PROBLEMS WITH ARTICLES

Articles are very difficult to learn because there are many rules, many exceptions, and many special cases. It is possible, however, to learn a few rules that will help you to use articles correctly much of the time.

Nouns in English can be either countable or uncountable. If a noun is countable, it must be either singular or plural. In addition to these general types of nouns, there are two types of articles: definite (specific) and indefinite (general).

Article Usage with Noun Types

• INDEFINITE (General)
  • Countable Singular: a dollar, an apple
  • Countable Plural: _______ dollars, _______ apples
  • Uncountable: _______ money, _______ juice
• DEFINITE (Specific)
  • Countable Singular: the dollar, the apple
  • Countable Plural: the dollars, the apples
  • Uncountable: the money, the juice