When the abstract idea refers to a definite situation or object: He didnt like the rudeness with which Jane treated him.
With substantivized adjectives (the unusual, the beautiful, the supernatural, the unknown): You shouldnt think of the unbearable.
With the nouns the present, the past, the future, the singular, the plural: During the honeymoon they were planning the future.
But: in future means : Please be more careful in future.
The Use of the Indefinite Article with nouns in Set Expressions
| a lot of a great (a good) deal of a great number of a few a little all of a sudden as a result as a matter of fact as busy as a bee as wet as a fish as hungry as a wolf for a short (long) time in a loud (low) voice it is a pity it is a pleasure to be in a hurry to be at a loss at a glance to have a good time to have a mind to have a headache to have a cold to go for a walk to take a seat it is a shame to get in a fury to tell a lie | () () |
The Use of the definite Article with nouns in Set Expressions
| in the morning in the afternoon in the evening in the original in the country it is out of the question on the right (left) on the one (other) hand on the whole the day before yesterday the day after tomorrow the other day to tell the truth to pass the time to go to the cinema (theatre) to take the trouble to do smth. to play the piano (the violin, the guitar) to keep the house to be on the safe side what is the time? | () () () - (, ) ? |
Nouns in Set Expressions Used without an Article
| at night at home at school (college, university) at work at hand at dawn at sunset at first sight at war at peace at last at once at present by bus (tram, train, boat, plane) by air (sea, land) by post | (, ) - (, , , ) ( , ) |
| by air mail by heart by chance by accident by mistake by name day after day (day by day) day and night from morning to (till) night from beginning to end from time to time in advance in (on) time in debt in fact in conclusion in private in future in trouble on board a ship on deck on sale on credit on foot on (ones) mind on terms out of sight, out of mind side by side | , , , |
Exercises: THE ARTICLE
