articles (2)
Use indefinite article a /an- to meanone.
What would you like to eat? Can I haveabanana? - to refer to large whole numbers, fractions, weights and distances.
ahundred amillian athird afifth
twa andahalf akilo ametre andahalf - with aheadache, acoldetc.
I've gotaheadache /atoothache /an earache. Have you gotaco/d?
Note that most illness words usezero artie/e.
I've got fiu. She's suffering from appendicitis. - in the expressionswhat a ...!,such a ...!
We usewhat a ...when we are surprised or impressed by something.
Whatafantastic idea! What agreat bike you havegot!
We usesucha ... for emphasis with singular nouns.
This is suchadifficult problem! Thanks, you've been suchagood friend - to describe one example of a set of things.
That'saPicasso.(a work of art)
This isaRobbie Williams song.
G
Use definite articlethe- with nationality adjectives that refer to ali the people of that nationality, egChinese, Japanese,
French, Spanish, British, Swiss.
The French drinkalot of wine.
The Swiss are famous for their ban ks. - with piurai nationality nouns in same way, egRussians, Americans, Poles, Greeks, Turks.
The Russians and the Po/es are used to cold weather. - wit h a singular noun to describe a classof things.
The car has taken over aur cities. - with the names of shops and places with a generai reference.
Anna's at the cinema/the supermarket /in the garden/in the mountains /
at the beach etc. - with some familiar objects when we think of them as the only one.
One moment the Sun was shining in the sky Then the Moon seemed to rise out of the sea. - with the names of oceans.
They crossed the Pacific inasmali boat.
Use zero article - to talk about school subjects, such as geography, history etc.
If you want to study physics, you have to be good at maths. - to refer to days, months or parts of the day.
1'/1see you on Monday atmidday. School begins in September. - with continents, countries, lakes, mountains etc. When piuraI, we usethe.
Lake Geneva borders France and Switzerland
From here you can see the A/ps. - with at home, at school, in hospital, in prison, in bedwhen we speak in general.
David isn'tatschoo/ today He's in bedathome.
But when referring to something other people know about, eg a specific place, building etc we usethe.
The bus stops outside the school. Leave the towels on the bed. - with such...for emphasis with piurai or uncountable nouns.
You are such noisy chi/dren! This is such wonderfu/ ice cream!