This document provides an overview of the use of articles (a, an, the) in the English language. It begins by noting that articles may seem simple but their use is more complex, with many rules and exceptions. It then discusses the indefinite articles a and an, covering how they are used before consonants and vowels. Other topics covered include the omission of articles, the differences between a little/little and a few/few, the definite article the and when it is used or omitted, and examples to practice applying article rules.

1. L e t’ s s ta rt
E n g lis h la n g u a g e
- A r t ic le s -
M e n t o r : Ir e n a M a t ic -
To d o r o v i c
S t u d e n t s : D a r k o S t e v a n o v ic
N e na d
D j o r d je v ic
Dus a n
S e k u lo v ic

2. A r t ic le s
• They actually look like one really
simple thing, but they are more
complicated then you thought.
• First thing you will learn is that in • Those are only :
English language exist definite (t h e )
and indefinite article (a / a n ) and that
is a good news, because there is only
three of them, but the bad news is
that their use is complex. There is
many rules, but also many
exceptions. But do not be afraid,
nothing is too difficult to learn.
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3. T h e in d e f in it e a r t ic le A / A n
• We will use A before a word beginning • We will use A N before words
with a c o n s o n a n t , or a v o w e l beginning with a v o w e l ( a , e , u ,
w h ic h h a s c o n s o n a n t i , o ) , or before words beginning with
s ound. a mute H .
• For example:
• For example: • an orange an island an hour
• a man a mobile a university
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4. U s e o f a /a n
• Before a singular noun which is • Before a singular countable noun which
countable, or when something is is used as an example of a whole class.
mentioned for the first time and
• For example:
represents no particular person, or
thing, and before names of • A giraffe has a long neck.
professions.
• For example:
• He is a doctor. I saw A N
elephant.
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• But we will also use it before certain
expression of quantity:
• A couple of A dozen A lot of etc.
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5. O m i s s i o n o f A /A N
• N e v e r put these articles before p l u r a l n o u n , or before u n c o u n t a b l e
n o u n , or before n a m e s o f m e a l s . Except if that meal is described by an
adjective.
• For example:
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• A dog. / dogs
• A liter of milk. / milk
• We had lunch. We had A good lunch.
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6. A l i t t l e /l i t t l e ; A f e w /f e w
• T h e s e w o r d s w ill s h o w u s h o w b ig d if f e r e n c e c o u ld b e
if w e p u t a n a r t ic le .
• A l i t t l e /l i t t l e is used before uncountable nouns. Ne xt s lid e
• A f e w /f e w is used before plural nouns.
• A l i t t l e a n d a f e w mean small amount, or what speaker considers small
amount.
• L i t t l e a n d f e w mean that that amount is so small that it almost does not exist.
• These are used mainly for written English, because in conversation it could be easily
mistaken.
• C o m p a r a t i v e o f f e w would be F E W E R , and it means less.
• For example: We had fewer guests then last year.
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7. D e f in it e a r t ic le T H E
• We use T H E in the same form for plural and
singular noun. • When we mention something for the second time,
• We will use it when we mention something that is as a result of already being mentioned that object
unique. will become definite.
H IS C A R S T R U C K A T R E E ;YO U C A N
• TH E S U N
S T IL L S E E T H E M A R K O N T H E
TR E E .
We always p u t
TH E
before:
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S u p e rlative s O rd inal n u m b e rs O nly
The b e s t T h e f ir s t T h e o n ly …
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8. W e a ls o u s e T H E in t h is w a y
The +
Proper names of seas, rivers, plural names of
countries,regions…
T H E A T L A N T IC
Noun + OF + noun
T H E U N IT E D S T A T E S O F A M E R IC A
Names of choirs, orchestras, pop groups…
TH E B E A TL E S
Titles
T h e c a p t a in
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Singular noun to represent the whole class of objects
and animals
T h e lio n is d a n g e o r u s
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9. O m is s io n o f t h e
• We do not put T H E before:
• Names of people
• S te fa n E le n a D a mon
• Abstract nouns,except if they are used in particular sense
• k n o w le d g e e x p e r ie n c e
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• After a noun in possessive case
• M y f a t h e r ’ s s h ir t .
• Names of games
• G o lf F o o t b a ll
• Before nature, where it means as spirit of the Earth
• If y o u h u r t n a t u r e , y o u w ill b e t h e o n e w h o w ill s u f f e r .
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10. L e t ’ s p r a c t is e :
T h is e x e r c is e w ill h e lp y o u t o t e s t
y o u r k n o w le d g e , s o le t ’ s d o it
t o g e t h e r . Yo u r jo b w ill b e t o p u t a n
a r t ic le , b u t o n ly if it ’ s n e c e s s a r y . C lic k
to s e e
the a ns w e rs
• …shaggy dog story is … long joke that takes … form of … story. It always has …
rather silly ending. Here is … typical shaggy dog story:
• Once upon … time, … tortoise family decided to go on … picnic. Mr Tortoise
bought … lot of food, and … Mrs Tortoise made … lot of sandwiches. After three
months their … food was ready and they set off.
• After three years of walking they reached their picnic place. They unpacked their
picnic baskets, laid … cloth on … grass and put … food on … cloth. But then, …
Mr Tortoise remembered that they forgot … tin-opener. So he told his daughter
Sara to go and to bring … tin-opener. She accepted to go, but she told them not
to start … picnic without her, and they promised that they won’t. So Sara set off
through … trees. Her parents waited days, months, years and they were extremely
hungry, and when they decided to eat, and took one of … sandwiches Sara
popped her head round … tree and said “I knew that you would begin … picnic,
it’s … good thing I didn’t go home for … tin-opener.”
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11. “ T h a t ’ s a ll f o lk s !”
• I h o p e th a t yo u
h a d fu n a n d th a t
y o u f o u n d t h is
p r e s e n t a t io n
u s e f u l. A n d I t h in k
t h a t a f t e r t h is
s h o r t r e v ie w o f
a r t ic le s , y o u w ill
no t ha ve
p r o b le m s w it h
th e m a n ym o r e .
G r e e t in g s f r o m
A le k s in a c ! : D
Th e e n d
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