mymillis: eNglish Space

The Use and Non-Use of Articles

Brought to you by the Purdue University Online Writing Lab.
Graphics for this handout were produced by Michelle Hansard.

Definition of articles

English has two types of articles: definite (the) and indefinite (a, an.) The use of these articles depends mainly on whether you are referring to any member of a group, or to a specific member of a group:

1. Indefinite Articles: a and an

A and an signal that the noun modified is indefinite, referring to any member of a group. These indefinite articles are used with singular nouns when the noun is general; the corresponding indefinite quantity word some is used for plural general nouns. The rule is:

a + singular noun beginning with a consonant: a
boy
an + singular noun beginning with a vowel: an
elephant
a + singular noun beginning with a consonant sound: a
user (sounds like 'yoo-zer,' i.e. begins with a consonant 'y' sound, so 'a' is used)
some + plural noun: some girls

If the noun is modified by an adjective, the choice between a and an depends on the initial sound of the adjective that immedately follows the article:

a
broken egg
an
unusual problem
a
European country (sounds like 'yer-o-pi-an,' i.e. begins with consonant 'y' sound)

Note also that in English, the indefinite articles are used to indicate membership in a profession, nation, or religion.

I am a teacher.
Brian is an Irishman.
Seiko is a practicing Buddhist.

2. Definite Article: the

The definite article is used before singular and plural nouns when the noun is particular or specific. The signals that the noun is definite, that it refers to a particular
member of a group. Compare the indefinite and definite articles in the following examples:

	Indefinite (a or an)	*Definite (the)*
Singular	a dog (any dog) an apple (any apple)	*the* dog (that specific dog) *the* apple (that specific apple)
Plural	*some* dogs (any dogs) *some* apples (any apples)	*the* dogs (those specific dogs) *the* apples (those specific apples)

The is not used with noncountable nouns referring to something in a general sense:

[no article] Coffee is a popular drink.
[no article] Japanese was his native language.
[no article] Intelligence is difficult to quantify.

The is used with noncountable nouns that are made more specific by a limiting modifying phrase or clause:

The coffee in my cup is too hot to drink.
The Japanese he speaks is often heard in the countryside.
The intelligence of animals is variable but undeniable.

The
is also used when a noun refers to something unique:

the White House
the theory of relativity
the 1999 federal budget

I stepped in a puddle. (How many puddles did you step in? Just one. Therefore, use a.)
I drank a glass of milk. (Glasses of milk can be counted)
I saw an apple tree. (Apple trees can be counted)

The must be used when the noun cannot be counted.

I dove into *the* water. (How many waters did you dive into? The question doesn't make any sense because water is noncountable. Therefore, use *the*.)
I saw *the* milk spill. (How many milks? Milk cannot be counted)
I admired *the* foliage. (How many foliages? Foliage cannot be counted)

2. First vs. Subsequent Mention

A or an is used to introduce a noun when it is mentioned for the first time in a piece of writing. The is used afterward each time you mention that same noun.

An awards ceremony at the Kremlin would not normally have attracted so much attention. But when it was leaked that Soviet President Konstantin Chernenko would be presenting medals to three cosmonauts, interest in the ceremony intensified. Time, Sept. 17, 1984.

Note:
There is and there are can be used to introduce an indefinite noun at the beginning of a paragraph or essay.

There is
a robin in the tree outside my window. When my cat jumps up on the desk, the robin flies away.

3. General vs. Specific

A, an, and the can all be used to indicate that a noun refers to the whole class to which individual countable nouns belong. This use of articles is called generic, from the Latin word meaning "class."

A tiger is a dangerous animal. (any individual tiger)
The
tiger is a dangerous animal. (all tigers: tiger as a generic category)

The difference between the indefinite a and an and the generic a and an is that the former means any one member of a class while the latter means all of the members of a class.

The omission of articles also expresses a generic (or general) meaning:

no article with a plural noun: Tigers are dangerous animals. (all tigers)
no article with a noncountable noun: Anger is a destructive emotion. (any kind of anger)