Understanding Articles: Count and Noncount Nouns in English Grammar

1. ESL Concerns Chapter Twenty-Eight A Writer’s Workshop Bob Brannan 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

2. Articles with Count and Noncount Nouns • Articlesarenounmarkers: they signalthat a noun will follow. There are indefinite articles and a definite article. 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

3. Indefinite Articles • The indefinite articles areA andAN. • Use “a” before a word thatbegins with a consonant sound. EX.: A car; a piano; a uniform • Use “an” before a word that begins with a vowel sound. EX. An effort; an office; an honor 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

4. The Definite Article Thedefinite article is: THE 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

5. Articles • An article may immediately precede a noun: • a smile • the reason • Or it may be separated from the noun by modifiers: • a slight smile • the very best reason 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

6. Count Nouns • Count nouns name people, places, things, or ideas that can be counted and made into plurals. EXS.: • teacher-- teachers • restroom-- restrooms • joke-- jokes 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

7. Noncount Nouns Noncount nouns are things or ideas that cannot be counted. Common noncount nouns include: Abstractions and Emotions: anger, bravery Activities: baseball, jogging Foods: bread,cheese Gases and vapors: air, smoke, steam Liquids: blood, tea, water Materials that come in bulk form: cloth, dust, sand Natural occurrences: rain, snow 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

8. Qualifiers • The quantity of a noncount noun can be expressed with a word or words called a qualifier: • Some, a lot of, a unit of, etc. 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

9. Using a or an with Nonspecific Singular Count Nouns • Use a or an with singular nouns that are nonspecific. A noun is nonspecific when the reader doesn’t know its specific identity. Ex: A left-hander faces special challenges with right-handed tools. 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

10. Using the with Specific Nouns When its identity is suggested by the general context: At Willy’s dinner last night, the service was terrible andthe food was worse. • A noun is specific in the following cases: When it has already been mentioned once: Today, our cat proudly brought a baby bird into the house. Luckily the bird was still alive. When it is identified by a word or phrase in the sentence: The pockets in the boy’s pants are often filled with sand and dirt. When it is unique: There will be an eclipse of the moon tonight. When it is preceded by a superlative adjective (best, biggest, wisest) The biggest wish I have ever made just came true. 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

11. Omitting Articles Omit • articles with nonspecificplurals and noncount nouns, that is, when they refer to something in general: Pockets didn’t exist until the end of the 1700s. Iris serves her children homemade lemonade. 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

12. Using The with Proper Nouns • Do Not usethefor most singular proper nouns, including names of the following: • People and animals • Continents, states, cities, streets, and parks • Most countries • Individual bodies of water, islands, and mountains. 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

13. Using The with Proper Nouns • Usethe for the following types of proper nouns: • Plural proper nouns (The Turners; The United States) • Names of large geographic areas, deserts, oceans, seas, and rivers (The Black Sea) • Names with the format the__ of___ (The Fourth of July) 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

14. Two-Word (Phrasal) Verbs • A two-part or phrasal verb consists of a verb followed by a preposition. get over look into blow up help out hand in runinto 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

15. Two-Word (Phrasal) Verbs • Some phrasal verbs are separable; that is, they can be split up within a sentence: • “Tanya will call her sister up at work.” BE CAREFUL! SOME PHRASALS CANNOT BE SPLIT! 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

16. Two-Word (Phrasal) Verbs Some Common Non-Separable Two-Part Verbs: • call on • drop by • get off • get up • look into • run into • get along (with) • come across 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

17. Following The Order of Adjectives • Adjectivesmodify nouns and pronouns. An adjective usually comesdirectly before the word it describes or after a linking verb. • That is an angry man. • The man is angry. 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

18. Typical Order of Adjectives in A Series • If there is more than one adjective for the same noun, they follow this order: 1. Article or other noun marker (a, an, the, Lee’s, this. . .) 2. Opinion adjective (dull, handsome, unfair. . .) 3. Size (big, huge, little. . .) 4. Shape (long, short, round. . .) 5. Age (ancient, medieval, old. . .) 6. Color (blue, green, red. . .) 7. Nationality (Italian, Korean, Mexican. . .) 8. Religion (Buddhist, Catholic, Jewish…) 9. Material (cardboard, gold, marble…) 10. Noun used as an adjective (house call, tea bag. . .) 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

19. Prepositions Used for Time and Place Use on, in, and atto refer to time and place. Time On a specific day: on Monday, on January 1 In a part of a day: in the morning, in the daytime In a month or a year: in December, in 1776 In a period of time: in an hour, in a few days At a specific time: at 10:00 A.M., at midnight Place On a surface: on the desk, on the counter In a place that is enclosed: in my room, in the office At a specific location: at the mall, at his house 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc