Misuse of Articles By: Liz M. LaboyWorkshop four Albanice FloresProf. C. Garcia Jennifer M. Serrano ENGL 245

English is different from many languages in regard to semantics, syntax and grammar. Although there are a variety of differences, this presentation researches article use, misuse and acquisition. It is predicted that in the English language learners will overuse the article “the” in specific and non-specific definite and indefinite contexts. This issues is presented as a problem from students adapting to English as there second language. Further on we will be informing more about this common error.

Define Articles Discuss the common grammar error that ESL students make while learning English. Explain the Rules for the use and omission of Articles. Mention Solutions to the misuse of Articles.

An article is a word that is used with a noun to indicate the type of reference being made by the noun. Articles specify grammatical definiteness of the noun, in some languages extending to volume or numerical scope. The articles in the English language are the and a/an, and (in certain contexts) some. In English the definite article is the, the indefinite article is a or an, and their force is generally to impart specificity to the noun or to single out the referent from the class named by the noun.

Definite Articles There are two ways to pronounce "the". One "thuh" and the other "thee". We use the when you have already mentioned the thing you are talking about. "She's got two children; a girl and a boy. The girl's eight and the boy's fourteen." Indefinite Articles A and an are the indefinite articles. They refer to something not specifically known to the person you are communicating with. A and an are used before nouns that introduce something or someone you have not mentioned before. For example "I saw an elephant this morning." "I ate a banana for lunch."

English is an international language. Even in countries where it is not the first language, it is widely taught and used for administrative purposes. For example, in India English is one of the official languages. It is estimated that the number of people for whom English is the second language is much greater than the number of people for whom English is the first language. However, many people who use English as a second language cannot write without mistakes.

There can be a huge difference between English writing by native speakers (NS) and English writing by English as a second language (ESL) learners. ESL learners have more than one language at their disposal while they are composing as compared to NS. Since they have more than one language in hand, it brings more problems.

ESL learners tend to switch those languages interactively, causing some confusion in the structure and meaning. Analysis and classification of the cause of confusion enable learners to have a clearer view of their problems and thus, able to produce better written texts. One out of many ESL grammar errors is the misuse of articles.

Students make several different kinds of mistake when speaking or writing. These could be: lexical (vocabulary errors, in which I would include problems with prepositions) grammatical (problems with structure or form, misuse of articles) problems of appropriacy (the language is correct, but inappropriate in context – perhaps too formal, or too rude).

Misuse of Articles is part of many mistakes of the English Second Language. One of The main reasons is because the students that are beginning to learn the language are unaware that there are rules to follow in grammar, when it comes to using the correct articles in a sentence.

The overuse and misuse of article can altered the sentence, and cause errors grammatically. Even though you can omit some articles, students should learn the correct way of using them. In addition to this, Article errors can make your writing look unprofessional. You should always make sure that you are using them correctly. If you have doubts you can ask a teacher or use a grammar book.

Articles are often misused. The overuse and misuse of articles will cause ungrammatically. Nonetheless, most article errors are not serious. Even if you omit all the articles, you will still be able to convey the meaning. Still, students should learn the correct use of articles. By misusing an Article it can lead to a lower test score. In addition it can make your writing look unprofessional.

Teachers can help learners to see the difference between these commonly misused words, and address language standards. They can use presentations to get learners attention. These kind of presentation can include set of activities:  Printable worksheets  Worksheets answer key  Journals insert to describe the usage of articles a, an, the.

These kinds of work activities help the students to understand the use of articles in the sentences. The online books of grammar series employ distributed practice to maximize retention. Promotes mastery of the parts of speech and the mechanics of writing, as well as many skills and concepts that support reading.

Articles

Put a, an, or the in the blanks. 1. We met ____ boy there. 2. _____boy carried ______ bag. 3. He had apples in ____bag. 4. He gave ____apples to___beggar. 5. ___Beggar thanked ____boy.

1. We met a boy there. 2. The boy carried a bag. 3. He had apples in the bag. 4. He gave the apples to a beggar. 5. The Beggar thanked the boy.

“Your grammar is a reflection of your image. Good or bad, you have made an impression. And like all impressions, you are in total control”. ~ Jeffrey Gitomer

In conclusion, research suggests that ESL articles are so difficult to learn and teach to ESL and EFL students because of the vastness and complexity of the rules and exceptions regarding article usage (Norris, 1992). Some teaching techniques that could be useful for ESL and EFL teachers include providing extended descriptions, meaningful learning experiences and the use of visual aides and imagery.

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