1616_ARTICLES

ARTICLES USE

COUNTABLE NOUNS - SINGULAR
There is a man at the door.
The man is asking about you.

COUNTABLE NOUNS - PLURAL
Lions are dangerous animals.
The zoo keeper was attacked by the lions.

UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS
Money makes the world go round.
Give me back the money you owe me.
Love makes the world go round.
The love between Romeo and Juliet was great.

DEFINITE ARTICLE - THE
I saw the teacher today. / Give me the book.
The Earth moves round the sun.
The plane is faster than the train./ The elephant is the largest land mammal.
She plays the violin.
She is the best student in the class.
This is the second day of my journey.

DEFINITE ARTICLE – THE
Buildings: the Empire State Building, the White House, the Eiffel Tower
the Acropolis, the Kremlin, the Pentagon
Institutions: the European Union, the BBC, the Red Cross, the FBI, the British Council, the Ministry of Defence, the Houses of Parliament
Hotels/restaurants: the Majestic, the Sheraton Hotel, the Bombay Restaurant
Cinemas/theatres: the Odeon (Cinema), the Royal Theatre
Museums/galleries: the Louvre, the British Museum, the Tate Gallery

DEFINITE ARTICLE – THE
Rivers: the Danube, the Hudson
Mountain ranges: the Alps, the Andes
Seas: the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea,
Oceans: the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean
Newspapers and magazines: the Times, the Washington Post, the Daily Mail, the Guardian

DEFINITE ARTICLE – THE
Names of nationalities in plural form: the English, the Japanese
Names in plural form: the Taylors, the Netherlands, the Bahamas
Adjectives used as nouns: the poor, the rich, the young, the old
Sides of the world; the north, the south, in the east, the Middle East, the Far East
But: northern Europe, southern Serbia, North America

ZERO ARTICLE
Personal names: Helen Taylor
Titles: Mr/Ms/Captain/Doctor/President + name (Mr Smith, Ms Jones, Captain Grant, Doctor Ann Taylor, President Putin, Princess Maria etc
Continents: Africa, Europe, South America
Countries: France, Japan, Serbia but The United Kingdom, The United States of America, The United Arab Emirates, The Czech Republic
Islands: Sicily, Crete, Corfu
Cities: New York, Belgrade, Moscow, Paris
Mountains/Peaks: Everest, Etna, Kilimanjaro
Lakes: Lake Superior, Lake Windermere

ZERO ARTICLE
Streets, squares, parks: Wall Street, Times Square, Hyde Park
Some public buildings and institutions: Manchester Airport, Victoria Station, Harvard University, Buckingham Palace
Names of churches: St Patrick’s Cathedral, St John’s Church, Westminster Abbey
Names of companies: Fiat, Kodak, Sonny
Days, months, seasons: on Monday, in September, in winter
Meals: have breakfast, prepare dinner

ZERO ARTICLE
Fixed expressions:
To be at work/ go to work/ start work/ finish work
To be at home/ come home/ arrive home
Go to bed
Catch fire
Set sail
Shake hands
Lose courage
By land
Hand in hand
By heart
On board

ZERO ARTICLE OR DEFINITE ARTICLE
School/ the school
Alice goes to school every day. School starts at 8 and finishes at 12.
Alice’s mother wants to speak to her daughter’s teacher, so she is going to the school today.
Prison/ the prison
Ken’s brother is in prison for robbery.
Ken went to the prison to visit his brother.
Hospital/ the hospital
Joe is in hospital. (as a patient)
Jane has gone to the hospital to visit him.
Church/ the church
My grandma goes to church every Sunday.
- Some workmen went to the church to repair the roof.