A and The Explained A LEARNER S GUIDE TO DEFINITE AND INDEFINITE ARTICLES. Seonaid Beckwith

Transcription

1 A and The Explained A LEARNER S GUIDE TO DEFINITE AND INDEFINITE ARTICLES Seonaid Beckwith

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3 Contents Acknowledgements... 8 Section 1: Introduction...10 Section 2: Known And Unknown...12 Part 2.1: Explanation Particular and general Known and unknown...12 Part 2.2: The listener s surroundings...13 Part 2.3: Larger situation / general knowledge / unique things...14 Part 2.4: Information in the rest of the sentence Relative clauses Prepositional phrases Of-phrases Certain adjectives Superlatives...20 Part 2.5: Something we ve already talked about...22 Part 2.6: We ve talked about something connected...25 Part 2.7: There is / there are...26 Section 2 Review Exercises...26 Section 3: Specific And General...30 Part 3.1: Using no article + plural / uncountable nouns to generalise...30

4 Part 3.2: Difficulties with choosing specific or general Pre- and post-modification...32 Part 3.3: Using a/an + singular countable nouns to generalise...34 Part 3.4: The with singular countable nouns to talk about groups of people...35 Part 3.5: The with adjectives to talk about groups of people...35 Part 3.6: Using the to generalise about nationalities...37 Section 3 Review Exercises...40 Section 4: Using The To Talk About Abstract Ideas...43 Part 4.1: The with entertainment and recreation...43 Part 4.2: The with shops and other businesses...44 Part 4.3: The with musical instruments...44 Part 4.4: The with transport...45 Part 4.5: The with communication and media...47 Part 4.6: The with inventions...48 Part 4.7: The with parts of the body...48 Part 4.8: The with plants and animals...49 Part 4.9: The with dances...50 Part 4.10: The with geographical expressions...50 Part 4.11: The with weather...51 Part 4.12: The with certain time words...52 Part 4.13: The with grammatical expressions...53

5 Part 4.14: Other words with the...53 Part 4.15: Words which are not like this...54 Section 4 Review Exercises...55 Section 5: Using A/An To Talk About Members Of Categories...62 Part 5.1: Explanation Using one member of a category to generalise Using one member of a category to mean it doesn t matter which...62 Part 5.2: Classifying and describing people or things...64 Part 5.3: Exclamations...67 Section 5 Review Exercises...68 Section 6: Words That Generally Have No Article...71 Part 6.1: Languages, meals and sports Languages Meals Sports Using these words in an unusual way...72 Part 6.2: Time Words Months Days of the week Holidays and special days Dates...73 iii

6 6.2.5 Parts of the day Seasons Years, decades, centuries and historical periods Using these words in an unusual way...75 Part 6.3: Nouns followed by a classifying letter or number...75 Part 6.4: Newspaper headlines...77 Part 6.5: Unique roles...78 Part 6.6: Fact is...79 Section 6 Review Exercises...80 Section 7: Special Cases And Difficulties...82 Part 7.1: Noun adjuncts...82 Part 7.2: Using a/an with uncountable nouns...84 Part 7.3: Institutions (church, university, school etc.)...87 Part 7.4: Bed / home / work / town Bed Home Work (used as a noun) Town...91 Part 7.5: Illnesses...91 Part 7.6: Acronyms and initialisms Initialisms...93

7 7.6.2 Acronyms...94 Part 7.7: A little, and little, a few and few...96 Part 7.8: Most and the most...98 Part 7.9: A/an or one? Choosing a/an or one A/an and one with half Part 7.10: Using a/an instead of per Part 7.11: Next and last with time expressions Part 7.12: First / second / third Part 7.13: The with comparatives Section 7 Review Exercises Section 8: Idioms And Fixed Expressions Part 8.1: Prepositional phrases Part 8.2: Idioms Part 8.3: Parallel structures Section 8 Review Exercises Section 9: Proper Nouns Part 9.1: Hints about proper nouns Part 9.2: Geographical names No article The v

8 Part 9.3: Places in a city No article The Either no article or the Part 9.4: People s names No article The A/an Section 9 Review Exercises Section 10: Review Exercises Appendix 1: Pronunciation When to choose a or an How to pronounce the Names of letters Appendix 2: Classification Of Nouns Common and proper nouns Countable and uncountable nouns List of common uncountable nouns: Special cases Nouns that can be either countable or uncountable Appendix 2 Review Exercises

9 Appendix 3: Some / Any / No Article The difference between some and no article : The difference between some and any: Answers To Exercises Answers to Section Answers to Section Answers to Section Answers to Section Answers to Section Answers to Section Answers to Section Answers to Section Answers to Section Answers to Appendices Index vii