Rules for using a, an, the or no article

Articles

Accurate writing in assignments is important. Grammar, punctuation and

spelling need to be checked carefully. One area of grammar that many EAL
students find particularly difficult is the use of articles (a, an, the, or no
article).
However, it is useful to remember that if even if the wrong article is used, it
usually will not change the meaning of that piece of writing.

Use of the (definite article)

Most uses of the word the show that I, (the writer) know that you (the
listener/reader) know who/what I am referring to or whether it is a specific person
or thing.
o The assignment you are working on
o The diagram we looked at this morning

Once a topic has been introduced, a speaker or writer can use the word the to mean
people or things that are normally present in that situation.
o If someone is talking about a company they visited or work at, they can say
the employees, the office, or the boss without having to be specific as to
which employees, which office or which boss.

Some uses of the word the do not have any rules relating to their use and,
unfortunately, such situations are not always clear. For each instance the usage just
has to be learnt on a case by case basis.
o The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

Last updated: 15/07/15

Use of a or an (indefinite article)

The indefinite article a, is the normal or neutral way of referring to one thing. In
other words the speaker or the writer has no specific thing in mind when making the
statement.

o I am looking for a book on communication.

Use of no article (zero article)

No article is often used with uncountable nouns: for example, chocolate, glass or
wine. Consider the difference between:

o This is wine from Marlborough.

o This is a wine from Marlborough.

The second one suggests that it is one type of wine from Marlborough and that there
are others.

Some uncountable nouns have quite a specific meaning when used with the definite
article a. Consider the difference between:

o Theres glass on the floor.

o Theres a glass on the floor.

Nouns with geographical names follow no clear pattern and are difficult to predict.
The rules relating to their use just have to be learnt, together with the nouns with
which they are used. Consider the difference between:

o Lets go boating on Lake Taupo.

o Lets go boating on the Waikato River.

Last updated: 15/07/15

Use this flow chart to help you use articles correctly:

Is it a countable noun?

Yes No

singular? plural? specific?

specific? specific? yes no

yes no yes no use the no article

use the use a use the no article

Remember, the use of articles is closely related to the context and the shared knowledge
and understanding between the reader and the writer.

To continue your development of the correct use of articles, look for examples in books and
journals and see how they are used in each context and note them down, especially if their
usage is unusual.
There are also many websites that include exercises relating to the use of articles and the
associated grammar points. Some recommended website examples include:
http://www.eslcafe.com http://dartmouth.edu http://webster.comnet.edu/grammar

Good luck with your writing and enjoyment of the English language.

Last updated: 15/07/15