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Sample Chapter
Grammar Guide |
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Chapter 3 "Articles"
Grammar Guide Index |
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- Chapter 1. Nouns Page 3
- Chapter 2. Number and Subject Verb Agreement Page 5
- Chapter 3. Articles Page 10
- Chapter 4. Pronouns Page 16
- Chapter 5. Tenses Page 23
- Chapter 6. Verbs Page 40
- Chapter 7. Active and Passive Tenses Page 44
- Chapter 8. Gerunds and Infinitives Page 50
- Chapter 9. Modals Page 56
- Chapter 10. Adjectives and Adverbs Page 60
- Chapter 11. Prepositions 67
- Chapter 12. Conjunctions Page 77
- Chapter 13. Punctuation Page 83
- Chapter 14. Sentence Structure Page 94
- Chapter 15. Reported Speech Page 109
- Chapter 16. Questions Page 113
- Chapter 17. Vocabulary Page 120
- Chapter 18. Grammar Review Test Page 125
- Chapter 19. Exercise and Test Answers Page 135
- Supplemental: Irregular Verb Listing Page 167
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Chapter 3 : ARTICLES When to use the indefinite articles “A” and “An”:
The indefinite article a is used with nouns that begin with a consonant. eg. a book.
The indefinite article an is used with nouns that begin with a vowel. eg. an orange.
Certain nouns that have a vowel sound also require the article an. eg. an hour.
Certain words that begin with a silent vowel require the article a. eg. a utility truck.
We use a, an with phrases that relate to frequency, cost or speed. eg.
She swims three times a week.
It costs two dollars a kilogram.
Tim was driving at 120 km an hour.
You are improving at a steady rate.
When to use the definite article "The":
Weights/measures: I buy milk by the litre.
Musical instruments: She plays the piano.
Groups of people: The blind, the Jews.
Particular group of animals: The Indian Elephant, the Monarch Butterfly.
Certain time terminology: The afternoon, the morning.
Points of the Compass in terms of place: The north is colder than the south. The west was a land of cowboys once.
Travel, when using the preposition "On": I rode on the bus for two hours to get to Portland. It's fun being on the train.
Communication, when using the preposition "On": I spoke to her on the telephone. We heard the news on the radio.
Water and Land Masses: The Huang Ho River, the Red Sea, the Pacific Ocean, the Rockies, the Gulf Islands, the Sahara Desert.
Objects that are unique: The earth, the sun, the moon.
When there is specific reference: The shop that was bought by Mr. Lee has just been renovated. The boy that saved the drowning dog is actually my cousin.
Certain places: The movies, the park. I was at the store this morning and at the beach this afternoon. We can either go the park or the zoo, if you want.
When an object or a place belongs to something or someone: Put their table in the corner of that room. The staircase of that house is very steep.
Certain countries; particularly groups of islands or country names with the words Republic or United: The Philippines, the Aleutian Islands, the Republic of China, the United States, the United
Emirates.
When not to use the article "The":
Games and Sports: Chess, football, basketball.
Meals: Dinner, lunch.
Clock time: Two o'clock.
Certain time terminology: At noon, at midnight, at dawn, at dusk.
Direction: I am going east tomorrow. The boat sailed south.
Travel, using the preposition 'by': I went to school by bus today.
Communication, using the preposition 'by': We communicated with each other by mail.
Geography: Single Mountain or Lake: Mount Seymour, Lake Winnipeg.
General Animals that are plural: Dogs, cats, elephants.
General nouns that make no reference to a special place, subject, person: I enjoy life more as I get older. He was at sea for a long time.
Certain nouns that are intangible eg. luck, fate, ingratitude: She needs luck to be able to carry this through. Kindness is sometimes not always appreciated.
Some places, when not specified, never need the article 'the'. eg. prison, school: I want to go to university next year. The robber was sent to jail finally. Father is at work at the moment. She's
going to bed early tonight.
Most countries: Australia, Iran, Singapore.
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3.1 Articles Work Sheet Use a, an, the or leave the space blank
_____ Snow Leopard is a rare animal in _____ northern parts of China.
Before we headed _____ east, we filled _____ gas tank up.
Let's make _____ salad for _____ lunch.
_____ dinner you prepared yesterday was delicious.
He plays _____ piano beautifully. She plays _____ chess well.
Mother buys apples by _____ kilograms. She buys cloth by _____ metre.
_____ doctor that saved our son's life is _____ son of our town mayor.
_____ reason why it rains so heavily here is because we are near _____ Rocky Mountains.
They live by _____ Mississippi River which is one of _____ world's longest rivers.
We must use _____ compass to keep in _____ right direction. At this point we are somewhere in _____ middle of _____ forest.
He lives by _____ Red Sea and dreams of becoming _____ pirate. "A life at sea would be _____ life for me!" he always exclaims.
In _____ kind society, _____ rich usually make _____ effort to help _____ poor.
I’ve studied _____ history of _____ Industrial Revolution before. It seems without _____ doubt that _____ beginning of _____ nineteenth century has changed remarkably _____ face of business.
Have you been to _____ Great Lakes? Standing by _____ edge of Lake Superior is like standing by _____ edge of _____ Pacific Ocean. One sees _____ horizon before one can see _____ other side.
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