CLASS 12 - UNIT 8LANGUAGE FOCUS

Instructor: Nguyễn Ngọc Vũ, Ph.DStudents: Tạ Thị Thu Hà

Hồ Thị Xuân VươngClass: 3B

ARTICLES

CONTENT

1 DefinitionDefinition

2 Indefinite ArticlesIndefinite Articles

3 Definite ArticleDefinite Article

4 Zero ArticleZero Article

5 PracticePractice

I. DEFINITIION OF ARTICLES

• An article (abbreviated art) is a member of a small class of determiners that comes in front of a noun to indicate the type of reference being made by the noun.

• Articles specify the grammatical definiteness of the noun, in some languages extending to volume or numerical scope.

DEFINITION

II. INDEFINITE ARTICLES:“A / AN”

Examples:A car

A flowerA television

...

Before the words that begin with a consonant sound

Examples:A university

A yatch...

Some words which start witha vowel letter but beginwith a consonant sound

INDEFINITE ARTICLE: A

Before words with a vowel sound

Before words with a vowel sound

Before words with a silent letter h

Before words with a silent letter h

ANEx: an eye, an umbrella...

Ex: an MP, an SOS...

INDEFINITE ARTICLE: AN

USAGE OF INDEFINITE ARTICLES

Used before singular countable nouns referring to sb or sth that have not already been mentioned.

1

Used when we talk about things

in general ( meaning

“any”or “every”)

Ex: A baby deer can stand as soon as it is

born.

2

Used to say what a person’s job is,

was or will be.

Ex: She want to become a doctor.

3

USAGE OF INDEFINITE ARTICLES

Used in front of two nouns that are seen as a single unit.

4

Used before sb’s name to show that the speaker does not know the person.Ex: There’s a Mrs Green to see you.

5

Ex: a knife and fork

USAGE OF INDEFINITE ARTICLES

Used with determined quantity idiom

Ex: a lot of, a great deal of, a couple, a dozen…

6

Used in front of proper nouns for members of a family.Ex: He’s a Forstyle.(= a member of the Forstyle family)

8

Used with numbers or fractionEx: a hundred, a thousand, a third…

7

III. DEFINITE ARTICLE: “THE”

DEFINITE ARTICLE: THE

1

Used before nouns which were mentioned.

Ex: A boy and a girl were sitting on a bench. The boy was smiling but the girl looked angry.

2

Used before nouns which are definited by the situation.

Ex: Please take there letter to the post office.

DEFINITE ARTICLE: THE

3

Used to say or explain person or thing you mean.

Ex: You are the third person ask me.

4

Used when a noun before a phrase limiting the meaning of it.

Ex: the center of the city;…

DEFINITE ARTICLE: THE

5

Used with adj to build a collective noun.

Ex: the rich, the poor,…

6

Used with adj to build an abstract noun.

Ex: the beautiful (= beauty)

DEFINITE ARTICLE: THE

8

Used when we know that there is only one of a particular thing.

Ex: the sun, the world, the travel industry…

7

Used to refer a whole family or a married couple.

Ex: Don’t forget to invite the Jordans.

DEFINITE ARTICLE: THE

9

Used to refer to them in a general way.

Ex: the weather, the sky, the wind…

10

Used to say that sb or sth is unique.

Ex: Sydney is the capital city of New South Wales.

.

DEFINITE ARTICLE: THE

11

Used to give a person’s job title, or their unique position.

Ex: Dr Simons has taken on the position of Head of Department.

12

Used before a superlative adj followed by a noun or defining phrase.

Ex: the biggest, the greatest…

WITH “THE” WITHOUT “THE”Ø Before names of oceans, rivers, beachs, lakes, bays (The Red Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, the Persian Gufl, the Great Lakes)Ø Before names of mountains (The Rocky Mountains)Ø Before unique objects (The earth, the moon)Ø The schools, colleges, universities + of + proper names(The University of Florida)Ø The + first, second, third…+ noun (The third chapter)Ø Before names of countries that has two words (except  Great Britain) (The United States)Ø Before islands (The Philipines, The Virgin Islands, The Hawaii)Ø Before historic events (The Magna Carta)Ø Before ethnic minority (the Indians)Ø Before specific subjects (The Solid matter Physics)Ø Before musical instruments ( the violin, the piano)

Ø Before planets or stars (Venus, Mars)Ø Noun + number (Chapter three)Ø Before countries starting with New, directions ( North, South..) and countries with one word (New Zealand, North Korean, France)Ø Before continent, states, cities, wards, districs (Europe, Florida)Ø Before sprorts (baseball, basketball)Ø Before abstract nouns (freedom, happiness)Ø Before general subjects (mathematics)Ø Before names of holiday, new year (Christmas, Thanhsgiving)Ø Before kinds of music (Jazz, Rock, classical music..) 

IV. ZERO ARTICLE

ZERO ARTICLEBefore countable nouns Before

uncountable nounSingular Plural

When singular countable noun is used to address someone.Ex: What's the matter, Doctor?

When plural countable noun represents all individuals belonging to a class.Ex: Tigers are big and dangerous animals. Apples have cellulose in.

Before abstract nouns such as: beauty, truth, love, happiness…Ex: Love is often unrequited. Truth is often hard to say.

Before countable nouns Before uncountable nounSingular Plural

When plural countable noun denotes a number of indefinite examples.Ex: There are people in the hall. Pupils often try to cheat during tests.

Before the names of materials such as: wood. glass, steel, stone, metal plastic, gold…Ex: This table is made of wood. This bracelet is made of gold. This chair is made of plastic.

ZERO ARTICLE

Before countable nouns Before uncountable noun

Singular Plural

When plural countable noun occurs after “be” or “become”.Ex: The Browns are engineers. Mr. Jones' sons became actors.

ZERO ARTICLE

V. PRACTICE

1. There were many dogs in the park. One dog was

_____ Dalmatian.

2. Pandas and _____ tigers are both endangered

animals.

3. She is wearing _____ blue dress with red earrings

4. Hawaii is _____ island in the Pacific Ocean.

5. Christmas comes once _____year.

6. There’s _____ fly in my lemonade.

Fill in the gaps with a, an or Ø

EXERCISE 1

a

Ø

a

an

a

a

7. The Nile is _____ river.

8. I went to the shop to get _____ bread.

9. He broke _____ glass when he was washing dishes.

10.You should take _____ umbrella.

11. I like _____ peace and quiet.

12.We are looking for people with _____ experience.

13. _____ ant is _____ insect.

14. _____ sharks are _____ fish.

EXERCISE 1

An an

an

Ø

a

a

Ø

Ø

Ø Ø

Fill in the gaps with a, an or Ø

1. I like _____ blue T-shirt over there better than _____

red one.

2. Their car does 150 miles _____ hour.

3. Where's _____ USB drive I lent you last week?

4. Do you still live in _____ Bristol?

5. Is your mother working in _____ old office building?

6. Carol's father works as _____ electrician.

7. The tomatoes are 99 pence _____ kilo.

EXERCISE 2

the the

an

the

an

an

a

Ø

Fill in the gaps with a, an, the or Ø

8. What do you usually have for____ breakfast?

9. Ben has _____ terrible headache.

10.After this tour you have _____ whole afternoon free

to explore _____ city.

11. Close _____ door, please!

12.Will you come to _____ club _____ next Sunday?

13.Tom was made _____ captain of _____ team.

14. I always play _____ badminton in _____ morning.

EXERCISE 2Fill in the gaps with a, an, the or Ø

Ø

the

a

the

the

the the

the

theØ

Ø

1. I love living in __________ city.  A. Ø  B. a C. the

2. Generally speaking, __________ boys are physically stronger than _________ girls. A. a / a B. Ø / Ø  C. the / the

3. Bill enjoys reading __________ mystery novels. A. a B. the C. Ø

EXERCISE 3Choose the correct answers.

4. __________ girl that I told you about is standing over there.  A. A B. The C. Ø

5. Where did you go last night? We went to __________ restaurant that you recommended.  A. the B. a C. Ø

6. He is __________ really good person.  A. the B. a C. Ø

EXERCISE 3Choose the correct answers.

• Review articles.• Do exercise 2 in the textbook page 92.• Do the exercise in the handout.

HOMEWORK

HOMEWORK IN HANDOUT

PARAGRAPH 1

I have horse of my own. I call her Pretty Girl. She is

intelligent animal, but she is not thoroughbred horse. I

could never enter her in race, even if I wanted to. But I do

not want to. She is companion, for my own pleasure. I took

her swimming day or two ago.

Write the following paragraphs, inserting articles a, an, and the where needed.

HOMEWORK IN HANDOUTPARAGRAPH 2

Horse knows when he is going to race. How does he know? His

breakfast was scanty. (He is angry about that.) He does not have

saddle on his back. He is being led, not ridden, to grandstand. He is

led under grandstand into unusual, special stall. Horse is nervous.

Sometimes he does not know what to do when starting gate flies

open and track is before him. If he does not begin to run instantly,

other horses are already ahead of him. During race, when he sees

another horse just ahead of him, he will try to pass him. Sometimes

jockey holds him back to save his energy for last stretch. Eventually

horse gets to run as fast as he can.