Indefinite article, zero article

INDEFINITE ARTICLE

An article is a word that is put next to a noun to indicate the type of reference being made by the noun.

FORM:

It is used before a word beginning with a consonant or a vowel which sounds like consonant:

* a book, a table, a chair, a lamp
* a university, a user (u sound like "yoo", begins with “y”), a yeti

If the noun is modified by an adjective, the choice between a and an depends OD the initial sound of the adjective that immediately follows the article:

* a broken egg, an unusual problem, a European country (sounds like 'y-er-o-pi-an', i.e. begins with consonant 'y' sound)

MEANING:

There two ways of using indefinite article:

1. numerically, to indicate "one" as opposed to two, three, four, etc.

* I bought a kilo sugar. (which means: one kilo)
* She drinks a glass of milk each morning. (which means: one glass)
* I have bought a newspaper. (which means: one newspaper)

2. generally, when it doesn't indicate a number of objects but rather a general idea:

* A lion is an African animal.
* A plane is convenient means of transport.

This distinction is important when we want to change the sentence into the plural.

When the article with numerical meaning is used. we have to change it into "some, several, a few" etc.

For example:

* I bought a few (several/some) kilos of sugar.

ELLIPSIS OF THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE

Ellipsis - means that the indefinite article a/an can be omitted in such expressions where the objects we refer to are normally associated with each other:

* knife and (a) fork
* cup and (a) saucer
* blackboard and (a) chalk

THE ZERO ARTICLE

Sometimes we may omit the indefinite article. The absence of the article occurs in many contexts, such as:

1. Before a singular countable noun which we use to address someone:

* What's the matter, Doctor?
* Could you stand up, Lady?
* Don't worry, Father, everything will be OK.

2. Before plural countable nouns:

a) when plural countable noun represents all individuals belonging to a class:

* Tigers are big and dangerous animals.
* Apples have cellulose in.
* Doctors have to like meeting people.

b) when a plural countable noun denotes a number of indefinite examples:

* There are people in the hall.
* Pupils often try to cheat during tests.

c) when plural countable noun occurs after be or become:

* The Browns are engineers.
* Mr Jones' sons became actors.

3. Before uncountable nouns:

a) Before abstract nouns such as: beauty, truth, love, happiness:

* Love is often unrequited.
* Truth is often hard to say.

b) before the names of materials such as: wood. glass, steel, stone, metal plastic, gold
etc.:

* This table is made of wood.
* This bracelet is made of gold.
* This chair is made of plastic.

However, some names of materials may be preceded by indefinite article and thus they become countable nouns:

* wood = small forest
* glass = a mirror
* plastic = credit card

c) before uncountable nouns such as: money, milk, water etc. (they may be preceded by such phrases as:

some, a lot of many etc.):

* Human needs water to survive.
* I need (some) money. Could you lend me a few pounds?
* One should drink (a lot of) milk.

4. In exclamations which consist of plural countable nouns:

* What dirt!
* What flowers!
* What clouds!

Exceptions: What a waste! What a pity!

5. Before "few" and "little" - then it indicates negative meaning, that is scarcity or lack of
something:

* The foreigner spoke little English, so we couldn't communicate.
* She has few friends. (almost no friends)
* There is little sugar left. (almost no sugar)

6. When a singular countable noun is used after be/become and indicates a unique
profession:

* Cardinal Ratzinger became Pope.
* George W. Bush is President of The U.S.

7. When a noun occurs after "turn":

* He turned musician and made a great career,
* Benedict Arnold turned traitor when he joined British during the Civil War.

8. When a noun refers to an institution which is considered to be only one of its kind:

* When does school end?
* When Parliament is to begin its session?

9. Before two (or more) nouns when they refer to a human couple or pair of inanimate
objects:

* Father and mother are watching TV.
* I was studying day and night to pass the exam.

10. Notes, signs, newspaper headlines, telegrams (lack of space etc.)

* Road closed.
* President to visit Poland.
* Earthquake in China.

USE

We use the indefinite article "a/an" in many different contexts and I will try to explain briefly the most important cases.

1. Before a singular countable noun:

* I saw an apple tree.
* She has a ticket.
* Can you see a mountain?

2. When we mention a singular countable noun for the first time: When we refer to it later, we use definite article.

* I have bought a car. The car I bought is very safe.
* She has a cat. The cat of hers is black.
* Yesterday I met a friend.

3. When a singular countable noun represents the whole category of things:

* A tiger is a dangerous animal (which means: any individual tiger)
* A spider has eight legs. (any spider)
* A doctor has to like meeting people. (any doctor)

4. When a singular countable noun is used as a complement of "be" or "become":

* William Shakespeare was a writer.
* Jan Sebastian Bach was a great composer.
* Isaac Newton became a great scientist.

5. In exclamations before singular countable nouns:

* What a nice day!
* What a wondefful uorld!
* what a charming moman!

6. Before "few" (used with countable nouns) and "little" (with uncountable nouns) which mean a small number or amount of sth. They have positive meaning.

* A foreign man spoke a little English, so we were able to communicate. (some words of English).
* I have a few ideas about that. (several ideas)
* She has a little fortune. (some money)

7. In expressions concerning price, speed, time etc.:

* two pounds a dozen
* two hundred kilometers an hour
* twenty pounds a week

8. Before "Mr." or "Mrs." and a surname:

* a Mr. Brown

and it indicates that a man called Brown is a stranger to the speaker.

9. Before a proper noun to mean someone who has characteristic features of the person named:

* He was an Einstein of his time (his achievements were of comparable scale with Einstein's)
* John will never become a Picasso. (he can't paint so well)

10. Before certain numerical expressions, such as:

* a dozen, a thousand, a hundred, a million

to indicate "one" and before such expressions as:

* a lot of, a great deal, a big amount of sth, a huge income etc.

11. Before an uncountable noun which is qualified by an adjective:

* He has a great command of Spanish.
* She hasn't got a strong character. She can be easily deceived.

12. Before a comparative form of an adjective which is followed by a noun:

* I've got a better work to do.
* This is a more interesting book.
* This is a more tasteful apple.

13. Before an superlative adjective followed bv a noun (it is named 'absolute superlative). In such

case the word "most" means "very, extremely":

* He is a most intelligent boy. (very intelligent)
* Professor Goldman gave a most interesting lecture. (very interesting)