Articles
The 3 articles in English are a, an and the.
. You use an uncount noun with no article if you mean all or any of that thing.
- I need help!
- I don’t eat cheese.
- Do you like music?
2. You use the with an uncount noun when you are talking about a particular example of that thing.
- Thanks for the help you gave me yesterday.
- I didn’t eat the cheese. It was green!
- Did you like the music they played at the dance?
3. You usually use a/an with a count noun the first time you say or write that noun.
- Can I borrow a pencil, please?
- There’s a cat in the garden!
- Do you have an mp3 player?
4. You use the with count nouns the second and subsequent times you use the noun, or when the listener already knows what you are referring to (maybe because there is only one of that thing).
- Where’s the pencil I lent you yesterday?
- I think the cat belongs to the new neighbours.
- I dropped the mp3 player and it broke.
- Please shut the door!
5. You use a plural count noun with no article if you mean all or any of that thing.
- I don’t like dogs.
- Do they have children?
- I don’t need questions. Give me answers!
6. The above rules apply whether there is or there is not an adjective in front of the noun.
- I don’t eat German cheese.
- Can I borrow a red pencil, please?
- There’s an extremely large cat in the garden!
- I don’t like small, noisy children.