Articles

EN Study

• THE (definite)
• A/AN (indefinite)
• Rules
  • Use THE
  • DON'T use an article
  • Indefinite article
  • Recap
  • Prepositions

THE (definite)

• Single/countable/uncountable nouns
• Consonant (souhlásky) x vowles (samohlásky)
• The /j/ apple

A/AN (indefinite)

• Single
• Consonant (souhlásky) x vowles (samohlásky)

Rules

Use THE

• Previously mentioned noun
  • Use A/AN with firstly used noun
• Specific object
  • In the morning/evening, but at night
• Unique nouns
  • The sun/moon/President of the US/Queen of England
  • The ... of ...
• Superlative adjectives
  • The biggest/nicest/smallest
• Classes
  • The tiger is threatened with extinction. (more formal than tigers in general)
• National groups
  • The French eat in restaurants more than the English.
  • But: a Frenchman, an Englishman
• Other groups (if these are clearly plural)
  • The Social Democrats
  • The Rolling Stones
• Titles
  • Unique
    • The director of studies
• Other titles
  • Part of the title and so it is capitalized
  • Names of newspapers
    • The Sunday Times
    • The Independent
• These geographical nouns
  • Mountain ranges
    • The Himalayas/Alps
    • Single mountain is without THE
  • Canals
  • Rivers
  • Sees
  • Oceans
  • Valleys
  • Deserts
  • Compass points/areas
    • The North
    • The Middle East
• Musical instruments
  • Play the guitar
• Emphatic use
  • I am the Doctor

DON'T use an article

• General statements
  • Good friends always listen / A good friend always listen (any one good friend)
  • Sloths are lazy animals
  • Fruit is sweet / The fruit is sweet (Specific fruit)
• Names of people
  • Mathew Smith is one of the best actors. (a person)
  • A Mathew Smith hangs in their bedroom. (a painting by Mathew Smith)
• Place names
  • Excepts: Countries with kingdom, republic and union
    • The United Kingdom
  • Excepts: Countries that are plural
    • The Nederlands
  • Names of streets, parks etc.
    • Excepts:
      • The High Street
      • The Strand
    • Holly Drive
      • But The Drive
• Play sports
  • Play football
• Some unique organizations
  • Parliament
• Last/next week
  • The next - pokud je to vřadě/frontě
• Most (of) and the most
  • Většina (more than 75%) vs. nejvíce
  • Most dlegates / Most of the delegates...
  • Václav Havel received the most votes.

Indefinite article

• Jobs
  • Tony is a builder.
    • But: Tony was the builder of that house.
• In measuring
  • Three times a week
  • Fifty kilometers an hour
  • $3.50 a kilo
  • $15 000 a year
  • Formally, per can replace a/an
    • She was convicted of driving at more than 120 kilometers per hour.
• Unknown people
  • Use of a/an emphasizes that a person is unknown
    • A Mr Jones called while you were out.
• Exclamation
  • What a nice view!

Recap

• Play
  • Play the guitar
  • Play football
• Compare
  • Leeds University / The University of Leeds
  • London Bridge / The Tower of London
  • Canvey Island / The Isle of Man
  • Brown's restaurant / The Garden House Hotel

Prepositions

In / to / další předložky mají většinou THE

• In the park
• Pokud je to věc pro mě nedůležitá a chci to znevážit, tak použiju A/AN
  • If Mrs Hillier phones, say I'm away on a trip.
• Výjimka
  • At work, at school, in bed, go to bed