UNIT 1: ARTICLES

A. The indefinite articles: a/ an
The indefinite article a/ an is used before singular countable nouns or adjectives followed by singular nouns: a + consonant sounds (a ruler, a European country, a university, a one-way ticket, a hospital, a blue overcoat), an + vowel sounds (an apple, an egg, an umbrella, an orange, an hour, an exiting holiday)
The indefinite article a/ an is used:
1. before a noun which is mentioned for the first time and represents no particular person or thing.
E.g. They live in a flat./ Take a break
2. before a noun which represents a group of people, animals or things (We can also use The or the plural form)
E. g. A car is faster than a bike.
The dolphin is an intelligent animal.
Children need love and affection.
3. when talking about someone`s character, job or nationality.
E.g. He is a pessimist.
Her husband is an accountant.
Howard is an Englishman (but Claire is French)
4. in certain numerical expressions: a couple/ dozen, a half/ quarter, a lot of, a thousand/ million, a great deal of, a great many.
E.g. We need a hundred copies.
A great many teenagers listen to music while doing their homework.
They walked a quarter of a mile.
5. to talk about: price per weight or item, distance per amount of fuel or speed, frequency per time, certain illnesses.
E.g. This brandy costs $25 a bottle.
My car does 50 miles a gallon/ 130 kilometers an hour.
They go to the cinema twice a month.
He has a fever/ a cold/ a toothache.
6. before Mr./ Mrs./ Miss./ Ms. + surname, when we refer to someone unknown.
E.g. A Mr. Jones wants to see you.

B. The definite article: the
The definite article the is used before countable and uncountable nouns of all genders both in the singular and plural.
I. The definite article is used
1. before countable and uncountable nouns which are specific or have been mentioned before.
E.g. I see the doctor tomorrow.
The postman brought three letters and a parcel. The parcel was for Mary.
2. before unique nouns: the earth, the sky, the Pyramids
3. before names of seas, oceans, rivers, channels/ canals, coasts, deserts, countries, or regions (plural), groups of islands, mountain ranges:
E.g. the Mediterranean, the Pacific, the Mississippi, the English Channel, the Panama Canal, the Blue Coast, the Kalahari Desert, the Netherlands, the Highlands, the Bahamas, the Andes
4. with buildings, cinemas, theaters, museums, galleries, pubs, restaurants, hotels, institutions:
E.g. the Odeon Cinema, the Royal Theater, the British Museum, the National Gallery, the Black Buoy, the Pasta House, the Hilton, the British Council.
5. with newspapers, ships, services, organizations: the Guardian, the Queen Mary, the police, the United Nations
6. with names of families and nationalities (when we refer to the whole family or nation): the Simpsons, the Dutch, the Japanese (The is optional with nationalities ending in -s: (the) Greeks, (the) Australians, etc.
7. before musical instruments, dances, inventions and the word radio
E.g. Pedro plays the guitar and Rosa dances the flamenco.
When was the telephone invented?
We heard the news on the radio. (But I saw that film on TV last week)
8. with the superlative degree of adjectives and adverbs.
E.g. He is the best student in his class
9. with adjective referring to classes of people: the old, the blind, the poor, the educated, etc
10. with only, same and ordinal numbers + nouns
E.g. This is the only pen I have got.
Dogs are not all the same.
Who was the first astronaut to walk on the Moon?
11. before noun + of + noun: the Gulf of Mexico, the Statue of Liberty
12. with titles (not accompanied by proper names) : the King, the Queen, the Prince of Wales
( But Queen Beatrix of Holland, Princess Margaret)
13. with historical events or references: the Greek Revolution, the American Civil War ( But World War II)
14. with the North, the South, the East, the West
E.g. Last year we visited the South of France