I. The Definite Article - THE - Before a noun which has been used previously My house is not far from a river. But the river is very polluted. - Before nouns known both by the speaker and the interlocutor The garden looks very nice today. The boss has asked about you. - Before unique nouns , such as : the sun , the moon , the Earth , the sky , the Equator The Equator is an imaginary line in the middle of the Earth. - Before a noun which represents a category of animals,plants or things The rose is a symbol of beauty and love. The nightingale is a singing bird. Even children can use the computer nowadays. - Before proper nouns used in the plural The Tudors reigned in England for more than a century. - Before names of days , months, years and seasons, when we mention one in particular The year 2001 was the beginning of a new millenium. The whole country was covered with snow until the month of May. - Before names of countries , when they are in the plural : the Netherlands , the USA Yhe USA is a military force in the world. - Before names of rivers , seas and oceans ,islands , mountains , deserts : the Danube , the Thames , the Black Sea ,the North Sea , the Pacific Ocean, the British Isles, the Carpathians , the Alps , the Sahara Desert The Pacific Ocean is the largest Ocean. - Before nouns which name historical periods and events : the Stone Age , the Middle Age , the Civil War ,the French Revolution, the Declaration of Independence - Before names of buildings which represents official institutions : the Houses of Parliament, the Tower of London, the British Museum, the White House - Before names of newspapers and magazines : The Times was first published in 1785. - Before ordinal numerals : the first , the second, the third ... The first book I read in English was “ Tom Sawyer “. - Before musical instruments : She plays the violin three hours every day. - Before adjectives in the superlative She is the tallest in her class. II. The Indefinite Article - A, AN - Before a countable noun in the singular which is mentioned for the first time There is a church near my house. - Before a noun in the singular which represents a whole class of people or things A friend will always help you. An actor should have good pronunciation. - Before nouns that indicate professions My son will be an engineer next year , and my daughter is a doctor. - In expressions which refer to prices , speed and time frequency These grapes are 50 cents a kilo. The speed limit is 60 km an hour. You should take these pills three times a day. III. The Zero Article - Before proper names Have you met James Brown today ? - Before nouns that refer to family members or to close persons : Mother, Mum, Father , Dad, Aunt ,Uncle , Nurse , Teacher Mother will be back soon and Dad will come later. - Before names of countries ,cities and continents :England ,Wales , Romania,London ,Bucharest , New York ,Europe, North America Have you ever been to England ? Romania is situated in Europe. - Before abstract nouns : love , knowledge , wisdom, freedom , justice , life, death Knowledge is power. Time is money. - Before uncountable nouns used in general : bread , butter , cheese , ham, meat, coffee , sugar , gold , silver , wood , grass , oxygen I never drink coffee. Chocolate is not very healthy. - Before other uncountable nouns :advice , furniture , information, luggage , news I need advice to solve this problem. This book has useful information. - Before names of sciences Robert got first prize in Mathematics. She has just got her degree in Physics. - Before nouns used in the plural with a general meaning : Men and women should have equal rights. Drivers must slow down at crossroads. |
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