UMEI 005-701
Workshop 2

• Articles are used in front of nouns to indicate something that both the speaker and listener know about ( the ) or something that the speaker and listener do not both know about
( a/an ).
• the= definite article
• a/an=indefinite article

• We use the for a thing or person when both we and our listener or reader know which thing we are talking about. This can be because:
 it is clear from the situation or context:
Could you open the door for me? (The speaker and listener both know which door.)
 it has been mentioned before:
We stayed in a campsite. It was dreadful; the campsite was near a river and was very damp.
 there is only one of this thing/person:
The sun is very hot today.
 it is defined:
Where's the pen I lent you?

• We use a/an for a thing or person when we and our listener or reader do not both know which thing we are talking about. This can be because:
 we are mentioning a thing/person for the first time:
Gianni has a new car.
 it is not important which one:
Give me a pen, please. (The speaker is not talking about any specific pen).
 a/an can only be used with singular countable nouns:
I bought a new dress. ( not I bought a new dresses* )
 we can use the quantity words, some/any for countable things in the plural:
I bought some new dresses.

• There is no difference in meaning between a and an . Using a or an depends on the sound that begins the next word.
 a + singular noun beginning with a consonant: a boy; a car; a bike; a zoo; a dog
 an + singular noun beginning with a vowel: an elephant; an egg; an apple; an idiot; an orphan
 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); a university; a unicycle
 In some cases where "h" is pronounced, such as "historical," use an:
An historical event is worth recording.
In writing, "a historical event" is more commonly used.
 In the cases beginning with a silent h, such as “hour” use an: an hour .

• After we have referred to something nonspecific for the first time using a , it becomes specific because our listener or reader now know which thing we are talking about:
"Waiter, there's a fly in my soup!"
"Don't worry about the fly: it's dead."

• To make generalizations about things we use no article.
 uncountable things:
Sugar is fattening.
 plural countable things:
Motorcycles are dangerous.
 abstracts:
Who said "If music is the food of love, play on"?