The nouns | As a rule no article | When modified by a particularizing attribute: The | When modified by a descriptive attribute: A | In set expressions |
1. The names of months and days (May, Monday) | Mayis a spring month. I met her on Tuesday. | Well always remember the May of 1945. She came on the Friday when David was born. | A cold May is a usual thing in St. Petersburg. | |
2. The names of seasons (summer, winter) | I like winter. It was summer when we first came here. | It happened in the spring of 1990. | It was a beautiful spring. But: no article early/late spring, winter | |
3. Nouns: day, night, evening, morning, afternoon | Day is meant for work, night for sleep. It was evening. | Hell never forget the day when he met her. The night was warm and beautiful. | I spent a sleepless night. But: no article early/late afternoon, night, broad day, high noon | by day/night; at night/ dawn/ daybreak/ sunrise/ sunset/ noon; frommorning till night; in themorning/ night |
4. The names of languages (French, English) | She knows French well. | The English of America differs from the English of Great Britain. the English language | What is the English for...? | |
5. The names of meals (lunch, dinner, tea) | Did you have dinner? Lunch is ready. | The dinner we had today was very good. The lunch was a success. | After a heavy breakfast we started for... But: no article early/late dinner, supper | to have lunch (tea, breakfast) But: to have a gooddinner |
2) the use of articles with the nouns school/college, prison/jail, bed, town, church
The nouns | When the noun lose the concrete meaning and express the purpose for which they serve: no article | When the nouns denote concrete objects the articles are used in accordance to the general rules |
School/ college/ university | to be at school/college/university to go to school/college/university to leave school/college After I left school I went to university (as a student) Why arent the children at school today? (as pupils) | to go to the/a school (the building is meant) to leave the school (to leave the building) Mr. Kelly went to the school to meet his daughters teacher. Is there a school near here? |
Church | in church / to church Mrs. Kelly goes to church on Sundays (for a religious service). | The church was built in the 17th century. There is a church in the village. |
Prison/jail | to be in prison to be sent to prison/jail to be put in prison Kens brother is in prison for robbery. Fred robbed a bank but he was caught and sent to prison. | Ken went to the prison to visit his brother. They lived near a prison. |
Bed | to go to bed to be in bed to stay in bed Its time to go to bed. Is Tom still in bed? | Her portrait was on the wall beside the bed. There is a table, 6 chairs, a bed and a cupboard in the room. |
Work | to go to work to be at work to start work Why isnt Ann at work today? | I like the work Im doing now. A new work of modern art. The works of Shakespeare. |
Home | to go home to come / arrive home to be at home / to stay at home to feel at home Lets go home. | Institution or place: an orphans home, anursing home, amaternity home. Place where an animal or a plant is native: thehome of the tiger |
Town | to / in town You cant go to town tomorrow. What are you going to do in town. He spent 20 years in town, he is not used to country life. | I want to go to the town I was born in. Would you rather live in a town or in the country? The whole town was talking about it. |
Hospital | to go to hospital to be in hospital Jack had an accident. He had to go to hospital. He is still in hospital now. | when Ann was ill we went to the hospital to visit her. Is there a hospital near here? |
Of- phrases:
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Quality a book of interest a feeling of relief
a sense of humor a question of importance
quantity or measure a temperature of 20
a distance of three miles
a box of two tons
composition a group of children a party of 12 people
a flock of birds a team of hockey-players
age a boy of 5 a man of middle age
material a wall of glass a ring of gold
a scarf of thick wool
content a cup of tea a bottle of milk
a box of cigarettes
size a sailor of middle height a building of enormous size
When the noun man is used in a generic sense, no article is found with it:
Surely he had suffered everything that man can endure.
The noun woman in a generic sense may be used with the definite article or without any article:
He had always been interested in that mysterious being- the woman.
Woman is mans helpmate.
There is often no article with homogeneous parts of a sentence:
Horse & rider stood as if posing for a statue.
Are husband & wife so much one flesh that if one hates the wife one has to hate the husband too?
She keeps her diary under lock & key.
Boy or man, I have never loved any other woman.