Articles

Understanding how to use the definite and indefinite articles.

The basics:

The definite article in English is the. There are two ways to pronouns it:

the orange (before a vowel)
the air

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the table (before a consonant)
the clock

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Indefinite articles a and an.

There are two forms of the indefinite article: a and an. We use a before consonant sounds and an before vowel sounds:

a computer
a table
an intelligent person
an umbrella
an Oscar

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However, some English vowels begin with consonant sounds so we say:

a one-way street ("w" sound)
the USA ("y" sound)
a uniform ("y" sound)

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The indefinite articles are used for things we have not made a reference to:

There's a letter for you.
I want to see a film at the cinema.
There's a storm coming.

The definite article.

The definite article talks about things we have already referred to.

What was the letter about?
Did you enjoy the film?
The storm was terrible. It rained all night.

We also use the definite article if there is only one of something:

The Sun.
The Earth.
The House of the Baskervilles.
The Queen of England has two birthdays every year (but, she was crowned Queen of England.)
Have you ever met the President of the Unites States? (but, he was elected President of the United States.)

However, we never use an article before a Saxon genitive when it refers to people:

This is John's house (not, the John's house).

Countable and uncountable nouns.

There are things that we can count: chairs, cups, pens, apples, houses, windows... We can say there is one chair or two chairs or twenty chairs so we call these nouns "countable". The indefinite articles a and an have a similar meaning to one. This means we can say a chair, a cup, a pen, an apple, etc.

We should remember that if we identify a singular countable noun, we use a or an and not one:

What's that?
That's a dinosaur. (Not, that's one dinosaur.)

One is for counting:

How many dinosaurs are there?
There's one (dinosaur).

There are other words which refer to "uncountable" nouns: water, wine, plastic, wood, ice-cream, coffee... These are often substances. These nouns cannot be counted. We cannot say: one water, two waters, for example. If we say a coffee, we do not mean the substance or coffee powder, we mean a cup of coffee.

There are other uncountable nouns called "abstract nouns" like: love, poverty, luck, freedom, happiness, etc. These are concepts. They cannot be counted either.

Uncountable nouns are not singular so we cannot use a or an in front of these words:

cold water
warm air
I need happiness in my life

Remember, of course, that when we talk about types of substances, we can use the article:

a good wine (there are different types of wine)
a hard metal (there are different types of metal)
a cold wind (there are different types of wind)
a happiness which lasts forever (there are different types of happiness).

Also, we can qualify an uncountable noun with words like: a little, a lot of:

I need a little happiness in my life.

There's a lot of milk in the fridge.

Important rule!

Remember, if you always use an article in front of singular countable noun, you will make very few mistakes:

Have you got a house by the sea?

She's an optician.

Can I have the bill, please?

When we omit or include articles.

Articles and talking in general.

If we refer to uncountable nouns or plurals of nouns in a general way, we do not use the definite article:

Cheese and wine go very well together.
Pollution is becoming a serious problem in the world.
Tigers spend most of their lives alone.
Books can help us learn about the world.
Love is something we all need.

When we talk more specifically about an uncountable noun or plural nouns, we usually use the definite article:

The cheese at our supermarket is very good.
The tigers at London zoo seem content to live in cages.
The love of a good woman can make a man.

This means there will be occasions when we seem to be talking in general and being specific at the same time. In these border-line cases, we may choose to use the article or omit it. Probably, in practice, it is more common to omit the article:

(The) tigers in Nepal are almost extinct.

However, if the noun is followed by of, it is usual to include the direct article:

(The) Nepal tigers.
The tigers of Nepal.

Another way to talk in general about countable nouns is to use the indefinite articles with the singular form of the noun. The meaning is the same as using the plural form without the:

A tiger spends most of its life alone.
A book can help us to learn about the world.

We can also talk in general if we use a countable noun in the singular with the definite article. This use is usual for nature and scientific subjects:

The tiger spends most of its life alone.
The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell.

Musical instruments can be talked about with the same structure:

I'm learning to play the flute.

Specific subjects and the use of the article.

Countries, continents, towns, streets, lakes.

No articles with continents and countries unless they have a common noun:

Asia is a huge continent.
Spain is in Europe and so is the United Kingdom.
The Netherlands (an exception)

But when place names are used as adjectives, we use the direct article:

The African continent.

No articles with towns (with few exceptions):

London.
Madrid.
The Hague.

No articles with street names (with very few exceptions):

Regent Street is in London.

No articles with the names of lakes:

Lake Titicaca is in Peru and Bolivia.

Proper noun place names.

The following categories take the definite article:

The Pyrenees (and other mountain ranges).
The Middle East.
The Mediterranean (and other seas).
The (River) Tagus (and other rivers).
The Gobi Desert (and other deserts).

Always use the article with names of professions.

I'm an English teacher.
He's studying to be an architect.

Problem area with articles.

With parts of the body, it is more common to use the possessive adjective:

I've hurt my arm
He broke his leg.
Your pen is in your hand.
My hands are cold.

We do not use the with some nouns in certain contexts:

I'm going to school (as a student).
Mary's in hospital (as a patient).
John left university in 2005 (as a student).
He's in prison (as a prisoner).
I left work at six o'clock (I work there).

These nouns only take the direct article when somebody is visiting:

I'm going to the school (e.g. a parent to talk to the teacher).
I went to see Mary at the hospital.

In a similar way, we say:

John's at home (his home - not visiting).
It's time to go to bed (everyone to their own bed).

But, be careful. We do not use the in front of the Saxon genitive when it refers to people so it is also omitted if we are visiting and we use this form of the genitive:

I went to Mary's home last night.
(The home of Mary is possible but would be a very formal genitive.)