Article Rules

A/an/the: used as a determiner before most nouns

A (indefinite article)
1. Used with singular, countable nouns. Not used with plural

or uncountable nouns
2. To refer to something for the first time
3. To refer to a non-specific / non-particular noun or a noun used generally.
a. Days of the week when not referring to a particular day. E.g. I was born
on a Thursday
4. To indicate a noun that has membership in a group
5. Used in a noun phrase, e.g. a blue carpet; a tall, fat man
6. To refer to an example of something, E.g. that is a fine example of a 13th
century vase
7. Used with collective nouns, e.g. a flock of sheep, a murder of crows.
8. Used with jobs, e.g. Im a teacher
9. Used when the hearer does not know exactly which one

we are referring to. E.g. the police are searching for a 14

year old girl.
10. We use a/an with a singular noun to say something about

all things of that kind: A man needs friends. (= All men

need friends)

An
1. An is used in the same way as A but if the first sound of a noun is a vowel
sound we use AN instead of A

2. Sometimes, some writers like to use an with words that

start with h with an unstressed first syllable (an hotel, an
historical event). Not everyone uses this rule.

The (definite article)

1. Use to refer to a specific noun or a noun that has been
mentioned before (e.g. that is the girl I met yesterday)
2. Postion: before a noun or adjective that modifies a noun
3. Use when there is only one its unique (e.g. the sun, the
sky) or the only one in that place (the clock in the corner).
This is why we use the with superlatives.
Not used with titles followed by names e.g. Mr. Jones
(no article) but used for titles used on their own. E.g.
the King, the sultan, the president, the CEO, the
head teacher
4. Use for all the things referred to by that noun (E.g. the
wolf is not a dangerous animal)
5. Use the when referring to a location, e.g. the meeting is
at the school but when referring to the activity there is no
article, e.g. Im going to school now.
6. Use the when something is referred to as part of a larger
group. E.g. one of the students at SK Ganun
7. We dont use the with proper nouns (not the Justin) but
we do use it with
Geographical features: mountain ranges, rivers,
groups of islands (the Bahamas), seas (the
Caribbean, the Dead Sea, The English Channel),
oceans (the Pacific), canals (the Grand Canal), points
on the globe: the Equator, the Tropics, the North Pole;
regions and geographical areas: the middle east, the
midlands, the south-west, the Sahara

 We dont use with country names except plural

names (the Philippines) and countries that have
words like republic, state in the title ( The United
States, The U.K., The Kingdom of Thailand)
Newspapers; the Star, the Guardian
Many Well-known buildings: The Twin Towers, The
White House
Organisations: The UN
Hotels, pubs, restaurants: The Red Lion, The
Equatorial, The Fat Duck
Works of art: The Mona Lisa
Families: The Jacksons, The Osmonds
8. Use with systems, transport: Im getting the train, it takes
5 mins on the bus
9. We use the definite article in this way to talk
about musical instruments:
Joe plays the piano really well.(= George can play any
piano)

Zero Article (taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-marking_in_English)

Zero article [edit]

See also: English articles
Zero article refers to noun phrases that contain no articles, definite or indefinite. English, like
many other languages, does not require an article in plural noun phrases with a
generic reference, reference to a general class of things. [3]

English also uses no article before a mass noun or a plural noun if the reference is indefinite, a
thing that is not specifically identifiable in context. [3] For example:

generic mass noun: Happiness is contagious.

generic plural noun: Cars have accelerators.

indefinite mass noun: I drink coffee.

indefinite plural noun: I saw cars.

In English, the zero article rather than the indefinite article is often used with plurals and mass
nouns (although the word "some" can function like an indefinite plural article): [4]

Friends have told us that they like our new house.

The definite article is sometimes omitted before some words for specific institutions, such
as prison, school, and (in standard non-American dialects) hospital.[5]

She is in hospital.

The criminal went to prison.

I'm going to school.

The article may also be omitted between a preposition and the word bed when describing
activities typically associated with beds.[5]

He is lying in bed.

They went to bed.

Where a particular location is meant, or when describing activities that are not typical, the definite
article is used.[5]

She was collected from the hospital.

The plumber went to the prison to fix the pipes.

We were jumping on the bed.

There is variation among dialects concerning which words may be used without the definite
article. Standard American English, for example, requires the before hospital.[5]
In some dialects in the North of England, especially in Lancashire and Yorkshire, the may be
omitted in places that standard English has it. In these areas the definite article may also
be reduced to /t/, //, or a glottal stop (often spelled t or th).[6]

I'm going to shop. (I'm going to the shop)

I'm driving down road. (I'm driving down the road)

The zero article is also used in instructions and manuals. In such cases, the references in the
text are all definite, and thus no distinction between definite and indefinite has to be made.

Grasp drumstick. Place knife between thigh and body; cut

through skin to joint. Separate thigh and drumstick at joint.[7]