An article is a modifier used in front of a noun. An article can be used to indicate whether the noun being modified is specific or general. The definite article "the" must be used before referring to a specific noun. The indefinite article ("a" or "an") must be used before the non-specified noun.
Example: The book was written by reputable authorsExample: He said that he had read a book by that authorThe first example above is about a specific book, while the second is about a book that is not specifically represented.
What is a definite article?
What is an indefinite article?
How to use an article before an adjective?
The relationship between articles and pronouns.
When can an article be omitted?
the" is a definite article that is used before a specific noun or a noun already mentioned. The definite article refers to a noun that speaks of a particular thing, person, place, etc.
Example: I met the fireman who s**ed my dog the other day"The fireman" refers to a specific firefighter I've met before.
The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed solution"The results" refers to the specific results mentioned above.
Example this **discusses a plan that would decrease the likelihood of cancer by **healthy choices"The likelihood of cancer" here refers to an uncountable noun that is specifically referred to.
The definite article can also be used in the following situations:
Used in front of the names of famous attractions and landmarks, in front of the names of specific rivers, oceans, mountains, etc.;
It is used in front of the name of a public institution, a well-known magazine, a newspaper, etc.;
When used to refer to an entire group, species, or generic.
Example: The Eiffel Tower is the most visited tourist attraction in the world"The Eiffel Tower" here refers to a specific place, which is a famous tourist attraction. It is important to note that not all famous attractions have articles. However, if there is an article, it must be a definite article.
Example: The Emperor Penguin is the largest species of Penguin"The Emperor Penguin" refers to a species of penguin.
a" and "an" are indefinite articles that are used before generic nouns, i.e., to indicate non-specific content.
Example: Publishing a book is the lifetime goal of my father"A book" refers to something that my father hopes to publish one day, not a specific book.
Examplean external influence includes un**oidable factors a business may encounter"An external influence" does not refer to a specific external influence, but to any one external influence.
Example in this research **an irregularity of a composite was studied the irregularity found during the experiment proved the hypothesis.When "irregularity" is first mentioned, "an" is used. However, when "irregularity" is mentioned for the second time, it is necessary to use the specific "the" to indicate something that has already been mentioned.
The article must be used before the singular countable noun, while the article does not necessarily need to be used before the plural noun. As for the use of "the", "a" or "an", it depends on whether the noun is specific or general. When and how to use which indefinite article depends on the pronunciation (not spelling) of the beginning of the word. The indefinite article 'a' appears before words that begin with consonants, while 'an' appears before words that begin with vowels.
Example: Our team came up with an idea of recruiting the participants of the experiment among the psychology students the idea was to gather information from people actually studying the relevant area.In the above example, "idea" is a singular countable noun. When we say "an idea," it means that the idea has not been mentioned, i.e., in general. When the word "the idea" is used in the next sentence, it means that it refers to the idea mentioned in the previous sentence, i.e., it refers to it.
Error he was an honest studentCorrect he was an honest studentIn the example above, the article "an" should be used because the first letter of "honest" is pronounced as a vowel, although spelled with a consonant.
Error: an url for the survey will be sent to the participants of researchCorrect a URL for the survey will be sent to the participants of researchIn the example above, the article "a" should be used because the first letter of "url" is pronounced as a consonant, although spelled with a vowel.
Uncountable nouns are either nouns that cannot be counted at all, or nouns that can be counted but are too difficult to count and are treated as singular nouns. For example, invisible liquids such as air and water, as well as innumerable quantities, such as rice and sand, are uncountable nouns. Indefinite articles ("a" and "an") are generally not used in conjunction with uncountable nouns.
Error would you like to h**e a wine?Correct would you like to h**e some wine?In the example above, "wine" is an uncountable noun, so the indefinite article should not be used.
However, certain uncountable nouns can sometimes be treated as countable nouns in colloquial language. Such nouns are usually preceded by an indefinite article.
Correct i will h**e a coffee"A coffee" means "a cup of coffee".
Be careful not to make a noise"Make a noise" is an idiom that must use an indefinite article, and it is habitual.
Just as an article can modify a noun, an article can be superimposed before the adjective that modifies a noun. In this case, the article comes first, then the adjective, and finally the noun.
Example: Developing a strong research question requires spending significant time on preliminary investigationArticles and possessive pronouns cannot be used together to modify the same noun. This is because both articles and pronouns denote referential relationships, and their use together can be confusing. Possessive pronouns are stronger than articles in the specificity of their referents. So, if you want to express something that belongs to someone, it's better to use pronouns instead of articles.
Error The boy petted the my dogCorrect The Boy petted the dogCorrect The Boy Petted My DogError A His Book might help you with your insomniaCorrect a book might help you with your insomniaCorrect his book might help you with your insomniaIn some cases, the article can be omitted. In this case, the article is actually implicit in meaning, but it does not need to be explicitly written. The article should not be used in the following cases:
Language and ethnicity.
Discipline specialization. Abstract ideas.
Articles should not be used in front of language and ethnicity.
Error I studied the korean for 2 yearsCorrect i studied korean for 2 yearsHowever, the definite article can be used in certain ethnic noun usages (e.g., Chinese, British), although the definite article is not universal to all ethnic-related usages.
Example: The French are known for living life to the fullest"The French" here refers to the entire ethnic group of a particular people, and should be preceded by a definite article.
The article is usually not used before a noun that denotes a discipline and a field of expertise, such as sports "sports".
Error the mathematics is the subject that scares many students offCorrect mathematics is the subject that scares many students offError I studied the engineering in universityCorrect i studied engineering in universityDefinite articles should not be used in front of abstract concepts, as they are not specific. The definite article is used to indicate the meaning of a specific reference. For example, "love", "creativity", and "enjoyment" are abstract concepts and should not use the definite article.
Error the calmness is my strengthCorrect calmness is my strengthError one of my weaknesses is that i lack the humorCorrect one of my weaknesses is that i lack humorWriting in English can be found everywhere, and it can be very error-prone, even for native English speakers, let alone non-English speakers like us. Fortunately, there are many useful writing tools on the market for this kind of problem, and Wordvice AI English Grammar Check Error Correction Tool is a highly regarded tool that can identify the presence of grammar in English articles. Errors in punctuation and style and tone ensure that there are no more errors in English expressions in the article.
We've listed a few examples to help you better understand how Wordvice AI English grammar checker finds errors in English articles. Check out the **before" section below to see if you can identify the problem.
If you just want to check objective issues in your writing, use the "light" slight editing mode. This mode only objectively corrects technical errors in writing such as grammar, and does not affect vocabulary or sentence-level problems.
Need to revise proofreading a little more?Then you can use the "standard" editing mode to edit the basic style, fluency of the article, and other errors. This mode can make the writing more concise without changing the meaning of the text, and is ideal for making revisions to the first draft of the article.
While Wordvice AI English grammar checker and AI essay rewriter can already check and improve objective language and style issues, you still need in-depth expert English editing services to ensure that your important documents can be revised in more detail before submission. Wordvice provides professional English editing services for all types of documents, including academic research** and study abroad application documents (English recommendation letters, English resumes, personal statement essays, etc.).