THE
Articles in English are invariable. That is, they do not change according to the gender or number of the noun they refer to, e.g. the boy, the woman, the children
'The' is used:
1. to refer to something which has already been mentioned.
Example: An elephant and a mouse fell in love.2. when both the speaker and listener know what is being talked about, even if it has not been mentioned before.
The mouse loved the elephant's long trunk,
and the elephant loved the mouse's tiny nose.
Example: 'Where's the bathroom?'3. in sentences or clauses where we define or identify a particular person or object:
'It's on the first floor.'
Examples: The man who wrote this book is famous.4. to refer to objects we regard as unique:
'Which car did you scratch?' 'The red one.
My house is the one with a blue door.'
Examples: the sun, the moon, the world5. before superlatives and ordinal numbers: (see Adjectives)
Examples: the highest building, the first page, the last chapter.6. with adjectives, to refer to a whole group of people:
Examples: the Japanese (see Nouns - Nationalities), the old7. with names of geographical areas and oceans:
Examples: the Caribbean, the Sahara, the Atlantic8. with decades, or groups of years:
Example: she grew up in the seventies
INDEFINITE ARTICLE
A / AN
Use 'a' with nouns starting with a consonant (letters that are not vowels),
'an' with nouns starting with a vowel (a,e,i,o,u)
Examples:
NOTE:A boy
An apple
A car
An orange
A house
An opera
An before an h mute - an hour, an honour.
A before u and eu when they sound like 'you': a european, a university, a unit
The indefinite article is used:
- to refer to something for the first time:
An elephant and a mouse fell in love.
Would you like a drink?
I've finally got a good job. - to refer to a particular member of a group or class
Examples:
- with names of jobs:
John is a doctor.
Mary is training to be an engineer.
He wants to be a dancer. - with nationalities and religions:
John is an Englishman.
Kate is a Catholic. - with musical instruments:
Sherlock Holmes was playing a violin when the visitor arrived.
(BUT to describe the activity we say "He plays the violin.") - with names of days:
I was born on a Thursday - to refer to a kind of, or example of something:
the mouse had a tiny nose
the elephant had a long trunk
it was a very strange car - with singular nouns, after the words 'what' and 'such':
What a shame!
She's such a beautiful girl. - meaning 'one', referring to a single object or person:
I'd like an orange and two lemons please.
The burglar took a diamond necklace and a valuable painting.
NOTE: that we use 'one' to add emphasis or to contrast with other numbers:
I don't know one person who likes eating elephant meat.
We've got six computers but only one printer.
EXCEPTIONS TO USING THE DEFINITE ARTICLE
There is no article:
- with names of countries (if singular)
Germany is an important economic power.
He's just returned from Zimbabwe.
(But: I'm visiting the United States next week.)
- with the names of languages
French is spoken in Tahiti.
English uses many words of Latin origin.
Indonesian is a relatively new language.
- with the names of meals.
Lunch is at midday.
Dinner is in the evening.
Breakfast is the first meal of the day.
- with people's names (if singular):
John's coming to the party.
George King is my uncle.
(But: we're having lunch with the Morgans tomorrow.)
- with titles and names:
Prince Charles is Queen Elizabeth's son.
President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.
Dr. Watson was Sherlock Holmes' friend.
(But: the Queen of England, the Pope.)
- After the 's possessive case:
His brother's car.
Peter's house.
- with professions:
Engineering is a useful career.
He'll probably go into medicine.
- with names of shops:
I'll get the card at Smith's.
Can you go to Boots for me?
- with years:
1948 was a wonderful year.
Do you remember 1995?
- With uncountable nouns:
Rice is the main food in Asia.
Milk is often added to tea in England.
War is destructive.
- with the names of individual mountains, lakes and islands:
Mount McKinley is the highest mountain in Alaska.
She lives near Lake Windermere.
Have you visited Long Island?
- with most names of towns, streets, stations and airports:
Victoria Station is in the centre of London.
Can you direct me to Bond Street?
She lives in Florence.
They're flying from Heathrow.
- in some fixed expressions, for example:
THE QUANTIFIERS
Quantifiers with countable
and uncountable nouns
Adjectives and adjectival phrases that describe quantity are shown below. Some can only go with countable nouns (friends, cups, people), and some can only go with uncountable nouns (sugar, tea, money, advice). The words in the middle column can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns.
| Only with uncountable nouns | With uncountable and countable nouns | Only with countable nouns |
| How much? | How much? or How many? | How many? |
| a little | no/none | a few |
| a bit (of) | not any | a number (of) |
| - | some (any) | several |
| a great deal of | a lot of | a large number of |
| a large amount of | plenty of | a great number of |
| - | lots of | - |
| + noun | ||
Example:
- How much money have you got?
- How many cigarettes have you smoked?
- There's not much sugar in the cupboard.
- There weren't many people at the concert.
It's a problem when there are so many people.
There's not so much work to do this week.
In positive statements, we use a lot of:
- I've got a lot of work this week.
- There were a lot of people at the concert
A few and few, a little and little
These expressions show the speaker's attitude towards the quantity he/she is referring to.
A few (for countable nouns) and a little (for uncountable nouns) describe the quantity in a positive way:
- "I've got a few friends" (= maybe not many, but enough)
- "I've got a little money" (= I've got enough to live on)
- Few people visited him in hospital (= he had almost no visitors)
- He had little money (= almost no money)
Some and Any
Some and any are used with countable and uncountable nouns, to describe an indefinite or incomplete quantity.
Some is used in positive statements:
- I had some rice for lunch
- He's got some books from the library.
- Did he give you some tea? (= I'm sure he did.)
- Is there some fruit juice in the fridge? (= I think there is)
- Could I have some books, please?
- Why don't you take some books home with you?
- Would you like some books?
- Have you got any tea?
- He didn't give me any tea.
- I don't think we've got any coffee left.
SOME in positive sentences.
a. I will have some news next week.
b. She has some valuable books in her house.
c. Philip wants some help with his exams.
d. There is some butter in the fridge.
e. We need some cheese if we want to make a fondue.
SOME in questions:
a. Would you like some help?
b. Will you have some more roast beef?
ANY in negative sentences
a. She doesn't want any kitchen appliances for Christmas.
b. They don't want any help moving to their new house.
c. No, thank you. I don't want any more cake.
d. There isn't any reason to complain.
ANY in interrogative sentences
a. Do you have any friends in London?
b. Have they got any children?
c. Do you want any groceries from the shop?
d. Are there any problems with your work?
THE QUANTIFIERS
Compound nouns made with SOME, ANY and NO
Compound nouns with some- and any- are used in the same way as some and any.
Some + -thing -body -one -where Any + No +
Positive statements:
Questions:
- Someone is sleeping in my bed.
- He saw something in the garden.
- I left my glasses somewhere in the house.
Negative statements:
- Are you looking for someone? (= I'm sure you are)
- Have you lost something? (= I'm sure you have)
- Is there anything to eat? (real question)
- Did you go anywhere last night?
NOTICE that there is a difference in emphasis between nothing, nobody etc. and not ... anything, not ... anybody:
- She didn't go anywhere last night.
- He doesn't know anybody here.
- I don't know anything about it. (= neutral, no emphasis)
- I know nothing about it (= more emphatic, maybe defensive)
SOMETHING, SOMEBODY, SOMEWHERE
a. I have something to tell you.
b. There is something to drink in the fridge.
c. He knows somebody in New York
d. Susie has somebody staying with her.
e. They want to go somewhere hot for their holidays.
f. Keith is looking for somewhere to live.
ANYBODY, ANYTHING, ANYWHERE
a. Is there anybody who speaks English here?
b. Does anybody have the time?
c. Is there anything to eat?
d. Have you anything to say?
e. He doesn't have anything to stay tonight.
f. I wouldn't eat anything except at Maxim's.
NOBODY, NOTHING, NOWHERE
a. There is nobody in the house at the moment
b. When I arrived there was nobody to meet me.
c. I have learnt nothing since I began the course.
d. There is nothing to eat.
e. There is nowhere as beautiful as Paris in the Spring.
f. Homeless people have nowhere to go at night.
Examples:
a. You can borrow any of my books.
b. They can choose anything from the menu.
c. You may invite anybody to dinner, I don't mind.
THE QUANTIFIERS
Graded Quantifiers
They function like comparatives and hold a relative position on a scale of increase or decrease.
| INCREASE From 0% to 100% | ||
| With plural countable nouns: | ||
| many | more | most |
| With uncountable nouns: | ||
| much | more | most |
| DECREASE From 100% to 0% | ||
| With plural countable nouns: | ||
| few | fewer | fewest |
| With uncountable nouns: | ||
| little | less | least |
- There are many people in England, more in India, but the most people live in China.
- Much time and money is spent on education, more on health services but the most is spent on national defence.
- Few rivers in Europe are not polluted.
- Fewer people die young now than in the seventeenth century.
- The country with the fewest people per square kilometre must be Australia.
- Scientists have little hope of finding a complete cure for cancer before the year 2,000.
- She had less time to study than Paul but had better results.
- Give that dog the least opportunity and it will bite you.
Enough + Noun
Enough is placed before the noun, to indicate the quantity required or necessary:
- There is enough bread for lunch.
- She has enough money.
- We didn't have enough time to visit London Bridge.
- Are there enough eggs to make an omelette?
- Richard has enough talent to become a singing star.
NUMBERS
The cardinal numbers (one, two, three, etc.) are adjectives referring to quantity, and the ordinal numbers (first, second, third, etc.) refer to distribution.
| Number | Ordinal | Cardinal |
| 1 | first | one |
| 2 | two | second |
| 3 | three | third |
| 4 | four | fourth |
| 5 | five | fifth |
| 6 | six | sixth |
| 7 | seven | seventh |
| 8 | eight | eighth |
| 9 | nine | ninth |
| 10 | ten | tenth |
| 11 | eleven | eleventh |
| 12 | twelve | twelfth |
| 13 | thirteen | thirteenth |
| 14 | fourteen | fourteenth |
| 15 | fifteen | fifteenth |
| 16 | sixteen | sixteenth |
| 17 | seventeen | seventeenth |
| 18 | eighteen | eighteenth |
| 19 | nineteen | nineteenth |
| 20 | twenty | twentieth |
| 21 | twenty-one | twenty-first |
| 22 | twenty-two | twenty-second |
| 23 | twenty-three | twenty-third |
| 24 | twenty-four | twenty-fourth |
| 25 | twenty-five | twenty-fifth |
| 26 | twenty-six | twenty-sixth |
| 27 | twenty-seven | twenty-seventh |
| 28 | twenty-eight | twenty-eighth |
| 29 | twenty-nine | twenty-ninth |
| 30 | thirty | thirtieth |
| 31 | thirty-one | thirty-first |
| 40 | forty | fortieth |
| 50 | fifty | fiftieth |
| 60 | sixty | sixtieth |
| 70 | seventy | seventieth |
| 80 | eighty | eightieth |
| 90 | ninety | ninetieth |
| 100 | one hundred | hundredth |
| 500 | five hundred | five hundredth |
| 1,000 | one thousand | thousandth |
| 100,000 | one hundred thousand | hundred thousandth |
| 1,000,000 | one million | millionth |
- There are twenty-five people in the room.
- He was the fourteenth person to win the award since 1934.
- Six hundred thousand people were left homeless after the earthquake.
- I must have asked you twenty times to be quiet.
- He went to Israel for the third time this year.
| Said | Written | Said |
| half | 0.5 | point five |
| a quarter | 0.25 | point two five |
| three quarters | 0.75 | point seven five |
| Written | Said |
| 25% | twenty five percent |
| 50% | fifty percent |
| 75% | seventy five percent |
| 100% | a/one hundred percent |
| Written | Said |
| $1,200 | one thousand two hundred dollars |
| £16,486 | sixteen thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds |
| 545kms | five hundred and forty-five kilometres |
| $25.35 | twenty-five dollars thirty-five |
| Written | Said |
| 1988 | Nineteen eighty-eight |
| 1864 | Eighteen sixty-four |
| 1999 | Nineteen ninety-nine |
| nought | used in mathematical expressions and decimals: 'nought times three equals nought' 0.3 = 'nought point three' (or 'point three') 0.03 = 'point nought three' |
| zero | used in scientific expressions, especially temperatures: 20oC = minus twenty degrees or twenty degrees below zero also used to mean 'the lowest point': 'The heavy rain reduced visibility to zero' |
| 'o' (the letter) | used in telephone numbers: 0171 390 0062 = 'o one seven one three nine o double o six two' |
| nil/nothing | used to express the score in games such as football: 2 - 0 = 'two nil' or 'two nothing' |
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