Articles “a” and “an” are articles that are used when the noun is not specific and used in a general sense Each indefinite article also has specific rules for its use
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Articles “a” and “an” are articles that are used when the noun is not specific and used in a general sense Each indefinite article also has specific rules for its use
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The College of Saint Rose Writing Center, 2010
Articles and Nouns
An article is a word that identifies (or modifies) a noun. A noun may be a person, place, thing, or idea. Each noun is also either a count noun (countable) or a mass noun (uncountable) . There are two types of articles: indefinite and definite. The articles a and an are indefinite articles and the article the is a definite article. The noun and its use in a sentence is the determining factor when considering which article to use to modify the noun.Indefinite Articles: A and An
Articles Dzadz and Dzandz are articles that are used when the noun is not specific and used in a general sense. Each indefinite article also has specific rules for its use in a sentence.Indefinite Article: A
A is used when the noun is singular and begins with a consonant or with a vowel that sounds like a consonant.Examples:
DzBikedz is the noun in this sentence
and starts with a consonant sound. DzUkuleledz is the noun in this sentence and starts with a consonant sound. DzAccording to folklore, gold is found at the end of a rainbow.dz DzRainbowdz is the noun in this sentence and starts with a consonant sound.Indefinite Article: An
An is used when the noun is singular and begins with a vowel sound orExamples:
DzOceanographerdz is the noun in this sentence and starts with a vowel sound.Dz an
DzUmbrella Dzis the noun in this sentence and starts with a vowel sound. DzHonordz is the noun in this sentence and starts with a vowel sound.The College of Saint Rose Writing Center, 2010
Definite Article: The
The definite article the is used when the noun is either singular or plural, and has already been identified.Ask yourself:
If the answer is yes, then use the.
ORIf the answer is yes, then use a or an.
Example:
DzWill and Bradley went pumpkin picking in early October. Just before Halloween, they decided to make pumpkin pie out of the pumpkins. dz ¾ In this sentence, the noun is Dzpumpkins.dz The definite article the is used because the reader knows Will and Bradley are making pumpkin pie out of the pumpkins they picked when they went pumpkin picking. These are specific pumpkins, not just any pumpkins. the article a:Example:
DzEveryone at the party made a dish to pass for either dinner or dessert. Tori made a ¾ In this example, the noun Dzpumpkindz is used in a general sense. The indefinite article a is used because Dzpumpkindz is not a specific pumpkin and begins with a consonant sound, not a vowel sound.The College of Saint Rose Writing Center, 2010
When not to use articles
In some cases, articles are not necessary to use in a sentence. There are two specific instances in which articles are not required prior to the noun.1) Articles are unnecessary before singular proper nouns that refer to a
specific place.Examples:
DzParis, Francedz is the singular proper noun that refers to a specific place. DzSpaindz is the singular proper noun that refers to a specific place. Exception to the rule: Use the definite article the when referring to geographical locations.Examples:
Example proving both the rule and the exception:
DzNiagara Fallsdz is a singular proper noun referring to a specific place and therefore does notneed an article, but the definite article is needed in the sentence when referring to the geographical
location of the tourist spot.2) Articles are unnecessary when the noun, usually plural, is used to indicate a
general category.Examples:
general category and therefore does not need an article.article before it. On the other hand, the noun Dzmalldz is used to denote a specific place, and therefore the is
required in the sentence.The College of Saint Rose Writing Center, 2010
Nouns: Count or Mass?
Generally, a noun may be a person, place, thing, or idea. Nouns are also classified as either count nouns or mass nouns. It is important to understand this classification in order to appropriately describe (or modify) nouns within sentences.Count Nouns
A noun is considered to be countable, or a count noun, when it is possible to literally count how many of the noun exists and a quantifying number may be assigned to that noun.Count nouns may be:
¾ Names of persons, animals, plants, insects, and their parts: a girl or 5 girls; a bird or2 birds; a tree or 3 trees; a bug or 10 bugs; a leg or 4 legs.
¾ Objects with a definite shape: a computer or 2 computers; a ball or 6 balls; a car or 3 cars. ¾ Units of measurement: a pound or 2 pounds; an ounce or 5 ounces. ¾ Words of classification: a phrase or 3 phrases; a word or 6 words. ¾ Some abstract words: an idea or 2 ideas; a plan or 3 plans.Examples:
To check if the noun is a Count Noun, ask yourself: ; Can the noun be counted or quantified by a number? ; Does the noun have both a singular and plural form?Ex. Bǣ Dz"dz A"ǣ EǨ Dz"dz singular Dz"dz plural.
If you answer yes to these questions, then the noun is a Count Noun!The College of Saint Rose Writing Center, 2010
Mass Nouns
A noun is considered to be uncountable, or a mass noun, when it is impossible to use a number to represent how many of the noun exists. Instead, a mass noun is quantified by using a word that signifies an amount (e.g., cup, pound, foot), which isMass nouns may be:
¾ Materials, food, metals, and natural qualities: wood, bread, iron. ¾ Names of liquids, gases, and substances made of many small particles: oil, coffee, oxygen, sugar, salt, cement, gravel. ¾ Names of languages: English, Spanish, Latin, French, Sanskrit, Chinese. ¾ Most gerunds: looking, burning, swimming, running. o Gerunds are Dzingdz words that look like verbs, but are used as nouns in sentences.Examples:
4 Dzwooddz ...-" "... number cannot be used to represent how
much wood was split and stacked. 4 Dzdz ...-" "... number cannot be used to represent how
much food was donated. how much cement was used to make a side walk. To check if the noun is a Mass Noun, ask yourself: ; Does a word signifying an amount need to be used to modify the noun?; - " Dzdz need to be used before the noun in order to modify it?
; Does the noun have only a singular form?Ex. Bǣ DzSmokedz A"ǣ EǨ DzSmokedz " does not have a plural form.
If you answer yes to these questions, then the noun is a Mass Noun!The College of Saint Rose Writing Center, 2010
The following resources were consulted in the design of this handout:DzGrammar Handbook: Mass and Count Nouns.dz Writers Workshop: Writer Resources. The Center for Writing Studies
at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008. Web. March 2009.Harris, Muriel. Prentice Hall Reference Guide. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2008. Print.
Rodrigues, Dawn and Tuman, Myron. A Norton Pocket Guide to Grammar and Punctuation. New York, NY: W. W.
Norton & Company, 2006. Print.
Permission is granted to duplicate and distribute this handout, providing that the following information remain intact:
This page is located at: http://www.strose.edu/writingcenter The College of Saint Rose Writing Center, 2010 Designed by Cynthia Mitteagerquotesdbs_dbs17.pdfusesText_23