wealth, wisdom.

Frequently used abstract nouns: advice, assistance, freedom, friendship, help,

honesty, humor (humour), imagination, inflation, information, justice, knowledge,
luck, news, peace, permission, power, progress, reality, research, time, truth, work.

Feelings, emotions: admiration, anger, anxiety, calm, calmness, compassion,

confidence, courage, curiosity, despair, determination, enthusiasm, envy,
excitement, forgiveness, happiness, hatred, jealousy, joy, kindness, love, patience,
pride, sadness, sensitivity, sincerity, sorrow, sympathy, tolerance, trust,
uncertainty.

Various types of state: health, sleep, silence, laughter, stress, sanity, insanity,
motherhood, childhood, youth, old age.

Various activities: reading, writing, studying, walking, running, driving, traveling,

typing, gardening, shopping, dancing, singing, cooking, eating, drinking, smoking.

Scientific subjects and fields of study: mathematics, physics, chemistry,

geography, biology, medicine, agriculture, engineering, electronics, science, art,
history, economics, literature, journalism, music, education, philosophy, law,
politics, accounting, advertising, linguistics, grammar, phonetics.

Names of languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Finnish,

Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean.

Sports and related activities: basketball, football, baseball, volleyball, soccer,

tennis, gymnastics, athletics, swimming, rugby, golf, fencing, weight lifting,
wrestling, hiking, hunting, fishing, chess, checkers, draughts, billiards.

Various natural phenomena: energy, light, electricity, gravity, sunshine,

darkness, fire, weather, thunder, lightning, snow, sleet, frost, dew, humidity, heat,
hail, rain.

Names of diseases: pneumonia, diabetes, laryngitis, diphtheria, tuberculosis,

cancer, sclerosis, appendicitis, measles, mumps.

Note: Suffixes of nouns

The suffixes "acy, age, ance, dom, hood, ism, ment, ness, ship, tion, ty" are often
found in uncountable nouns. But there are many other cases in the list. Try to
determine whether the nouns with these suffixes are countable or uncountable. It
may be a difficult task even for advanced students.

Rule 1: No article
Uncountable nouns are generally used without any article. The indefinite article is
used with uncountable nouns only in special cases. The definite article depends on
the situation. If you are speaking in general about something expressed by an
uncountable noun, do not use the definite article.

I'd like coffee with milk, please.

She prefers green tea.

Do you play tennis?

I want to buy new furniture.

She likes classical music.

He likes history and Spanish.

Water consists of hydrogen and oxygen.

She believes in justice.

Information gives power.

He has laryngitis.

He has no respect for old age.

Radioactivity was discovered in 1896.

Science appeared in the Stone Age.

Coal, oil, and natural gas are used to produce electricity.

Rule 2: Definite article

If it is necessary to point out an uncountable noun, use the definite article "the".
Usually, some additional information is needed in the sentence in order to use the
definite article, for example, the of-phrase or a subordinate clause. The context can
also make the noun definite. The definite article in such cases is close in meaning
to "this, that".

I am studying the history of France.

The milk in this glass is sour.

The water in this well is poisoned.

The tea that she served smelled of mint.

The power that this man has is huge.

Take out the garbage, please.

Have you heard the news?

How accurate is the information that you have given in this report?

She didn't have the courage to tell them.

The anger that she felt was mixed with despair and fear.

Thank you for the kindness that you have shown to my mother.

Note: When talking about someone's feelings, you can use a possessive pronoun
instead of the definite article in some cases. For example:

Her anger was mixed with despair and fear.

Thank you for your kindness to my mother.

Note: Expressions of quantity

Expressions of quantity are used with uncountable nouns to indicate a particular

amount or a portion of something. For example: a glass of water; two cups of
coffee; a pound of butter; a loaf of bread; a piece of cake; a piece of furniture;
several articles of clothing; a grain of rice; a grain of truth; a game of chess.

"Some, a little, a lot of" are often used with uncountable nouns to indicate an
indefinite amount of something. For example: a little water; a little milk; a little
help; a little luck; a lot of furniture; a lot of information; a lot of work; a lot of snow.

"Some" with uncountable nouns indicates some indefinite amount, but not too
much, and is often not translated into Ukrainian. For example: I want to buy some
bread. She drank some milk. I need some help. He found some information about
it.

"Any" is used instead of "some" in negative and interrogative sentences: I don't

have any time. I don't need any help. Have you found any information about it? But
"some" is used in requests and offers in the form of questions: Could you lend me
some money? Would you like some tea?

Special cases of use

There are certain cases in which some uncountable nouns may be used with the
indefinite article or in the plural, without much change of their lexical meaning.

Different kinds and varieties

Some uncountable nouns, usually concrete mass nouns, may be used in the plural
(with the ending s/es) to indicate different kinds and varieties. For example: the
teas of India; blended teas; soft cheeses; low-fat cheeses; French wines; whole-
wheat breads; hard wheats; stainless steels; iron ores; Chinese silks; various wools.
Such use is quite common in scientific and special literature.

In general speech and writing, mostly the singular form of an uncountable mass
noun is used in such cases. For example: different kinds of soft cheese; varieties of
black tea; types of stainless steel; varieties of wool. Some uncountable mass nouns
are often used in the plural to indicate different kinds in general speech and
writing, for example, fruits, fruit juices, wines. Compare these examples:

This dress is made of silk.

Chinese silk is very beautiful.

The museum has a large collection of textiles, including ornamental Chinese silks
and Japanese kimono silks.

Children should eat fresh fruit and vegetables and drink fruit juice every day.

Many fruits and combinations of fruits are used to make various fruit juices.

I like red wine. I'd like a glass of white wine, please.

He is a connoisseur of French wine. He is a connoisseur of French wines.

The store offers a large selection of French wines.

Indefinite article with uncountable abstract nouns

The indefinite article may be used with some uncountable abstract nouns to show
a special (temporary, unusual) type (kind, character, side) of something, mostly in
formal writing and in literary works. In such cases, an uncountable abstract noun
usually has an attribute. The article a/an in such cases can convey the following
meanings: such, certain, special, particular. For example:

The director spoke at the meeting today with an enormous enthusiasm.

She smiled at us with an unusual friendliness.

A paralyzing horror overwhelmed him.

There was a dull anger in his voice that surprised and frightened her.

A knowledge of physics is necessary for this job.

In many of such cases, especially in ordinary speech and writing, uncountable

abstract nouns can be used without the indefinite article.

The director spoke at the meeting today with great enthusiasm.

He was paralyzed with horror.

She smiled at us with unusual friendliness.

Knowledge of physics is necessary for this job.

(More examples of the use of the indefinite article with uncountable nouns can be
found in the subsection Messages about Grammar (Articles) in the section
Messages.)
Meanings of uncountable nouns
Many uncountable nouns have meanings in which they function as countable
nouns, and in such cases, they can take the indefinite article a/an or the plural
ending s/es. Because there are no articles in Ukrainian, the difference between an
uncountable noun and the same noun as countable often escapes us.

The difference between an uncountable noun and a countable noun in English is

very big: their meanings are different; you can or cannot use the article a/an or the
ending s/es; the verb is in the singular or in the plural. That is, grammatical forms
and context help to identify the meaning of a noun in such cases.

Examples of nouns that can be uncountable or countable:

beauty – a beauty

glass – a glass

paper – a paper

drawing – a drawing

observation – an observation

reason – a reason

iron – an iron

football – a football

hair – a hair; hairs

grain – a grain

crime – a crime

work – a work of art

liberty – civil liberties

difficulty – difficulties

medicine – medicines

time – several times

to study law – the laws of physics

to feel wonder – the seven wonders of the world.

Examples: Compare the use of articles

Uncountable noun:

Observation is important in research.

This patient needs careful observation.

Countable noun:

He made an observation about her report.

The observation that he made was very helpful to her.

He made several helpful observations on her report.

More examples, with explanatory notes

Science and art play an important role in human progress. (Uncountable nouns
"science, art" in general; no need for article the; can't use a/an.)

Do you think mathematics is a science, an art, a tool, a language, or a game?

(Countable nouns "science, art"; singular, one of sciences / arts, article a/an.)

The art of painting is an important part of Chinese culture. (Uncountable noun

"art"; specific, of-phrase, article the.)

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Beauty lies in lover's eyes. (proverb)
(Uncountable noun "beauty" in general; no need for article the; can't use a/an.)

She is a beauty in this costume. (Countable noun "beauty"; singular, one / one of,
indefinite article.)

The beauty of this engineering solution is in its simplicity. (Uncountable noun

"beauty"; specific, of-phrase, article the.)

She believes in liberty. (Uncountable noun "liberty" in general; no need for article
the; can't use a/an.)

Civil liberties and civil rights are the same thing. (Countable noun "liberties" in
general; plural, can't use a/an; no need for article the.)

A piano is a musical instrument. (Countable noun "piano"; singular, one / any

piano, indefinite article.)

The piano that he has at home is very old. (Countable noun "piano"; singular,
specific, of-phrase, article the.)

He makes toy pianos. (Countable noun "pianos" in general; plural, can't use a/an;
no need for article the.)

The pianos that he made last year were sold very quickly. (Countable noun
"pianos"; plural, specific, article the.)

He teaches piano. (Uncountable noun "piano" as a field of study; no need for article
the; can't use a/an.)

Part 3. Specific Use of the Definite Article

The definite article "the" can perform certain functions that cannot be fully explained
by basic rules of article usage. These functions are described here.

Unique, only one

If there is only one thing like that in existence (universally or locally), the article "the"
is used with such a noun. Examples:

the atmosphere, the sky

the Earth, the Sun, the Moon

the world, the universe

the horizon, the equator

the north, the south, the east, the west

the president, the king

the director, the postman

the government, the police

the end, the beginning

the result, the bottom

The sun is shining today.

He went to the East to study yoga.

The end is near.

The Earth is surrounded and protected by the atmosphere.

Note: The word "earth" in set expressions is generally used without any article: on
earth, what on earth, why on earth, how on earth; bring someone back to earth,
come down to earth, move heaven and earth.

Superlative degree of adjectives

The article "the" is required with the superlative degree of adjectives. For example:

the biggest, the smallest, the best, the worst, the shortest, the most difficult, the
least interesting.

The Amazon is the longest river in the world.

The largest city in the world is Mexico City.

Adjectives instead of nouns

Some adjectives can be used with the definite article in the function of nouns. In
such cases, adjectives usually acquire the meaning of a plural noun that denotes a
group of people. In the function of the subject, such adjectives are used with a plural
verb.

It is a school for the blind.

The old need help from the young.

The rich should share with the poor.

The names of some nationalities are formed in this way: the French, the Irish, the
Dutch, the Swiss, the Chinese, the Japanese.

The Irish have many old customs.

The French are famous for their wines.

If an adjective with the definite article is used instead of an abstract noun, the verb is
used in the singular. For example: The unknown attracts and scares us.

Certain adjectives
The definite article "the" is used with the adjectives "right, wrong, left, right, only,
same, last, next, following", and some others.

You asked the wrong people.

He is the only pilot I know.

He eats the same food every day.

Listen to the following story.

The last task was easy.

The next exercise will be difficult.

This man always appears at the right place at the right time.

Note:

No article is used with the adjectives "last, next" in the adverbial modifiers of time
"last week, last year, last month, next week, next year, next month".

I saw him last month.

I'll go there next year.

We went there last winter.

We'll see him next week.

Certain adverbial modifiers of time

The article "the" is used in the following adverbial modifiers of time:

in the evening (at night), in the morning, in the afternoon, the other day, the day
before yesterday, on the first of May (on May first).

We saw Nina the other day.

We left on the tenth of July.

She likes to go for a walk in the morning.

Adverbial modifiers of place

Usually, the definite article "the" is used in the adverbial modifiers of place. For
example:

in the room, under the table, in the corner, on the street, in front of the house,
behind the tree, across the river, at the airport, to the bank, to the station, through
the tunnel.

Your newspaper is on the table.

I read about it in the books.

He went to the cinema yesterday.

The indefinite article a/an can be used in some adverbial modifiers of place, but the
meaning will be different.

She works at the bank. (I'm telling you her place of work / occupation.)

She works at a bank. (At some bank, maybe I don't know its name.)

Ordinal numerals
The article "the" is required with ordinal numerals. Compare:

The tenth floor, please.

Floor 10, please. (pronounced "floor ten")

Read the third page.

Read page 3. (pronounced "page three")

Do the first exercise.

Do Exercise 1. ("exercise one")

Note that the names of streets in the form of ordinal numerals are used without any
article: He lives on First Street. But the definite article is used in constructions like
these: the Fifth Avenue bus; the Tenth Street galleries. If the ordinal number is not
the name of the street, the definite article is used: the first street on your left.

Decades of years
Use "the" with decades of years.

the twenties (the '20s / the 1920s), the fifties, the sixties, the nineties

He wrote several books in the eighties.

Such skirts were popular in the 1960s.

Musical instruments
Use the definite article with the names of musical instruments when indicating what
kind of musical instrument is played. For example:

play the piano, play the violin, play the sax, play the guitar, play the trumpet, play
the flute, play the drums.

He plays the piano very well.

Maria can play the violin.

But: play football, play basketball, play volleyball, play tennis, play golf, play chess,
play billiards, play cards.

They played chess all evening.

How often do you play volleyball?

A notion representing a class of objects

If a group of objects is represented by one object of their class, this singular
countable noun takes the definite article the. Its meaning is a notion representing a
class of objects, not the only object or specific object. This function is called the
generic function of the definite article. The definite article "the" in this function is
used only with a singular noun, mostly with the names of animal species, plants,
inventions, instruments, and some others.

The cheetah is the fastest land animal, and the giraffe is the tallest.

The snowy owl is white all the year round.

The pine grows well in many regions of the world.

The rose needs rich soil.

The computer has become part of our everyday life.

The telephone was invented by Alexander Bell.

The verb agrees with the subject.

Note:

Uncountable nouns do not take the article "the" in such cases.

Dynamite was invented by Alfred Nobel.

Water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen.

Note:

The indefinite article is often used with a singular countable noun in similar
situations, but its meaning is "one of, some, any member of a class of objects", and
not a notion representing a class of objects. Nouns in the plural are used without any
article in such cases.

A rose is a beautiful flower.

An owl is a bird.

A cucumber is green.

A painter paints pictures.

Poets write poems.

Pines grow well in many regions of the world.

Bananas are yellow.

Owls live on all the continents except Antarctica.

Computers have become part of our everyday life.

The generic function of the definite article with a singular countable noun to express
a notion representing a class of objects is not used in everyday speech often, but it is
quite common in scientific and reference literature. Compare these examples:

The telescope is an astronomical instrument. The telescope was invented by Galileo.

(Not the only telescope or specific telescope, but the notion representing the class of
telescopes.)

The telescope that I bought is very small. (Specific telescope) The telescopes that I
bought were not very expensive. (Specific telescopes)

A telescope is an astronomical instrument. (One / any telescope) Telescopes are very

expensive. (Any telescopes)

Part 4. Specific Use of the Indefinite Article

The indefinite article a/an can perform certain functions that cannot be fully explained by
basic rules of article usage. These functions are described here.

Expressions of quantity with countable nouns

The indefinite article is used in certain expressions of quantity with countable nouns.

The phrase "a pair of"

The phrase "a pair of" is used with objects consisting of two parts regarded as a unit.

a pair of shoes; a pair of socks

a pair of glasses; a pair of earrings

a pair of gloves; a pair of mittens

a pair of trousers; a pair of shorts

a pair of scissors; a pair of pliers

Examples
I bought a pair of leather gloves. I bought leather gloves.

My jeans are old. I need a new pair of jeans. I need new jeans.

I need scissors. Could you give me a pair of scissors?

He was wearing a raincoat and a pair of rubber boots.

I bought two pairs of shoes and three pairs of socks.

Note: "A pair" may become "the pair" in certain situations, though such situations do not
occur very often. For example: You can take the pair of gloves that I bought yesterday.

The phrase "a couple of"

a couple of times; a couple of hours

a couple of days; a couple of weeks

a couple of guys; a couple of friends

a couple of books; a couple of things

Examples

She visited them a couple of times.

I need to do a couple of things now.

He knows a couple of teachers at that college.

Note: The phrase "a couple of" in everyday English means "two, several, but not many".

The phrase "a few"

a few times; a few days

a few students; a few girls

a few books; a few dollars

quite a few people; only a few people

Examples

He spent a few days in Italy.

She needs to do a few things today.

He knows a few people at IBM.

He knows quite a few people who can help you.

A few students were waiting in the hall.

Note: "A few" and "few" are used only with countable nouns. "A few" means "not many,
but there are some"; "few" means "not many, not enough".

I have a few questions. She bought a few books.

Few people know about it. He has very few friends.

We have very few chairs. Let's buy a few more chairs.

The phrase "a number of"

The phrases "a number of; a large number of" are used with countable nouns. If these
phrases are in the function of the subject, the plural form of the verb is used. For
example:

I can recommend a number of good grammar books.

A large number of books from his collection were donated to school libraries.

A number of students were present at the conference.

But: The number of visitors is growing. The number of books in his collection is almost
five thousand.

Expressions of time, frequency, quantity

an hour ago; a week ago

three times a day

once a week; twice a year

once in a while

fifty-five miles an hour

ninety kilometers an hour

a dozen eggs; half a dozen

a hundred dollars; a hundred times

a thousand years; a thousand times

Examples

We saw him a minute ago.

She walks her dog twice a day.

The car was doing about eighty miles an hour.

I bought half a dozen oranges.

Note:

The words "hundred, thousand" can be used in combinations with various nouns. For
example: a hundred years; a hundred times; a hundred dollars (meters, feet, kilograms,
pounds, percent, people, men, students, questions, books), etc.

Idiomatic character

The indefinite article is used in a large number of various expressions, many of which
have idiomatic character. The use of the article a/an in such expressions does not always
follow the rules.

all of a sudden

to be in a hurry

a grain of truth

an only child

one in a thousand

one of a kind

two of a kind
Examples

I'm in a hurry.

He was an only child.

This bracelet is one of a kind.

The phrases "what a; such a"

The indefinite article is used in the phrases "what a; such a" before countable nouns in
the singular and before certain uncountable nouns (e.g., disgrace, pity, pleasure, relief,
shame). "What a" is generally used in exclamatory sentences.

What a beautiful day! What a surprise!

What a pity! What a pleasure!

It was such a long time ago!

Other uncountable nouns and plural countable nouns are used without any article in such
cases.

What beautiful music!

What beautiful presents!

Where did you find such information?

He never says such things.

Expressions of quantity with uncountable nouns

The indefinite article is used in certain expressions of quantity with uncountable nouns to
express a portion of something or a particular amount.

The phrases "a cup of; a bowl of"

a cup of coffee; a cup of tea

a bowl of soup; a bowl of salad

a glass of water; a glass of wine

a bottle of mineral water; a bottle of beer

Examples

I'd like a bowl of soup and a cup of coffee.

He drank two glasses of milk.

He bought a bottle of wine and three bottles of beer.

The phrase "a piece of"

a piece of bread; a piece of meat

a piece of pie; a piece of chocolate

a piece of paper; a piece of chalk

a piece of news; a piece of advice

a piece of furniture; a piece of art

a piece of jewelry; a piece of clothing

Examples

Let me give you a piece of advice.

I've just heard an interesting piece of news. (I've just heard interesting news.)

I have a piece of good news. (I have good news.)

I'll have a small piece of apple pie.

She ate two pieces of chicken and three pieces of bread.

The phrase "a little"

a little water; a little time

a little sugar; a little milk

a little music; a little money

a little rest; a little sleep

a little help; a little patience

a little information

Note: "A little" and "little" are used only with uncountable nouns. "A little" means "not
much, but there is some"; "little" means "not much, not enough".

I need a little help with this exercise.

She drank a little milk. You need a little rest.

I have very little time now. Can we talk a little later?

The phrase "a large amount of"

The phrases "a large amount of; a great deal of" are used with uncountable nouns to
show a large amount of something. For example:

He lost a large amount of money last year.

He spent a great deal of time trying to solve that problem.

The phrase "a lot of"

The indefinite article is used in the expression of quantity "a lot of" with countable and
uncountable nouns.

The subject expressed by the phrase "a lot of" with a countable plural noun requires the
plural form of the verb. The subject expressed by "a lot of" with an uncountable noun
requires the singular form of the verb.

a lot of times; a lot of time

a lot of rooms; a lot of room

a lot of cakes; a lot of cake

a lot of cars; a lot of people

a lot of information; a lot of money

Examples

She has a lot of friends.

He has a lot of work today.

Students have to write a lot of reports this semester.

Sportsmen spend a lot of energy.

We had a lot of snow last winter.

A lot of people were present at the meeting.

A lot of food was sent to the hospital.

There is a lot of sugar in this cake.

There are a lot of flowers in the garden.

Part 5. Articles in Set Expressions

Articles in set expressions often do not follow the rules of the use of articles.
The list below illustrates the use of articles in common set expressions. For
your convenience, set expressions are divided here into three groups
according to the article that is used in them: the definite article "the"; the
indefinite article "a/an"; without any article.

Of course, it is much more logical to group set expressions according to their

meaning or according to the main word in them. Most of the set expressions
in the list below are described more fully in the section Idioms. This material
just gives examples of article use in frequently used set expressions. Set
expressions should be learned by heart.

Group 1. Set expressions with the definite article

at the beginning: His name was mentioned at the beginning of the story.

at the end: The index is at the end of the book.

at the latest: Be at the train station by five o'clock at the latest.

at the moment; at the present time: I don't have a job at the moment.

at the most, at most: I can pay fifty dollars at the most.

at the same time: He couldn't be in two places at the same time. At the same
time, I agree with your opinion.

at the scene of: He was seen at the scene of the accident.

by the way: By the way, where is my book?

do the dishes, wash the dishes: Please wash the dishes after dinner.

get to the point: Let's get to the point.

go to the cinema: How often do you go to the cinema?

in the beginning: In the beginning, the story was rather dull.

in the center: You see a house in the center of the picture and several trees in
the background.

in the end: In the end, they got what they deserved.

in the face of: He continued his work in the face of danger.

in the middle: It is in the middle of the book.

in the morning; in the afternoon; in the evening: Call me in the evening.

live in the city: He lives in the city.

live in the country: They live in the country.

make the bed: She made the beds in the bedrooms.

off the point, beside the point: This question is off the point.

on the alert: He is always on the alert.

on the house: They paid for sandwiches and pies; coffee and tea were on the
house.

on the left; on the right: His house is on the right.

on the move; on the run: He is always on the move.

on the one hand; on the other hand: On the one hand, I don't want to go
there. On the other hand, I want to talk to Mike, and he will be there.

on the point of: They are on the point of breaking up. She was on the point of
death a year ago.

on the radio: I heard it on the radio.

on the telephone: She is talking on the phone to her sister.

on the way: We stopped several times on the way to the summer house.

on the whole: On the whole, your plan seems interesting.

out of the question: This is out of the question.

play the piano; play the violin; play the drums: Can you play the piano?

tell the time: Can you tell me the time?

tell the truth: He told you the truth.

the other day: I talked to Maria the other day.

under the influence: He was driving under the influence of alcohol.

under the weather: I'm feeling a little under the weather today.

What's the difference?

What's the matter?

What's the point?

Group 2. Set expressions with the indefinite article

a grain of truth: There is a grain of truth in his words.

a lot of: He has a lot of problems.

an only child: She was an only child.

a slip of the tongue: Sometimes, a slip of the tongue can lead to serious
things.

all of a sudden: All of a sudden, she jumped to her feet and ran out of the
room.

as a matter of fact: As a matter of fact, he is broke.

as a result: All this happened as a result of his negligence.

as a rule: As a rule, he goes for a walk before bedtime.

as a whole: We should consider these issues as a whole.

at a glance: He understood at a glance what was going on there.

at a loss: He sold his business at a loss. I was at a loss for words.

at a time: Don't hurry and don't try to do two things at a time.

cost a pretty penny: Their new car cost a pretty penny.

do a favor: Can you do me a favor?

for a long time: I haven't seen her for a long time.

give a ride, give a lift: Can you give me a ride to the bank? Can you give me a
lift to the train station?

go for a walk: He went for a walk.

have a cold: He has a cold.

have a good time: Did you have a good time at the party?

have a headache: I have a headache.

have a problem: She has a problem with mathematics.

in a hurry: I'm in a hurry.

in a minute; in a few minutes; in a week; in a year: I'll be free in a few

minutes. He'll come back in a year.

make a living: She makes a living by selling flowers from her garden.

make a fortune: He made a fortune in oil.

make an appointment: I'd like to make an appointment with a doctor.

quite a bit of: We spent quite a bit of time trying to find the key.

quite a few: There were quite a few people there.

take a break: Let's take a ten-minute break.

tell a joke; tell a story: He told me a very funny story.

tell a lie: He told you a lie.

Group 3. Set expressions without any article

at best: It will give us three or four days at best.

at first: At first he refused to go with us.

at first sight: It was love at first sight.

at home; at school; at work: She is at home. Her son is at school. Her

husband is at work.

at last: We are free at last!

at least: I need at least two days to prepare for the meeting.

at noon; at night; at midnight: Her train arrives at noon.

at once: Ask him to come at once.

at present (but: at the present time): We don't have a car at present.

at times: He feels worse at times.

by chance: I met him by chance.

by heart: Learn the dialogue by heart.

by mail; by e-mail: I sent the report by mail.

by mistake: I did it by mistake.

day by day; from day to day; day after day; day in, day out: He worked hard
all his life, day in, day out.

do homework: She has already done her homework.

face to face: She knows about him, but she has not met him face to face yet.
We need to discuss it face to face.

for example; for instance: Fruits and vegetables are good sources of vitamins
and minerals. Citrus fruits, for example, are the main sources of vitamin C.

from time to time: We go there from time to time.

go by bus, by plane, by train, by car: We will go there by bus. Do you want to

go by train?

go to bed: It's time to go to bed.

go to church: They often go to church.

go to school, go to college: She wants to go to college.

go to work: He goes to work every day.

have breakfast; have dinner: We had breakfast at eight o'clock.

have fun: Have fun!

in advance: They paid for it in advance.

in class; in school; in college: They do some exercises in class. Her son is five;
he is not in school yet. They met in college.

in debt: She is in debt.

in detail: Describe the house in detail.

in fact: In fact, he is in charge of the whole company.

in general: In general, I like to read detective stories.

in principle: They accepted his plan in principle.

in prison: He is in prison now.

in reality: He looks strict, but in reality he is a kind man.

in spite of: He continued his work in spite of danger.

in style; in the latest style: These dresses are not in style.

in time: They came in time to get good seats before the lecture.

in trouble: If you do it, you'll be in trouble.

Keep in touch.

make coffee; make tea: She made coffee and sandwiches for us.

make breakfast; make dinner: She is making breakfast now.

make money: They promise that we will make money quickly. He makes good
money. She doesn't make much money.

of course: Of course I know it! He will be there, of course.

off guard: Her words caught him off his guard. Her words caught him off
guard.

on board: There were about a hundred passengers on board the plane.

on credit: I bought it on credit.

on duty: Who is on duty today?

on foot: We had to go there on foot.

on guard: He is always on his guard. He is always on guard. Three soldiers

were on guard at night.

on hand: I don't have a calculator on hand.

on page 3: It is on page 5. Open your book at page 7. Go to page 10. / Turn to

page 10.

on principle: He did it on principle.

on purpose: He did it on purpose.

on sale: I bought this coat on sale.

on second thought: We wanted to go to Italy in summer. But on second

thought, we decided to go to France.

on time: I came to the meeting on time.

on TV: I saw this film on TV.

out of date: This equipment is out of date. Her clothes are old and out of date.

out of order: The elevator is out of order.

out of place: The armchair is out of place. His remark was out of place.

out of town: He is out of town.

play football; play tennis; play chess: Do you play chess?

stand in line; wait in line: We had to stand in line for two hours. But: stand in
a queue; wait in a queue. (BrE)

take care of: Please take care of my dog while I'm away.

Take care!

take place: When did that incident take place?

time after time; time and again: They asked him time after time not to do
that.

time of day: The temperature of the soil depends on the time of day. The
pond in the park is especially beautiful at this time of day.
time of year: Days become shorter at this time of year. Early autumn is my
favorite time of year.

up to date: Is this information up to date? I need an up-to-date report.

word for word: Please repeat word for word what he said to you.

Part 6. Articles with People's Names

Personal names
As a rule, no article is used with a person's name, including first name,
middle name, last name, and nickname. Pets' names are also used
without any article.

My name is Elizabeth Gray. Please call me Betty.

His real name is Anthony Biggs, but everybody calls him Big Ant.

I spoke to Mr. Brown and Miss Green.

My cat's name is Smoky, and my parrot's name is Cicero.

Note:

The definite article "the" may be used with some nicknames. For example,
one person may have the nickname Monster, another – the Monster, still
another – The Monster. In direct address, the article is usually omitted.

He asked the Monster about it. He asked, "Monster, what do you think
about it?"

Surname in the plural

The definite article "the" is required when the surname is used in the
plural to show the members of the family together or just the husband
and wife as a family.

The Ivanovs live down the street.

The Bakers moved to Rome last year.

The Browns have a large house near the lake.

The Bentons are a nice couple.

The Millers don't have any dogs or cats.

Other cases

The articles the, a/an may be used with people's names in some other
situations.

The Linda that I knew ten years ago turned into a malicious hag.

Professor, there is an Alexander Taylor waiting for you in the hall.

She has a Rembrandt in her private collection. (a picture by Rembrandt)

Information about people

It is often necessary to provide information about someone's profession,
occupation, social standing, qualities, etc. For example:
Jim Trent is a young pianist who was invited to play at the reception.

My sister Maria is an excellent cook. She is going to make her famous

mushroom soup and ravioli with cheese for dinner.

Appositives

Information about people may also be in the form of appositives. An

appositive is a noun (or a phrase) that defines or explains another noun in
the sentence by renaming it. An appositive stands immediately after the
noun that it defines.

Jim Trent, a young pianist, was invited to play at the reception.

My sister Maria, an excellent cook, is going to make her famous

mushroom soup and ravioli with cheese for dinner.

The use of articles (the, a/an, or no article) in constructions with

appositives often presents some difficulty for language learners,
especially if personal names are involved. Compare these examples:

The English writer Agatha Christie, author of nearly a hundred mystery

novels and stories, was born in 1891.

Alexander Pushkin, the greatest poet of the 19th century, is well known,
loved and honored in many countries of the world.

Lord Byron, an English poet, was held in high esteem by the Russian poet
Alexander Pushkin.

Restrictive and nonrestrictive appositives

Nonrestrictive appositives (that is, providing additional, not essential

information) are set off by commas. Restrictive appositives (that is,
providing necessary information, essential to the meaning of the
sentence) are not set off by commas.

Look at the last example above. In the phrase "Lord Byron, an English
poet", the phrase "an English poet" is a nonrestrictive appositive. It gives
additional information and can be omitted. In the phrase "by the Russian
poet Alexander Pushkin", the name "Alexander Pushkin" is a restrictive
appositive. It provides needed information and cannot be omitted.

Note the difference in the meanings conveyed by restrictive and

nonrestrictive appositives.

My brother Mike likes to watch horror films. (Mike is one of my brothers.)

My sister, Ella, works as a teacher. (I have only one sister. Her name is
Ella.)

His wife, Dorothy, writes stories for children.

In informal speech, it is considered acceptable to use "his wife Dorothy;

her husband Tom", etc., with the same meaning.

His wife Dorothy writes stories for children.

Titles, ranks, job titles

Titles, ranks, job titles, and the like are used before or after personal
names, as well as without names. On the whole, titles that follow a
personal name and titles used without a name are capitalized less
frequently in American English than in British English.

Titles before names

Titles preceding a personal name are part of the name. They are
capitalized and used without any article.

Examples: Queen Elizabeth; Princess Diana; King George; President

Franklin Roosevelt (or President Roosevelt); Prime Minister Winston
Churchill; Senator Fulbright; Governor Mario Cuomo; Mayor Daley; Doctor
Mason (or Dr. Mason); Professor Long; Lieutenant Taylor; Captain Clark;
Private Smith; Mr. Cole; Miss Davis; Aunt Mary; Uncle Tom.

We expect that Mayor Roberts will speak at the conference.

We are going to invite Professor Green and his wife.

If a title before a name is used as description (not as part of the name), it

is generally not capitalized.

Former California governor Ronald Reagan became president of the

United States in 1981.

Titles after names

Titles that follow a personal name are generally used without any article
before the main noun in the title. Titles that indicate high status are
usually capitalized.

Examples: Diana, Princess of Wales; Franklin Roosevelt, President of the

United States; Richard J. Daley, Mayor of Chicago; James Lee, Managing
Director; Arnold Mason, Doctor of Medicine; Hugh Long, Professor of
Linguistics.

Titles that follow a name are generally not capitalized in the text of the
narrative, though some of them may be capitalized for more politeness in
formal writing.

The report was prepared by Anna Brown, professor of economics at

London University.

John Clayton, president of the United Bank, spoke in favor of the project.

The meeting was attended by Helen Ashley, director of the Science

Library.

The definite article is used with titles in the form of epithets: Peter the
Great; Ivan the Terrible; Richard the Third; Richard the Lion-Hearted; King
George the Fifth (King George V; George V).

Titles without names

A title that stands alone (instead of a personal name) is used with the
definite article.

Examples: the Queen of England; the Princess of Wales; the President of

the United States; the President; the Prime Minister of India; the Prime
Minister; the senator; the governor; the mayor; the professor; the
managing director; the inspector.

Note that after such verbs as "be, become, elect, appoint" the definite
article is often omitted. Compare:

The general manager is on vacation now.

Thomas Leads became general manager of a large advertising agency

two years ago.
Jane Parker was appointed music director of the local theater.

Titles without a personal name are generally not capitalized in the text of
the narrative. Titles indicating high status are usually written with a
capital letter.

Part 7. Articles with Geographic Names

The use of articles with geographical names has certain patterns. For
example, the name of a river is used with the definite article, and the
name of a lake is used without any article. The name of one mountain (or
one island) is used without any article, and the name of a mountain chain
(or a group of islands) is used with the definite article.

The meaning may change depending on the presence or absence of the

definite article. For example, Mississippi is the state of Mississippi, while
the Mississippi is the Mississippi River.

Examples in this material are listed in groups under the two headings: No
article; Article the. It is much easier to memorize articles with
geographical names in this way. For easier study of the articles, standard
English and Ukrainian abbreviations (Mount – Mt., Street – St., etc.) have
not been used in this material.

Capitalization
Generally, the definite article "the" in geographical names is not
capitalized (the Indian Ocean; the Nile River; the Philippines; the Alps). But
the article "the" is capitalized if it is part of a geographical name (The
Hague).

The words "north, east, south, northern, southern, western, central" and
the like are capitalized if they are part of a geographical name (the North
Sea; Northern Ireland; Central America) or part of the name of a region
regarded as a unit (the West; Western Europe; the East; the Far East; the
Eastern Hemisphere).

If such words are used for indicating direction or as descriptive terms, they
are generally not capitalized: the north; the west; the southeast; the south
of France; western Asia; northern Africa; the eastern United States; central
Australia.

The words "ocean, river, sea, lake, island, mountains, desert, state, city,
street" and the like are capitalized if they are part of a geographical name:
the Volga River; the Sea of Japan; Lake Baikal; the Great Lakes; the Canary
Islands; Ellis Island; the Rocky Mountains; the Sahara Desert; New York
State; Mexico City; Wall Street.

If such words are not part of a geographical name, they are generally not
capitalized: the island of Greenland; the state of California; the city of
Boston. Such words are capitalized in titles (A Brief History of the City of
New York) and may be capitalized in formal writing.

Continents and geographical areas

No article:

America, North America, South America, Latin America, Europe, Asia,

Africa, Australia, Antarctica;

North Africa, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Central America, South

Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Siberia.

Article the:

the Western Hemisphere, the Eastern Hemisphere, the Northern

Hemisphere, the Southern Hemisphere;

the Arctic, the Antarctic, the Far East, the Middle East;

the North Pole, the South Pole.

Oceans, seas, gulfs, bays, lakes

Article the:

the Atlantic Ocean / the Atlantic, the Pacific Ocean / the Pacific, the Arctic
Ocean, the Indian Ocean;

the Mediterranean Sea / the Mediterranean, the Caribbean Sea / the

Caribbean;

the Red Sea, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, the North Sea, the Baltic
Sea, the Barents Sea, the Bering Sea, the Yellow Sea;

the Sea of Okhotsk, the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Marmara;

the Gulf of Mexico, the Bay of Bengal, the Gulf of Finland, the Bay of
Biscay, the Persian Gulf.

But: Hudson Bay, San Francisco Bay.

No article:

Lake Baikal / Baikal, Lake Victoria, Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake
Michigan, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Crater Lake, Utah Lake, Lake Geneva,
Great Pond.

But: the Great Salt Lake, the Lake of the Woods; the Great Lakes (5
lakes).

Rivers, straits, canals, currents, waterfalls

Article the:

the Amazon / the Amazon River, the Nile / the Nile River, the Mississippi /
the Mississippi River, the Missouri / the Missouri River, the Rio Grande, the
Yangtze / the Yangtze River;

the Thames / the Thames River / the River Thames, the Seine / the Seine
River, the Danube / the Danube River;

the Amur / the Amur River, the Dnepr / the Dnepr River / the Dnieper, the
Lena / the Lena River, the Ob / the Ob River, the Volga / the Volga River,
the Yenisei / the Yenisei River, the Amu Darya;

the Strait of Gibraltar, the Strait of Dover (Pas de Calais), the Strait of
Magellan, the Bering Strait;

the Dardanelles, the Bosporus (also, Bosphorus);

the English Channel (La Manche), the Mozambique Channel;

the Suez Canal, the Panama Canal, the Erie Canal;

the Gulf Stream, the Florida Current, the Japan Current (the Kuroshio);

the Victoria Falls / Victoria Falls, Niagara Falls / the Niagara Falls, the
American Falls, the Canadian Falls, the Horseshoe Falls / Horseshoe Falls.

Islands
No article:

Greenland, Java, Cyprus, Madagascar, Hokkaido, Sakhalin, Jamaica, Ellis

Island.

But: the Isle of Man.

Article the:

the island of Greenland, the island of Java, the island of Cyprus, the island
of Madagascar, the island of Jamaica.

Article the:

the Aleutian Islands / the Aleutians, the Kuril (or Kurile) Islands / the Kurils,
the Bahamas / the Bahama Islands, the Canary Islands / the Canaries, the
Philippines / the Philippine Islands;

the British Isles, the Virgin Islands, the Falkland Islands, the Florida Keys,
the West Indies, the Azores.

Peninsulas, capes
Article the:

the Indochinese Peninsula, the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Alaska

Peninsula, the Kola Peninsula, the Balkan Peninsula, the Iberian Peninsula,
the Italian Peninsula (the Apennine Peninsula);

No article:

Indochina, Kamchatka, Iberia (peninsula);

Cape Horn, North Cape, Cape Chelyuskin, Cape Canaveral, Cape Cod.

But: the Cape of Good Hope.

Mountains, volcanoes, hills

No article:

Everest / Mount Everest, Fuji / Mount Fuji / Fujiyama, Kilimanjaro / Mount

Kilimanjaro, Elbrus / Mount Elbrus, Etna / Mount Etna, Vesuvius / Mount
Vesuvius;

Mount Whitney, Mount McKinley, Mont Blanc, Lassen Peak;

Capitol Hill, Telegraph Hill.

But: the Kilauea Volcano.

Article the:

the Himalayas / the Himalaya / the Himalaya Mountains, the Rocky

Mountains / the Rockies, the Balkan Mountains, the Ural Mountains / the
Urals, the Caucasus Mountains / the Caucasus;

the Pamirs / the Pamir, the Tien Shan / the Tian Shan;

the Cordilleras, the Andes, the Pyrenees, the Alps, the Apennines;

the Black Hills, the Berkshire Hills.

Plateaus, canyons, plains
Article the:

the Tibetan Plateau, the Central Siberian Plateau, the Mexican Plateau, the
Colorado Plateau; the Grand Canyon;

the Great Plains, the East European Plain, the West Siberian Plain, the
Turan Plain (the Turan Lowland).

Deserts, valleys
Article the:

the Sahara / the Sahara Desert, the Kalahari / the Kalahari Desert, the
Arabian Desert, the Gobi / the Gobi Desert, the Kara Kum;

the Ruhr Valley, the Nile Valley, the Valley of the Kings.

But: Death Valley, Silicon Valley.

Countries, states
No article:

America, Australia, Great Britain, Britain, England, Canada, Ireland, New

Zealand;

Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, China, Denmark, Egypt, France,

Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan,
Lebanon, Luxembourg;

Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain,

Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Turkey.

But: the Congo.

Article the:

the United States (the U.S.), the United Kingdom (the UK), the Russian
Federation, the Netherlands, the Philippines;

the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Cuba, the Kingdom of

Denmark, the Kingdom of Spain, the Commonwealth of Australia.

States, provinces
No article:

Arkansas, California, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana,

Massachusetts, New York / New York State, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Washington / Washington State;

Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland, Ontario, Quebec,

Saskatchewan.

Article the:

the state of California, the state of New York, the state of Texas, the state
of Washington, the province of Ontario, the province of Quebec.

Cities, towns
No article:

Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Cairo, Delhi, Havana,

Lisbon, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Montreal, Moscow, Munich, New
York, Oslo, Paris, Philadelphia, Prague;

Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Saint Petersburg, Stockholm, Sydney, Tokyo,

Toronto, Vienna, Warsaw, Washington / Washington, D.C.

But: The Hague.

Note: D.C. ['di:'si:] – the District of Columbia.

No article:

Atlantic City, Kansas City, New York City (NYC), Oklahoma City, Quebec
City, Mexico City, Panama City, Cape Town / Capetown, Fort Knox.

Article the:

the city of Athens, the city of Moscow, the city of New York, the city of
Oslo, the city of Rome, the city of Tokyo, the city of Washington, the town
of Bedford.

Streets, avenues, highways

No article:

Main Street, Wall Street, 42nd Street, Oak Alley, Maple Boulevard, Fifth
Avenue, Sixth Avenue, Pennsylvania Avenue, Broadway, Lexington Road,
Route 66, Highway 64.

But: the Arbat, the Mall.

Article the:

the Avenue of the Americas, the National Road, the Freedom Trail, the
Blue Ridge Parkway, the Trans-Canada Highway, the Pan American
Highway, the Lincoln Highway, the FDR Drive.

Part 8. Articles with Miscellaneous Proper Names

This material contains a list of topically grouped proper names, such as

names of schools, organizations, companies, buildings, places of interest,
awards, nationalities, illustrating the use of articles.

Schools, colleges, universities, academies

No article:

Lincoln Elementary School, Ford High School;

Amherst College, Barnard College, Boston College, Teachers College;

Cambridge University, Chicago State University, Columbia University,

Harvard University, London University, Moscow State University, Ohio
State University, Oxford University, Princeton University, Rockefeller
University, Stanford University, Yale University.

But: the George Washington University, the John Hopkins University, the
Sorbonne.

Article the:
the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Chicago, the State
University of New York, the City University of New York;

the Harvard School of Business, the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy,
the Juilliard School of Music, the Mayo School of Medicine;

the College of William and Mary, the College of the Holy Cross;

the Royal Academy of Art, the National Academy of Sciences, the U.S.
Military Academy.

Organizations, government, committees, parties, associations,

foundations, clubs

Article the:

the United Nations (the UN), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO);

the Congress of the United States (but: Congress), the Senate, the House
of Representatives;

the Parliament of Great Britain (but: Parliament), the House of Commons,

the House of Lords;

the European Parliament, the British Parliament, the Irish Parliament, the
Swedish Parliament;

the Reagan Administration (but: Reagan's Administration), the Bush

Administration (but: Bush's Administration);

the Finance Committee, the Judiciary Committee, the Department of

Commerce,

the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Federal

Bureau of Investigation (the FBI);

the Republican Party, the Democratic Party, the Socialist Party;

the Canadian Library Association, the Teachers' Association, the National

Basketball Association (the NBA), the American Automobile Association
(the AAA);

the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the International

Monetary Fund (the IMF), the World Wildlife Fund (the WWF);

the Kennel Club, the Cotton Club, the Rotary Club, the nuclear club.

Companies, corporations, businesses, firms

No article:

Ford, General Motors, International Business Machines (IBM), Microsoft,

Mitsubishi, Samsung Electronics, Citibank, Time Warner Inc., British
Telecom, McDonald's, Sears, Procter and Gamble, Estee Lauder Inc.

Article the:
the Ford Motor Company, the Mitsubishi Manufacturing Company, the
Carnegie Corporation of New York, the World Bank, the Bank of New York.

Museums, galleries, monuments, memorials, cathedrals,

palaces, places of interest

Article the:

the Louvre Museum, the British Museum, the Vatican Museum, the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Prado Museum, the Hermitage (Museum),
the Pushkin Museum, the Historical Museum;

the National Gallery, the Tate Gallery, the Tretyakov Gallery;

the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Statue of Liberty,

the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier;

the Pyramids, the Colosseum / the Coliseum, the Parthenon, the Taj Mahal,
the Kremlin, the Great Wall of China;

the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris, the Cathedral of Saint Basil;

the Palace of Versailles, the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the Forbidden City.

No article:

Stonehenge, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Palace;

Saint Peter's Basilica, Saint Paul's Cathedral, Canterbury Cathedral,

Westminster Abbey.

Halls, centers, buildings, houses, towers, theaters, libraries

No article:

Carnegie Hall, City Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Radio City Music Hall;

Rockefeller Center, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Epcot Center.

Article the:

the Royal Albert Hall, the John Hancock Center, the Kennedy Center of the
Performing Arts, the Kennedy Space Center, the Civic Center.

the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the Seagram Building, the
Capitol (Building);

the Houses of Parliament, the Sydney Opera House, the Metropolitan

Opera House;

the Sears Tower, the Eiffel Tower, the Tower of London, the Leaning Tower
of Pisa;

the Bolshoi Theatre, the Moscow Art Theatre, the Apollo Theater;

the Library of Congress, the New York Public Library, the British Library,
the Bibliotheque Nationale, the Lenin Library.
Parks, national parks, amusement parks, gardens, squares

No article:

Gorky Park, Central Park, Hyde Park, Yellowstone National Park, Great
Smoky Mountains National Park, Grand Canyon National Park;

Disney World, Disneyland, Europa Park;

Saint Peter's Square, Red Square, Trafalgar Square, Times Square, Union
Square, Harvard Square.

But: the Cathedral Square.

Article the:

the Botanical Gardens, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the Longwood

Gardens, the Montreal Botanical Garden, the Arnold Arboretum, Tivoli / the
Tivoli Gardens.

Bridges

Article the:

the Brooklyn Bridge, the George Washington Bridge, the Verrazano-

Narrows Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Albert Bridge.

No article:

London Bridge, Tower Bridge, Waterloo Bridge, Westminster Bridge.

Airports

No article:

Heathrow Airport, Charles de Gaulle Airport, Schiphol Airport, Frankfurt

International Airport, Hong Kong International Airport, Kennedy Airport.

Article the:

the John F. Kennedy International Airport, the Los Angeles International

Airport, the Sheremetyevo International Airport.

Hotels

Article the:

the Hilton Hotel, the Sheraton Hotel, the Plaza, the Hotel California, the
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, the Ambassador Hotel.

Newspapers, magazines

Newspapers, Article the:

The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The
Boston Globe, The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The Observer.
the Los Angeles Times, the Financial Times, the New York Post, the Daily
News, the Chicago Tribune, the San Francisco Chronicle.

But: USA Today.

Magazines, No article:

Newsweek, Time, Reader's Digest, National Geographic, Sports

Illustrated, PC World, Classic Rock, Mad.

Good Housekeeping, Better Homes and Gardens, Harper's

Bazaar, Canadian Living, Cosmopolitan, Vogue.

But: The New Yorker, The Economist.

Note:

The definite article is part of the name: The New York Times. The definite
article is not part of the name: the Los Angeles Times.

Conferences, documents

Article the:

the Washington Summit, the Moscow Summit, the Yalta Conference;

the Charter of the United Nations / the UN Charter, the Helsinki Accords,
the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States /
the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights;

the Truman Doctrine (but: Truman's program).

Awards, prizes, orders, medals

Article the:

the Nobel Prize, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the Nobel Prize in Literature,
the Nobel Prize for Peace;

the Pulitzer Prize, the Pulitzer Prize for Music;

the Academy Awards, the Academy Award for Best Actor, the Grammy
Award, the Tony Awards;

the Order of Suvorov, the Order of the Red Banner, the Order of
Friendship, the Medal for Valour.

Note:

the + name of the award = the name of the award. Examples: Max Planck
received the Nobel Prize for physics in 1918. Bertrand Russell received the
1950 Nobel Prize for literature. Oliver Stone received the Academy Award
for best screenplay in 1978.

a/an + name of the award = one of such awards. Examples: Mary Pickford
received a special Academy Award in 1976. Jack Nicholson won an
Academy Award for best actor for his performance in the film One Flew
Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
Holidays

No article:

Christmas, Christmas Eve, New Year's Day, New Year's, New Year's Eve,
Saint Patrick's Day, Easter, April Fools' Day, Mother's Day, Memorial Day,
Independence Day, Labor Day, Halloween, All Saints' Day, Veterans Day,
Thanksgiving, Mardi Gras.

But: the Fourth of July, the Cherry Festival, the Jazz Festival.

Languages

No article:

German, Italian, Russian, Korean, English, Spanish, Danish, Swedish,

Polish, French, Dutch, Arabic, Greek, Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, Latin;

British English, American English, Australian English, Canadian English.

But: the English language, the French language, the Russian language,
the Arabic language, the Chinese language, the Greek language.

Examples: Canada has two official languages, English and French. Do you
speak Spanish? Diana is studying the history of the English language.

Population, inhabitants, nationalities

Singular, Article a/an (in general):

an American, a Belgian, a Canadian, a German, an Italian, a Mexican, a

Russian, a Californian, a Texan;

an Englishman, an Englishwoman, an Irishman, an Irishwoman, a

Frenchman, a Dutchman;

a Greek, a Spaniard, an Arab, a Dane, a Swede, a Finn, a Pole, a Turk, an

Israeli, a Swiss, a Chinese, a Japanese, a Portuguese, a Vietnamese.

a Bostonian, a Parisian, a Chicagoan, a Londoner, a New Yorker, a Los

Angeleno, a Denverite.

Examples: There are two Mexicans, a Greek, and a Chinese in Tom's

class. Article the (if specific): Juan is the Mexican I told you about.

Plural, No article (in general):

Europeans, Africans, Asians, Australians, Americans, North Americans,

South Americans, Latin Americans, Hispanic Americans, African
Americans, Chinese Americans;

Belgians, Canadians, French Canadians, Germans, Italians, Russians,

Ukrainians, Englishmen, Irishmen, Frenchmen, Californians, Texans;

Bostonians, Parisians, Chicagoans, Londoners, New Yorkers, Los

Angelenos, Denverites.

Examples: French Canadians constitute about 80 percent of the

population of Quebec. Germans and Norwegians began to settle in
Minnesota in the 19th century. Italians love festivals.

Plural, Article the (to single out as a group of people):

the Arabs, the Danes, the Swedes, the Finns, the Greeks, the Poles, the
Turks, the Israelis, the Italians, the Russians.

Examples: The Danes constitute about 95 percent of the population of

Denmark. The Italians were the first nation in Europe to develop nutritious
and tasty cuisine that required little cooking time.

People collectively, Article the + adjective:

Meaning: the British = the British people, the Chinese = the Chinese
people.

the British, the English, the Irish, the Spanish, the French, the Dutch, the
Swiss;

the Chinese, the Japanese, the Lebanese, the Portuguese, the Vietnamese.

Examples: The French started to settle in Quebec in the 17th century.

New York was settled by the Dutch in the 17th century. The Statue of
Liberty was a gift from the French people to the American people.

BE + adjective, No article: Alicia is Spanish. Anthony is English. Karen is

German. Takeshi is Japanese. Gabrielle and Gaston are French. Olga,
Tanya, and Ivan are Ukrainians.

Note: Typical use in conversation

Karen is from Germany. John is from Ireland. Tom is from the United
States. Kevin is from Texas. Gabrielle and Gaston are from France. I'm
from Russia.

Alice is from Boston. Marie is from Paris. Oleg is from Minsk. I'm from Kyiv.

Alicia is Spanish. Giuseppe is Italian. Andre is French. Mary and John are
Irish. Mr. and Mrs. Suzuki are Japanese. I'm Ukrainian.