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The Articles

The Articles. AN. A. The. It’s an English thing. Many languages do not have articles. In English, most nouns need articles. The articles— a , an , and the —serve as noun markers.

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The Articles

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  1. The Articles AN A The

  2. It’s an English thing. Many languages do not have articles. • In English, mostnouns need articles. • The articles—a, an, and the—serve as noun markers. • Knowing when to use one of the three articles and how to pronounce the article shows good command of the English language.

  3. Let’s start with the. • The is the definite article. It points out a specific noun, either singular or plural. The watch (singular noun) she wears is old. The watches (plural noun) in the display case are expensive. • The form of the before a noun does not change. However, the pronunciation does change.

  4. The: (thuh) or (thee)? • The e is pronounced as schwa (ə) before words that begin with consonant sounds. However, the e is pronounced as a long e before words that begin with vowel sounds. • Examples: the car the internet the unit the apple the gourmet the partner the book the onion the yoyo the environment the mail the lemon

  5. Activity 1—Pronunciation of the • Pronounce the correctly before each of the following: The air conditioner The bomb squad The camel The nerve eater The portable toilet The industry The bus The officer The sitcom The friendly officer The sandlapper The upperdeck The tomb raider The envy of her peers The mercenary The economy • Why did you say pronounce the word as thee before some words and as thuhbefore others.

  6. Article + modifier + noun • Thewooden porch • The inviting porch The remains in the same form although it is not pronounced the same; the spelling does not change. The form of a changes to an before initial vowel sounds. • Apoisonous apple • An exceptional apple What is the initial sound of the word after a or an in the previous examples?

  7. Activity 2: A or an before each word? • Would you use a or an before each of these words?

  8. Modifiers placed between the article and the noun determine whether a or an is used. • A magnificent avocado Normally, an would precede avocado. • An incredible skyscraper Normally, a would precede skyscraper.

  9. Activity 3: A or an before these words? • _____ common occurrence • _____ economical advantage • _____ honest effort • _____ able opponent • _____ true friend • _____ long journey • _____ shocking display • _____ losing bet • _____ twisted sense of humor • _____ ecru jacket

  10. Not all nouns require a or an. • Remember that most nouns require articles; however, most noncount nouns do not require a or an. These include • Food and drink: beef, broccoli, candy, cereal, ice cream, spinach, sugar, tea, water • Nonfood substances: air, cement gas, paper, plastic, rain, soap, wood • Abstract nouns: anger, beauty, love, happiness, truth, wisdom • Other: biology, algebra, equipment, lumber, mail, money, research, violence, work On pages 276-277 of Muriel Harris’s Prentice Hall Reference Guide, you will find a more extensive list of count and noncount nouns. Occasionally, a noncount noun may be preceded by a or an. Why? Some noncount nouns are versatile; they can function as count or noncount nouns. Example: An ice cream would taste great on this hot day. Ice cream is a great dessert.

  11. Activity 4—Count and noncount nouns Among the nouns listed on the previous slide, the following can be either count or noncount: soap, paper, and truth. Use each of the three words in two sentences. In one sentence the word should be used as a count noun, and in the second, the word should be used as a noncount noun. Example: Hand me the soap. I bought soap at the store. Be prepared to share your sentences with the class.

  12. Some nouns do not require the. • Plural or noncount nouns meaning “all” or “in general” do not requirethe. Examples: • The hedges are recommended for privacy. • Hedges are recommended for privacy. • In some countries, the curry is the preferred spice. • In some countries, curry is the preferred spice.

  13. No the before proper nouns—names of specific persons, places, or things • The is not necessary before most singular proper nouns: persons, streets, squares, parks, cities, states, continents, countries, bays, single lakes, mountains, and islands. Jacob Astor South America Barth Street Peru Trafalgar Square Oakura Bay (New Zealand) Glacier National Park Lake Erie Memphis Grandfather Mountain Nevada Roanoke Island

  14. Exceptions to this rule include names of large regions, deserts, peninsulas, names of oceans, seas, gulfs, canals, and rivers. • The West Coast ThePersian Gulf • The Mojave Desert The Suez Canal • The Yucatan Peninsula The Yangtze River • The Indian Ocean • The Mediterranean Sea

  15. Usually, the is used to mark plural proper nouns. • The Great Lakes • The Canary Islands • The Netherlands • The Balkans • The Poconos • The United States • The United Arab Emirates

  16. Activity 5: Place a √ before the following nouns that require the. • ___ Abraham Lincoln • ___Atlantic Ocean • ___Green Mountains • ___Lake Superior • ___George Bush • ___Mount Rainier • ___Bahamas • ___University of Illinois • ___Fifth Avenue • ___Tri-County Technical College

  17. Certain words can replace articles. • Possessive pronouns—my, your, his, her, its, our, their Example: Your decision to drive your lawnmower to work is a gutsy one. Her hula hoop won’t fit around my waist. Their son bit my dog. Our litterbugs are determined to share their garbage with the world. • Indefinite pronouns used as adjectives—another, each, either, neither, both, few, many, several, all, any, more, most, other, some Example: Some fire ants belong to the Mafia. Each lamb thought the cow was its mother. Both grandmothers snapped their beans. Other Martians prefer homemade pasta. • Interrogative/relative pronouns used as adjectives—what, which, whose Example: Whose mama siphoned the gas from her son’s car? • Demonstrative pronouns used as adjectives—this, that, these, those Example: That cat applauded the arrival of the dog catcher.

  18. What have you learned? • Articles—a, an, and the—seem simple to use. However, these three little words complicate written and oral English for many ESL students and some native speakers. • For a recap of the rules covered in this PowerPoint with more examples, plus exercises to check what you have learned, go to the following website: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/esl/eslart.html • 18Prepared by the TCTC Writing Center 2011

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