Use of articles

Crown words

The usage of articles is very complicated. Some people sum up its basic usage into four phrases to facilitate learning and memory:

Ordinary nouns should be crowned, but proprietary abstractions should not be crowned. The sky, the earth, the sun, the moon and the mountains are fixed, and the seasons, months and sundays are free.

indefinite article

Some special rules:

Indefinite article: 1. Used before some proper nouns to mean "some", "some" or belonging to a family. For example:

A Mr Smith is waiting for you.

He is a member of the Kennedy family.

2. Used before some material nouns, meaning "one serving" and "one cup". For example:

I want a glass of beer. I want a glass of beer.

Please give me two cups of coffee.

3. All nouns transformed from verbs usually add indefinite articles, such as: break, drive, kick, look, rest, sleep, smoke, think, wash, weep, wink, etc.

You'd better have a good rest.

Let's go for a drive in the city.

There was a terrible crash on the railway.

4. The names of diseases generally do not use articles, but some common diseases usually need indefinite articles: cold, cough, fever, temperature, headache, soreness, pain and so on. But the phrase catch a cold doesn't need an article. For example:

5. Fixed collocation

A little ... a little result, so

The end makes the end a little hasty.

It's usually tightly controlled.

All of a sudden, the whole thing

Make a fire in a hurry

At birth, a child died.

At sixes and sevens, seven or eight slots far away.

Give a helping hand and come at once.

I'm at a loss. I'm at a loss. Take a shower.

Take a relaxing walk once, once.

Study, study, walk

In short, making a living.

Make a fortune in a blink of an eye.

Not happy at all.

Pay close attention to nursing and hold on to control.

Be interested in ... talk to ... ...

come to a conclusion

definite article

1. Before the singular noun indicating the unit of measurement, it means "according to the standard (unit) of ...", for example:

Workers are paid weekly.

Meat is sold by the pound.

2. In some structures, definite articles should be used before nouns representing human parts, not possessive pronouns. For example:

The old man patted the boy on the back.

He was shot in the head.

3. Represents something unique or considered unique. For example:

Earth, sun, sun

World, world, sky, sky

The moon, the moon, the universe

4. (4) Formerly used to indicate terms such as oceans, rivers, mountains, islands, deserts, bays and canals. For example:

The Mississippi River in the Pacific Ocean

Alps, British Isles, British Isles

Sahara Desert Gulf of Mexico Gulf of Mexico

Suez canal Suez canal

note:

④ Generally speaking, there is no definite article before the noun indicating the lake, but the definite article should be used before the name of the lake in China. For example:

Lake Baikal, Dongting Lake (or Dongting Lake)

In addition, there is usually no definite article before the name of a mountain or island.

For example: Mount Everest.

5. Used to indicate the names of hotels, hotels, theaters, cinemas, etc.

George and Dragon George and Dragon Hotel

Hilton Hilton Hotel

Old Vic Old Vic Theatre

Odeen Dior cinema

6. Used to indicate the names of ships, planes, three services, schools, historical dynasties, etc. For example:

Queen Elizabeth (name of ship)

Phantom mirage jets

air force

Atlantis

the Tang Dynasty

Peking University

note:

⑤ Some universities named after names of people or places generally do not add definite articles if the names of people or places come first. Try to compare:

Peking University

He had a bad headache yesterday, so he stayed at home.

I have a terrible pain in the back of my head.

7. When used in plural surnames, it means "a certain family". For example:

The smiths just moved here.

Harrison's family will attend the party tonight.

8. When playing an instrument, use it before the instrument name. For example:

play the piano

9. Used for some fixed collocation

Imitate fashion and do it. ...

At this moment, at this moment, at the end.

When going up (down), walk to blow air.

From a long-term perspective, from a long-term perspective.

Digress in front of ...

Right, right, alert, alert.

On the whole, the odds are average.

Follow the fashion, follow the fashion, and vice versa.

Temporary, temporary, temporary

On the spot, the scene is in the distance.

Generally speaking, setting fashion is unconventional.

Play dumb, do stupid things, and go out in the field.

To the point, to the point, to the point

10. Whether there is a definite article or not has different meanings. This idiom includes the following two categories.

1) Some nouns have definite articles and indefinite articles. Emphasizing the abstract concept of nouns without definite articles is to engage in activities related to nouns; When adding an article, it emphasizes the place, indicating that these nouns are commonly used: bed, school, hospital, church, sea, market, class, society, prison, college, space, university, court, table, work, tea and so on. Now take the verb go+ as an example to illustrate different meanings:

Go to bed, go to bed, go to bed.

Go to church, go to church, go to church.

Go to prison, go to prison, visit prison.

Go to the market, buy and sell.

Go to school, school, school, school, school.

Go to college, school, college, college.

Go to college, go to school, go to college, go to college.

Go to class, go to class, go to class, go to class.

Go to hospital, go to hospital, go to hospital, go to hospital.

Go to the seaside as a sailor. Go to the seaside.

It's getting late; Let's go to bed.

He went to the bed and picked up a book.

They go to church every Sunday morning.

The children really want to stay in the church.

2) In some fixed collocations, sometimes adding definite articles or not will have completely different meanings, and sometimes adding indefinite articles and adding definite articles will also have different meanings. For example:

Adults are the same age.

It's a little out of the way in a way.

Popular in fashion.

In front of … in front of … in front of … in front of … in front of ….

At some point in the future.

Look after the house and leave the house at home

Next year, next year, next year.

There is no doubt that it is impossible.

Breathe the outdoor air

Replace, replace, replace.

The three of us, the three of us, the three of us

There is a big tree in front of my house.

There is a big vase in front of our classroom.

Three of us must leave here at once.

The three of us must stay together.

Zero articles

1. Plural nouns and uncountable nouns represent "class", which is the most common representation of the concept of "class". For example:

The tiger is a dangerous animal.

I do not like literature.

2. Complex numbers and uncountable nouns are imprecise.

There are some cars in front of the gate.

I have money on me.

3. An appositive or subject complement indicating a unique position, and the zero article ⑤ is generally used to indicate identity, status or title. For example:

Mr Smith, the dean of the department, went to Australia.

Mr Smith, our dean, has gone to Australia.

He was elected chairman of the Committee.

He is the author of many novels.

be filled/suffused/brimming with

⑥ If there are two or more positions than one, an indefinite article must be used. For example:

Mr Smith, a member of our group, went to Suzhou.

When nouns are used as subject complements to express identity or status, they express abstract concepts. For example, in the sentence "Mr. Johnson is a professor in a university", professor is equivalent to an abstract noun, not one of professors, but a position. If you want to mention a specific professor, use a university professor.

4. Generally, zero articles are used before three meals a day. For example:

I had lunch in that restaurant.

Shall we have dinner together? Shall we have dinner together?

5. Names of countries (except common nouns), provinces, cities and streets generally begin with zero articles. For example:

China Nanjing Road Zhengzhou Road London Virginia

6. Generally, zero articles should be used before nouns such as season and month. For example:

He will go to America in October.

After winter comes spring.

7. Generally, nouns indicating sports are preceded by zero articles. For example:

When we are free, we usually play football.

I don't like playing chess with her

8. Generally, zero articles are used in front of nouns expressing language. For example:

English is becoming a world language.

Chinese is very difficult for westerners.

Note: ⑦ But if they are followed by the word language, they are usually preceded by the definite article. For example:

English and Chinese

9. The structure of "by+singular noun" indicates the vehicle, and there should be zero articles before the noun. For example:

Take a bus, take a bus, take a bus, take a bus.

By train by train by plane/by plane

Take a long-distance bus by boat/by boat/by boat.

By post/by post

10. Generally speaking, the zero article should be used for coordinate phrases. For example:

Teachers and students knock on doors from door to door.

Hand in hand step by step.

Face to face day and night

1 1. In order to save time and space, such as newspaper headlines, telegrams, slogans, etc. , zero articles should be used. For example:

The police asked the young people after the explosion of the British Museum.

After the explosion of the British Museum, the police were interrogating a young man. After the explosion of the British Museum, the police questioned a young man. )

Don't lean out of the window

12. Some fixed collocations need to use zero articles. For example:

At home at most.

At first, at first.

Finally, finally, close at hand

At least at first glance

At most, immediately.

At will, at will, at will, especially.

Memorize (an inscription) in person.

Free at will, and the fire of freedom is burning.

Occasionally, continuously, accidentally

Intentionally, intentionally happened to be for sale, auction.