English Articles
Articles in English typically depend on the noun that they are supporting. With that in mind, it is necessary to classify them appropriately in order to know what article to use at what time. Nouns are typically classified into two different types - common and proper nouns. By determining which noun you are supporting with an article, you can find out which article to use.
Common nouns include things that are both 'count' and 'noncount' nouns (noncount nouns cannot be divided into parts, and must be considered a whole). Counting nouns, on the other hand, are people, places or things that can be 'counted' as one among many other things. Noncount nouns include 'water,' 'luggage,' 'personnel,' and so on - they cannot be modified with an article. Often, the distinction between what constitutes count and noncount nouns is arbitrary, depending on one's native language, but English mostly has a concrete distinction between what is a countable or noncountable noun.
Proper nouns include names and places - whatever can signify something as unique to the world. Someone's name or title, like 'Steve,' 'Alice,' or 'President' is a proper noun. No one else can lay claim to that title, and therefore they are being properly addressed.
The Meaning of Indefinite Article
Nouns are typically also expressed with the help of articles, both definite and indefinite. Indefinite articles indicate a noun that is nonspecific. When describing a nonspecific noun, either the indefinite article 'some' can be used, or no article need be used. For example, "I want some food," or "I want food" are both acceptable ways to say that sentence. In this case, the speaker does not know or care what kind of food they want, and so there is no need to be specific. Therefore, the indefinite article is being used.
The difference between using 'some' or nothing involves a level of specificity - when you use the word 'some,' you are intending to show that are only referring to a certain amount of what you are mentioning, while just saying 'I want food,' for example, means there is no limit to the amount of food that you want.
When subject noun predicates are classifying a noun (like a type of person), 'some' is never used - a single noun is being described, and so plural indefinite articles are not needed. In the event that a plural subject noun predicate is used, however, you do not put an article in front of it. In this way, you are classifying what you are talking about, not saying that they are just examples of what they are.
The Meaning of the definite Article
The definite article the is used to describe something that is definitive and singular; it can be used to indicate a singular indefinite form of a noun as well. The is used to single out a specific noun that pertains to the situation being described in the sentence. 'The chair" is an example of the definite article being used to state that there is only one chair being described or referred to; it cannot be confused with any other chair. When a plural or collective noun is being used, the 'the' implies that the group altogether is comprised of the things being described. "The chairs" indicates a very specific group of chairs, all of which are the same thing in some way, or grouped together somehow.
There are many different situational-cultural situations in which the definite article 'the' can be used. First, there is general cultural use, like 'the sun,' or 'the earth.' Next, it can be used to refer to something in the immediate situation at hand, like 'the door' or 'the room.' Situations where the thing being referred to is uniquely visible or audible also use the definite article. Local use, both of general and specific knowledge, of the definite article also applies to situations where the generalized object is definitively referred to as one that exists within a certain community - 'the gas station' or 'the school.'
Use of Non-Generic Common Nouns
When common nouns are used in a non-generic way, they are being specifically referred to in speech. Instead of calling it 'a car,' one calls it 'the car' when one car in particular is being referred to. Definite articles are used when the speaker or writer's point of view indicates the specific, identical referent that the listener or reader can clearly identify.
Nonspecific referents can also be referred to by indefinite articles. 'a hole in your wall' indicates a very specific hole, but not one the listener knows about. Therefore, it is not 'the hole,' since that would imply that the speaker would identify that hole. The use of indefinite articles to express a nonspecific referent is meant to inform the listener of a specific thing they do not know about as yet. When a teacher asks a student about whether or not they have 'a' tutor, they are asking indefinitely because they do not know the answer yet.
5.Use of Generic Nouns.
Generic nouns are used with the different types of indefinite and definite article that have been referred to thus far, including 'the,' 'a', 'some,' or the zero article. When generic nouns are used effectively, they convey more or less the same meaning as each other, regardless of context or specific tense. With countable nouns, the indefinite and definite article can be used to communicate the same meaning.
There are four generic patterns for countable nouns. Using 'heart' as an example, the first pattern is 'The Heart,' indicating a single, specific heart. This is a formal usage that indicates the generic class of body organs that occurs organically in nature; anything whose origin can be traced is described in this way. When things are developed or invented, this is also used.
When something is thought of as developing naturally, or not thought of as an invention (like a chair), either 'A Chair' or 'Chairs' would suffice as the start of a sentence involving that. The last generic pattern involves groups of human beings - 'The Catholics,' for example, is a pattern describing the plural of this human religious group. It can be thought of as speaking generally about this group.
Works Cited
Larsen-Freeman, Diane. The Grammar Book. Foreign Language Study, 1999.
