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  3. 7. Articles (A/An, The, and No Article)

7. Articles (A/An, The, and No Article)

Articles — A/An, The, and No Article — Grammar + Exercises

Rules first, then exercises right away. Choose a, an, the, or Ø (no article), then click Check.

1) Indefinite Articles: A / An

one example / first mention / profession

Use a or an before a singular count noun.

  • Use a/an when the noun is one example of a category: Blue is a color.
  • Use a/an when you mention something for the first time: I saw a room with blue walls.
  • Use a/an with professions: She is an interior decorator.
  • Use a/an in definitions and generalizations: A yellow room is more cheerful than a blue room.
Blue is a color.
Her sister is an interior decorator.
An orange bedroom can keep you awake.

Quick note: Choose a or an by sound: a room, an issue.

Practice A — Choose a or an

1 Blue is color. (color)
2 Her sister is interior decorator. (interior decorator)
3 I saw room with blue walls. (room)
4 orange bedroom can keep you awake. (orange bedroom)
5 Color is issue that many researchers study. (issue)
6 yellow room is more cheerful than blue room. (yellow room / blue room)

2) Definite Article: The

specific / second mention / unique

Use the when the listener or reader can identify the noun.

  • Use the for the second mention: I looked at an article. The article was interesting.
  • Use the when the noun is made specific by another phrase or sentence: The information in it...
  • Use the when the noun is physically visible or obvious: Push the button in front of you.
  • Use the with unique nouns: the sun, the Earth, the solar system
  • Use the before a singular noun to represent a whole class or category in formal style: The male robin...
I looked at an interesting class. The class was about the effects of color.
Push the button in front of you.
The students are learning about the sun, the Earth, and the solar system.

Practice B — Use the for specific nouns

7 I looked at an interesting class. class was about the effects of color on moods. (class)
8 This is a very interesting article. information in it explains a lot about color. (information)
9 Push button in front of you. (button)
10 The students are learning about sun, Earth, and solar system. (sun / Earth / solar system)
11 Christopher and Marie painted a room blue. Later, room felt too cold and formal. (room)
12 male robin is more colorful than the female. (male robin)

3) No Article: Ø

general plural / general noncount

Use no article with plural count nouns and noncount nouns when you are speaking in general.

  • Research has taught us many things about colors.
  • Colors can affect our moods.
  • Furniture can change the feeling of a room.
Research has shown that colors affect feelings.
Bright colors can be overwhelming in a small room.
People often make color choices emotionally.

Practice C — Use Ø for general meaning

13 research has taught us many things about the ways that we are affected by colors. (research)
14 colors can affect our moods. (colors)
15 bright colors can be overwhelming in a small room. (bright colors)
16 furniture can change the mood of a room. (furniture)
17 people often choose warm colors for living rooms. (people)

4) Mixed Review: A / An / The / Ø

choose by meaning

To choose the correct article, ask:

  • Is it one singular count noun from a category? → a/an
  • Is it specific / already known / unique? → the
  • Is it a general plural or noncount noun? → Ø
What is color theory? It is a tool and a guide.
Now, look at the color wheel again.
Complementary colors are important in design.

Practice D — Mixed article choice

18 What is color theory? It is tool and guide for understanding colors. (tool / guide)
19 In basic version shown in the chart, there are three primary colors. (basic version)
20 Now, look at color wheel again. (color wheel)
21 colors that lie opposite each other on color wheel are called complementary colors. (colors / color wheel)
22 You can also put complementary colors together. (complementary colors)
23 For example, primary colors red, blue, and yellow form a color triad. (primary colors red, blue, and yellow)
24 I asked group of students what they thought about the library colors. (group of students)

5) Avoid Common Mistakes

quick fixes
  • Use an before a singular occupation that begins with a vowel sound: an assistant researcher
  • Use the for the second mention of something specific.
  • Use Ø with plural or noncount nouns in general: Natural colors help people remember things.
  • Use a/an only with singular count nouns.

Practice E — Fix the article

25 I am assistant researcher. (assistant researcher)
26 We bought a bright carpet. carpet changed the whole room. (carpet)
27 In general, natural colors help people remember things better. (natural colors)
28 None of the photographs were of people. Half of photos were in black and white. (photos)
Show all answers
  1. a
  2. an
  3. a
  4. an
  5. an
  6. a ; a
  7. the
  8. the
  9. the
  10. the ; the ; the
  11. the
  12. the
  13. Ø
  14. Ø
  15. Ø
  16. Ø
  17. Ø
  18. a ; a
  19. the
  20. the
  21. the ; the
  22. Ø
  23. the
  24. a
  25. an
  26. the
  27. Ø
  28. the
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