Articles A The An L6 2011-2012

Context 1. THE: when referring to something already mentioned e.g. First I grate some cheese. Then I sprinkle the cheese into the sauce. 2. THE: when all know / understand what is being talked about e.g. Pass the vegetables, please. (the ones on the table)

Groups and Classes A / An: for an example of an object e.g. A barometer is used to measure air pressure A / An: for one of a class of things or people e.g. Maria is a German. This is an electric razor.

Groups and Classes cont. The: singular noun to describe a class of objects e.g. The whale is in danger of extinction. Zero: class of things (plural & uncountable nouns) e.g. Teachers often work very long hours. The: makes them specific e.g. The teachers at Loretto are great! (but not all teachers are!)

Abstract nouns Zero: for abstract ideas e.g. Health is one of the most important things in life.

Numbers & measurement A / an: speeds & rates e.g. The car was travelling at 50Km an hour and cost £25 a day to rent. A / an: large numbers, fractions + singular nouns, weights & distances e.g. a million, a third, two and a half, a kilo, a mile BUT: He has eaten half of the cake.

Calendar Zero: days, months, parts of the day e.g. I’ll see you on Monday at midday. BUT: A – the day is a typical example e.g. It was a Tuesday afternoon in August and nothing much was happening.

People Zero: names of people unless we specify. e.g. Tom lives in Edinburgh. Is he the Tom you were at school with? The: plural name-groups e.g. the Communists, the pupils The: + singular adjective groups e.g. the rich, the unemployed

Places Zero: place names e.g. I live in _____ House, at Loretto School in Musselburgh The: general reference e.g. at the cinema, in the garden, in the mountains BUT Zero: if place names have the name of a person e.g. Waverley Station, Madame Tussaud’s

Countries Zero e.g. Spain, France, Germany, China BUT: The The UK, the USA, the UAE, the Netherlands, the Philippines The: with nationalities e.g. The French, the Swiss, the Poles, the Chinese

Geography The: oceans, seas, rivers, deserts e.g. the Pacific, the North Sea, the Esk, The Sahara BUT: Zero – continents, lakes

Unique objects The: there is only ONE e.g. As the sun was setting in the west, the moon was rising in the east.

Illnesses A / An: headache, cold etc. e.g. I have a cold / a headache / a toothache / an earache. BUT: zero I have flu. I have malaria. Does he have AIDS?

Home, school, prison, hospital Zero: in general or speak of it’s use e.g. Jack is in hospital. (he’s ill) The criminal was sentenced to three years in prison. BUT: The – referring to just the building e.g. The bus stops outside the school. John is a porter at the hospital.

Exclamations! A / An: expressions - what a….! / such a…! e.g. What a fantastic score! e.g. Your hair is such a beautiful colour!

Complete the text with a / an or the, or leave blank for zero article. George Orwell a author George Orwell (1903-1950: real name Eric Blair) was b English novelist, critic and political and cultural commentator. He is best known for c novels Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, d both of which were written and published toward e end of his life. He chose f name George Orwell in g early 1930s when his first book, Down and Out in Paris and London, was published. This book describes what it was like to be h poor and i homeless in j Britain, and also described k time he spent in Paris working in I kitchen of m high-class hotel. n Orwell's father was o civil servant in India, and Orwell grew up in p middle-class family. He was q pupil at Eton, r well-known English school, and as his family could not afford to send him to university, he joined s Indian Imperial Police. He learnt t lot about u British Empire, but came to hate v job, and in 1927 he resigned and decided to become w writer. He worked as x schoolteacher, and in y bookshop, wrote z book about 1 poverty in 2 northern England (The Rood to Wigan Pier) and also fought for 3 Republican side in 4 Spanish civil war. He developed 5 career as 6 journalist and reviewer, and during 7 Second World War he made 8 regular broadcasts on 9 BBC. He died of 10 tuberculosis in 1950 at 11 age of 46. The an the ___ the the the ___ ___ ___ the the a ___ a a a a the the a the a a a a ___ ___ the the a a the ___ the ___ the