{"id":7078,"date":"2021-01-18T05:20:24","date_gmt":"2021-01-18T05:20:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/eltweekly.com\/?p=7078"},"modified":"2021-01-18T05:20:24","modified_gmt":"2021-01-18T05:20:24","slug":"articles-by-nick-shepherd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eltweekly.humbeestudio.xyz\/?p=7078","title":{"rendered":"Articles by Nick Shepherd"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

These are a, an <\/em>and the<\/em>. I like to add unstressed some<\/em> (pronounced \/sm\/), but see below for more on that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, the simple stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can use a\/an<\/em> before singular nouns, and the<\/em> before singular or plural nouns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

a book, an apple, the book(s), the apple(s)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We use a\/an<\/em> before something we haven\u2019t talked about before (\u201cnew\u201d), and the<\/em> before something we have already mentioned (\u201cold\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look, I bought a<\/strong> book and a<\/strong> suitcase. I got the<\/strong> book in WH Smith, and the<\/strong> suitcase from a<\/strong> stall in Tottenham Court Road.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cthing we\u2019ve talked about before\u201d could also be something we both know about (therefore \u201cold\u201d):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can you put the<\/strong> butter in the<\/strong> fridge? It\u2019s on the<\/strong> table.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(This is our kitchen; we know what we\u2019re talking about)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We use a<\/em> before nouns which start with a consonant sound<\/strong>, and an<\/em> before nouns which start with a vowel sound <\/strong>(sound, not letter):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

a book, a tomato, a hotel, a uniform, a European, a DIY manual<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

an apple, an opportunity, an hour, an honest man, an FBI agent<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We don\u2019t use an article when we\u2019re speaking in general (generic), with nouns which are either plural or uncountable:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I enjoy games<\/strong>, but music<\/strong> is my greatest love.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before an uncountable noun which specifies something we haven\u2019t talked about before (\u201cnew\u201d), we use [nothing] or some<\/em> (pron: \/sm\/):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s (some) butter in the fridge.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this case, some<\/em> isn\u2019t really a quantifier; it\u2019s more like an indefinite article, and it\u2019s always optional, and it\u2019s always unstressed (\/sm\/). There\u2019s another some<\/em> (\/s\u028cm\/), which is a quantifier, and means \u201can indefinite amount\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I made a video on A, THE and ZERO which you might want to look at here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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