3. THE ARTICLES

1. Determiners

2. The Indefinite Article

                1. Forms and Pronunciation:[a /   /     an /   /]
                2. Uses:A/ As in Spanish
                                  1. To designate an individual / object or a certain class
                                  2. To designate an individual / object as a representative of an entire group or class (generic use)
                                        (only with countable nouns)
                              B/ Special Uses
                                  1. Referring to professions or occupations:He's a lawyer
                                  2. Distributive use:Three times a day
                                  3. To translate the idea of 'un tal': A Mr Brown called
                                  4. Before a noun in apposition not known by the person being addressed:
                                        Troisdorf, a small town in Germany
                                  5. Before hundred, thousand, million, dozen ...:a hundred men
                                  6. In exclamations introduced by what followed by countable noun in the singular: What a nice shirt!
                                  7. After certain indefinite adjectives or adverbs of quantity (such, quite, rather, half, so, as...): as a wife
                                  8. In many idiomatic expressions: to be in a hurry
                              C/ With proper nouns
                                  It is possible to change a proper noun into a common noun by placing the indefinite article in front of it

3. The Definite Article

              1. Forms and Pronunciation: the /   / ,  /    /
              2. Uses
                  1. To refer to someone / something already known to the speaker and listener: The book is rather good
                  2. In generic sense
                     * Nouns of nationality: the Spanish
                     * Nominalized adjectives: the poor; the ric
                     * With the verb play and musical instruments: to play the piano
                     * With nouns that indicate particular public places, transport, communications: the theatre; the plane
                     * With nouns of unique reference or unique denotation: the sun; the earth
                     Note: the can be used in generic use but is more usually expressed by using the nouns without an article, in the                         plural if it is countable and in the singular if it is uncountable, or with indefinite article.
                  3. With proper names
                     * Normally not used
                     * Used * Geographical names [seas, rivers, islands, mountains]
                                *Title of nobility]

4. Zero Article

                * Before countable and uncountable nouns used in general or generic sense: Flowers smell nice; I like books
                * Before the names of meals which are eaten every day: Lunch is at one o'clock
                * Before * school: I'm going to school
                            * church:
                            * hospital:He's in hospital
                            * college
                            * market
                            * prison
                            * university...: She's studying English at university
                * With family names (mother, father, uncle): Uncle George has come
                * With days of the week: on Monday; Monday I went to see her
                * With the time of day: At half past six
                * In the expressions * last week/month/year: they are getting married next year
                                              * next week/month/year:
                * The seasons: We are going to France in (the) summer (optional)
                * Before the names of occupations, professions, arts, sciences and games: fishing
                * Before the names of languages: English
                * Diseases (optional with some well known infectious diseases: measles, mumps, chicken pox, flux)
                * In so-colled parallel structures (arm in arm, face to face)
                * Various expressions