Articles

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 5

Articles (a/an/the/-)

Grammar chapter 9

Indefinite article: a/an

an : words that start with the  a o i u e sound (so also words that start with a consonant)

an apartment / an open carriage / an idea / an umbrella / an elephant

but also: an hour

a: When you hear a consonant sound (medeklinker) even if you see a vowel!

a car, a house

a European country [jeurop]

a useless thing [joesles]

Gebruik a / an:

As in Dutch:

( a/an = singular)

Professions and beliefs

This is a bike.

Is there a cash machine round here?

 She is a carpenter.

He is a protestant.

Gebruik a / an:

in front of 100/1000: 

translation of  'per':

When something is mentioned for the first time in an article/story

a hundred / a thousand

 60 kilometres an hour

 He lives in an apartment. The apartment is on the second floor.

Gebruik a / an:

after as/without: 

In certain expressions:

As a child he was already aggressive.

My father is without a job.

to have a right to

as a result of

to a certain extent

as a rule

to have a headache

half a loaf

quit a job

rather a pity

Definite article: the

the:

Make something more specific. 

Like the Dutch 'de' or 'het'

the University of Nijmegen

Let's go to the party.

The dinner we had at the Ivy was fabulous.

He lives in an appartment. The appartment is on the second floor.

Gebruik the:

refering to something unique. There is only 1!!!

The White House, the Queen, the sun, the moon, the earth

Gebruik the: 

In the following geographical names

rivers, Gulfs and bays, seas and  oceans, certain areas, locations on the globel, deserts, forest  

the Nile, the Persian Gulf, the North Sea, the Pacific Ocean, the North Pole, the Tropic of Capricorn, the Equator, the West, the Middle East, the Sahara, the Black Forest, the Amazone rain forest.

Gebruik the: 

In the following geographical names

Nationalities

 the English / the Italians

Certain countries: 

the Netherlands

the United Kingdom

the United States

the republic of Congo

but not all.. 

so Ukraine and NOT the Ukraine

Gebruik the:

Set phrases

Adjectives refering to specific groups.

 

He plays the guitar.

Let’s listen to the radio.

Let’s go to the theatre/cinema.

at the expense of

on the advice of

with the help of

at the request of

the rich/ the poor/ 

the unemployed/ the defeated

No article (-):

When talking about things in general and abstract nouns.

I like potatoes.  

Evidence is hard to find. 

School should help pupils. 

 

No article (-)

Certain places and forms of transport

I am at home. 

We are at school. 

He is in prison.

They are going to Disney by bus. 

They flew to Japan by plane. 

We are going on foot. 

No article (-)

Names of continents, countries, states, streetnames, cities : Europe, North America, Asia, Italy, Mexico, Indonesia, California, Venice, Los Angeles, Hollywood Blvd, Oxford Street.

Note the exception mentioned before.

Practice

Pages 110 - 115

Ex. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

For breakfast I normally eat ______ sandwich.

1. a
2. an
3. the
4. zero article

My friends and I always meet at _______ supermaket on 4th avenue.

1. a
2. an
3. the
4. zero article

Emily and I go on holiday to _______ Germany.

1. a
2. an
3. the
4. zero article

She has got ______ question.

1. a
2. an
3. the
4. zero article

We just went to ______ restaurant and ________ food was amazing

1. a, a
2. a, the
3. an, the
4. the, the

They were looking for _______ orange, where can they find those?

1. a
2. an
3. the
4. zero article

So you play ________piano?

1. a
2. an
3. the
4. zero

__________ are much too high.

1. A rent
2. An rent
3. The rents
4. Rents

__________ of my apartment is much too high.

1. A rent
2. An rent
3. The rent
4. Rent

__________ people don't know anything about space.

1. A most
2. An most
3. The most
4. Most