Some simple rules for the use of articles

Basics

What are articles?

a
an
the
zero article
Where do they come in a sentence or phrase?
- Before a noun: a dog the house
an apple
- Before a noun phase: a large dog the old manor house
a or an?
umbrella, university, European city, unique opportunity, unhappy man

the house

general usage

the first mention of a singular countable noun

one example of many
singular countable noun mentioned before
when it is clear which one it is
general statements with plural countable nouns
or uncountable nouns
3

Singular countable nouns

a
an
the
a house
an ugly house
Uncountable nouns
a + unit quantity the
a glass of water the water

Something which is unique

superlative adjectives
ordinal numbers
noun-of-noun phrases
quantity expressions

special usage: time and place

Time
dates (spoken) : the 10 of February
yesterday, today, tomorrow
morning, afternoon, evening
beginning, middle, end of...
next, last (Monday, June, year) etc
years: 1989, 2004
decades: the sixties, the 1930s
months: January, November
seasons: summer, winter
festivals: Christmas, Lunar New Year

article
the
the

Place
planets: Mars, Venus etc
Earth, world
continents: Africa, Asia
countries: (1) England, China, France
countries: (2) USA, PRC, UK
cities: London, Hong Kong
oceans and seas:
mountain ranges: Himalayas, Andes
single mountains: Everest, Fuji
rivers: Nile, Mississippi, Amazon
lakes:
north, south, east, west
northern, southern, eastern, western
school, hospital, university, college, church,
prison as a physical building
school, hospital, university, college, church,
prison as an institution

Answers

a or an?
an umbrella, a university, a European city, a unique opportunity, an unhappy man

article

general usage

the first mention of a singular countable noun

Something which is unique

one example of many

singular countable noun mentioned before
when it is clear which one it is
general statements with plural countable nouns
or uncountable nouns

a
the
the
-

superlative adjectives
ordinal numbers
noun-of-noun phrases
quantity expressions

the
the
the
the
a

special usage: time and place

Time
dates (spoken) : the 10 of February
yesterday, today, tomorrow
morning, afternoon, evening
beginning, middle, end of...

article
the
the
the

Place
planets: Mars, Venus etc
Earth, world
continents: Africa, Asia
countries: (1) England, China, France

article
the
-

next, last (Monday, June, year) etc

years: 1989, 2004
decades: the sixties, the 1930s
months: January, November
seasons: summer, winter
festivals: Christmas, Lunar New Year

the
the
-

countries: (2) USA, PRC, UK

cities: London, Hong Kong
oceans and seas:
mountain ranges: Himalayas, Andes
single mountains: Everest, Fuji
rivers: Nile, Mississippi, Amazon
lakes:
north, south, east, west
northern, southern, eastern, western
school, hospital, university, college, church,
prison as a physical building
school, hospital, university, college, church,
prison as an institution

the
the
the
the
the

the