PLURAL FORMS AND ARTICLES A, AN and THE
Baltimore is not far from Washington.
Who’s in charge of the Finance Department?
Articles
are classified into two categories: indefinite
and definite.
The
indefinite article a/an is used in general nouns and noun
that have not been specified. A/an is used with singular count nouns. *Generally,
unspecific plural nouns do not need to have an article (Ø).
|
Examples |
Important
notes |
a/an |
There is an aquarium in Central Park. This is a beautiful house. |
Use a/an when you mention something for the first time. Use a/an to talk about one of a group of things. |
(Ø) |
There are skyscrapers* in the downtown area. How many hotels are there in San José? |
Don’t use a/an before plural nouns. |
*Vocabulary:
Skyscrapers: rascacielos.
The
definite article, the, is used with
both count and noncount nouns. It shows that the nouns are specific, special or
unique.
|
Examples |
Important
notes |
The |
My town has an aquarium. The
aquarium is located in Central Park. The
oldest building in my town is the
church. Do
you want to take the train or the bus? We’re
going to the mall this weekend. |
The is used when
an indefinite noun becomes definite as a result of being mentioned a second
time. The is used to
talk about something specific. The is used when
the speaker and the listener both know the thing or person being spoken of. |
(Ø) |
Parks
are an important part of any city. |
Don’t use the with plural nouns when you are talking about things in
general. |
Vocabulary:
Something:
algo.
Speaker:
hablante.
Listener: oyente.
Both: ambos (as).
Using the with names. There are many
different rules of the with names. Here are a few.
|
Examples |
Important
notes |
People |
the president of Costa Rica the queen of England President Kennedy Queen Elizabeth |
Use
the with titles Don’t use the with titles + names of specific people. |
Places |
Japan Spain Argentina Costa
Rica |
Don’t use the with names of streets, states, provinces, and most countries.
There are some exceptions, for example: the United States, the Netherlands. |
Buildings |
the
Eiffel Tower the
Statue of Liberty |
The is usually
used with names of buildings. |
Historical Events |
the
French Revolution the
Fall of the Berlin Wall |
The is usually
used with names of historical events. |
Vocabulary:
Queen: reina.
Title:
título diplomático.
Buildings:
edificios.
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