Articles - thoses little words that can be so difficult to use correctly- introduce an indentity nouns. There are two kinds of articles in English: indefinite (a, an) and definite (the).
Articles occur before nouns (the book) and before adjective + noun combinations (a big book).
Articles Basic
This chart gives you the basic uses of articles in English.
Articles
Count Nouns
Noncount Nouns
Indefinite articles (a, an)
Definite article (the)
a cat
an ugly cat
an answer
the cat
cats
ugly cats
answers
the cats
money
the money
Three Rules for Avoiding Common Article Mistakes
The following three rules, repeated later in the chapter, are grouped here because they are the main rules that will help you avoid the most common mistakes with articles.
Examples
1. Use a, an, or the (or another word such as my or this) with singular count nouns.
Incorrect: Most university students own computer.
Correct: Most university students own a computer.
2. Use the with specific noun references, either singular or plural. Specific noun references are definite.
Examples
Incorrect: Title of this course sounds interesting.
Correct: The title of this course sounds interesting.
Incorrect: Questions on yesterday's gramar test were difficult.
Correct: The questions on yesterday's gramar test were difficult.
3. Do not use the with general noun refernces, either singular or plural, General noun references are indefinite.
Incorrect: Our government should spend more money on theeducation.
Correct: Our government should spend more money on education.
Incorrect: Thesuccessful presentations require planning and practice.
Correct: Successful presentations require planning and practice.
A couple of videos that will help you to learn how to speak like native speakers. Learn American Accent with practice of so many examples given in videos below.
Two important categories of nouns are count nouns and noncount nouns. Briefly, count nouns name things that can be counted, such as car and computer. Noncount nouns name things that cannot be counted such as freedom and happiness.
Count Nouns
Nouns that can be counted are called count nouns, They can be singular or plural in form.
Singular - Plural
one subject - five subjects
a problem - two problems
a child - eight children
Singular Count Nouns
Singular count nouns, together with any descriptive adjective, have an article (a, an, the) or another determiner before them (my, your, this, one, every, each)
an exam, a long exam, my brother, eahc new chapter !!! Don't use a singular count noun without an article or determiner
Incorrect - Correct house - a house New car - My new car
However, in a few idiomatic expressions, no article is used:
have dinner in school at home at work
by bus (by+transportation) by phone (by+communication)
Plural Count Nouns
Plural count nous are sometimes preceded by the definite article the or by another determiner, or they may appear alone. Plural count nouns are NOT preceded by a or an.
Regular Plurals
Most count nouns form their plural by adding -s to the singular noun.
A few types of count nouns form their plurals in a slightly different manner. Nouns ending in a CONSONANT + y form their plurals by changing the -y to -i and adding -es.
library / libraries lady/ladies copy/copies
This rule does not apply to nouns that end in a VOWEL + y.
tray / trays monkey/monkeys surver/surveys
Nouns ending in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, and -z add -es to form the plural.
class / classes bush / bushes bench / benches box / boxes quiz / quizzes
Noncount Nouns
Nouns that cannot be counted are called noncount or mass nouns. They are used with singular verbs.
- Noncount nouns are often liquids or gases
water air oil oxygen
- Noncount nouns often refer to a whole or a mass made up of small particles or items.
sugar equipment salt white sand money good news
Noncount nouns are often weather phenomena, fields of study, raw materials, abstractions, or sports and pastimes.
rain economics gold hapiness soccer psychology luck hot weather
!!! the following noncount nouns are often mistakenly used as plural count nouns:
Incorrect: furnitures advices homeworks equipments informations
Correct: furniture advice homework equipment information
List of words that don't have plural form
words that are the same singular and plural in form
Water Love Accomodation Time Wine Fun Baggage Air Milk Wisdom Travel Heat Rice Knowledge Traffic Housework Pasta Information Transportation Homework Bread Advice Nature Education Beef Help Currency Equipment Pork Assistance Art Business That Courage Poetry Attention Sugar Bravery Literature Garbage Salt Satisfaction Chess Oil Flour Curiosity Judo/ Yoga Paper Cheese Aggresion Entertainment Dirt Butter Beauty Applause Dust Tea Freedom Grass Land Honey Faith Mud Jam Grief Rain Guilt Sunshine Humour Mail
Nouns in English
Comparing Noncount Nouns and Count Nouns
Noncount nouns are like count nouns in certan ways.
1. Noncount nouns are like singular and plural count nouns.
like singular and pluiral count nouns, noncount nouns may have certain determiners in front of them, such as the definite article the or the possessive adjectives my and your.
possessive adjectives have the same forms in front of all types of nouns: singular count nouns, plural count nouns, and noncount nouns.
You can use this and that with singular count nouns and noncount nouns; these and those can appear in front of plural count nouns only.
Singular Count Nouns
Plural Count Nouns
Noncount Nouns
Determiner
Example of noun
Determiner
Example of noun
Determiner
Example of noun
the
an
my, your
his, her, its
our, their
this, that
car
apple
vegetable
job
job
cat
the
-
my, your
his, her, its
our, their
these, those
cars
apples
vegetables
jobs
jobs
cats
the
-
my, your
his, her, its
our, their
traffic
fruit
rice
work
work
2. Noncount nouns act like plural count nouns. Like plural count nouns, noncount nouns may be preceded by determiners and certain expressions of quantity, or they may appear alone.
!!! in the chart below, the determiners before plural count nouns and noncount nouns are the same.
Singular Count Nouns
Plural Count Nouns
Noncount Nouns
Determiner
Example of noun
Determiner
Example of noun
Determiner
Example of noun
a
the
one
taxi
taxi
taxi
-
the
some
a lot of
enough
a plenty of
taxis
taxis
taxis
taxis
taxis
taxis
-
the
some
a lot of
enough
a plenty of
traffic
traffic
traffic
traffic
traffic
traffic
Incorrect: Let's get taxi.
Correct: Let's get a taxi.
Remember: singular count nouns must have an article or determiner.
In the following chart, the determiners-certain expressions odf quantity-before plural count nouns and noncount nouns are different.
Singular Count Nouns
Plural Count Nouns
Noncount Nouns
Determiner
Example of noun
Determiner
Example of noun
Determiner
Example of noun
a/the/one
taxi
many
a few
few
several
four
taxis
taxis
taxis
taxis
taxis
much
a little
little
a great deal of
traffic
traffic
traffic
traffic
Exercice
Choose the correct answer.
A. We nned to buy............... for the living room.
a new furniture
new furniture
new furnituresa new furnitures
B. I got........... wonderful news today! I'm getting a 10% raise.
a
some
a few
those
C. Before we decide where to go on vacation, we have to get........... informaion about hotel costs.
an
a few
some
one
D. My son spends too .......... watching television.
much time
much times
many time
many times
E. David, can you give me.........abvout asking for a promotion at work?
an advice
some advice
some advices
advices
F. Since we moved into this neighborhood, the kids have made......... new friends and have spent........ time with them, so iI think they're adjusting OK.
