At a glance
- Start
- Is it one of many, mentioned for the first time?Yesa / anI saw a dog.
- Do we both know which one (said before, only one, a superlative)?YestheThe dog was big. the sun, the best
- Is it plural or uncountable, in general?Yesno articleDogs are friendly. Water is important.
- Names of people, most countries, meals, languagesno articleSara, Japan, lunch, English
The rules
I saw a dog. (one dog, new information)
The dog was very big. (the dog I just told you about)
Dogs are friendly. (dogs in general: no article)
The sun is very hot. (there is only one)
I love music. (in general: no article)
| Use | Article | Example |
|---|---|---|
| one of many, the first time | a / an | I have a car. |
| we know which one | the | The car is red. |
| there is only one | the | the sun, the moon, the internet |
| general plurals and uncountable nouns | no article | Cats are cute. Water is important. |
| oceans, rivers, deserts, groups of islands | the | the Pacific, the Nile, the Sahara |
| most countries, cities, lakes | no article | Japan, Lagos, Lake Victoria |
| countries with states / kingdom / republic | the | the USA, the UK |
- I go to school by bus.
- I play the piano. I play football.
How to say "the"
- Say "thuh" /ðə/ before a consonant sound: the cat, the university.
- Say "thee" /ði/ before a vowel sound: the apple, the hour.
Leaving out the article
No article before: meals (have breakfast), sports (play football), languages (speak English), by + transport (by bus), and school, bed, hospital, church when we use them for their main purpose (go to school, go to bed).
Use the with: rivers (the Nile), seas and oceans (the Pacific), mountain ranges (the Alps), deserts (the Sahara), groups of islands, countries with States, Kingdom or Republic (the USA, the UK), musical instruments (play the piano), and ordinal numbers (the first).
One article or two?
a black and a white cat (two cats)
a black and white cat (one cat)
Practice
Answer the questions. Get 7 out of 10 to finish this lesson.