English Grammar Drills - Mark Lester 2009
Indefinite articles
3 Articles
Part 1 Noun Phrases
English has two indefinite articles, a/an, which is used with singular nouns, and some, which is used with plural nouns and with noncount nouns.
The indefinite articles a/an and some are used in two situations:
1. When the speaker does not have a specific noun in mind
2. When the speaker does have a specific noun in mind, but knows that the listener does not know which noun it is
Here are some examples of the first situation:
Do you have a minute?
In this example, the speaker does not have any exact minute in mind.
When you travel a lot by air, you have to expect some delayed flights.
In this example, the speaker is talking hypothetically. The speaker has no specific delays in mind.
More often, however, the speaker has something or someone in mind, but knows that the listener does not share the speaker’s knowledge. The use of the indefinite article indicates that the speaker does not expect the listener to know which particular thing the speaker is thinking of. Here are some examples:
I would like you to come over this evening and meet a friend of mine.
The use of the indefinite article a signals the listener that the speaker knows that the friend of the speaker is a stranger to the listener. Compare the above sentence with the following:
I would like you to come over and meet the friend I was telling you about.
The use of the definite article establishes that the listener already knows which friend the speaker is talking about.
Here is a second example, this time with some used with a plural count noun:
I have some questions for you.
The use of some signals that the listener is not expected to know in advance what the questions are.
Here is a third example, this time with some used with a singular, noncount noun:
I think that there will be some opposition to the new offer.
The use of some with the noncount noun opposition signals that the speaker anticipates opposition. The exact nature of that opposition, however, is not shared knowledge between the speaker and hearer.
The indefinite articles a has a second form, an, that is used before vowel sounds. For example, we say a banana but an apple. The rule governing the use of an pertains to vowel pronunciation, not vowel spelling. For example, the following words use a where the spelling would seem to require an because the pronunciation of the nouns actually begins with a /y/ consonant sound:
a unicorn
a uniform
a unit
a usage
Both a and an are normally unstressed. Unstressed a is pronounced /E/, rhyming with duh. Unstressed an is pronounced /En/, rhyming with bun. (When we talk about a and an in isolation, we stress them so that they have quite different pronunciations. Stressed a is pronounced /ey/, rhyming with day, and stressed an is pronounced /An/, rhyming with can. Don’t confuse these stressed pronunciations with the normal unstressed pronunciations in sentences.)
The reason for the two forms a and an is historical. Both a and an come from the word one. Over the years, the pronunciation of one used as a noun modifier (as opposed to the use of one as a number) became contracted: the n in one was preserved before words beginning with vowels and lost before words beginning with a consonant sound. As a result, today we have the two forms of the indefinite article: a before consonant sounds and an before vowel sounds.
The origin of the indefinite article from the number one also deeply affects the way it is used in modern English. Since a and an both come from the word one, like the number one, a/an is inherently singular. Thus we cannot use a/an to modify plural nouns: X a books, X an oranges.
Since the indefinite article a/an is restricted to modifying singular count nouns, what do we use for plural nouns and noncount nouns? The answer, of course, is some. Here are some examples first with plural count nouns and then with noncount nouns, which are inherently singular:
Plural count nouns
I would like some apples, please.
There are some umbrellas in the stand over there.
I’ve made some sandwiches for you to take.
I need to buy some stamps.
I need to write up some notes after today’s meeting.
Noncount nouns (always singular)
I’m afraid that there has been some confusion about your order.
Please bring me some water.
There is some question about his visa.
We will get some information to you about that as soon as we can.
Would you like some soup?
Exercise 3.6
Fill in the blanks with the indefinite articles a, an, or some as appropriate.
Would you turn a light on?
1. We need to order ... more supplies.
2. My mother is going to the hospital tomorrow for ... operation.
3. Darn, I have ... rock in my shoe.
4. There is still ... coffee left if you want it.
5. I’ll get ... cup for you.
6. Somebody left ... trash on our front lawn.
7. Please pick up ... bananas on your way home.
8 It is ... unexpected answer.
9. I spilled ... milk on the counter.
10. It began as ... day like any other day.
11. It was ... unusual request.
12. Apparently her proposal came as ... complete surprise to the board.
13. It was ... offer he couldn’t refuse.
14. We found the apartment through ... ad in the newspaper.
15. I’ve got to get ... envelopes before I can mail these letters.
Making generalizations without any articles
We expect common nouns to be modified by some kind of article or other pre-adjective modifier. There is one important exception: using plural nouns or noncount nouns without any article or other pre-adjective modifier to signal that we are making a generalization or general statement about the noun. For example, compare the difference in meaning between the two following sentences:
Birds start migrating north early in the spring.
Some birds have nested in our oak trees.
The absence of any pre-noun modifier with the plural noun birds in the first sentence signals that the speaker is making a general statement about all birds, not any particular group of birds. The presence of the indefinite article some in the second sentence signals that the speaker is talking only about one particular group of birds, namely the birds that have nested in the speaker’s oak trees.
Here is a second pair of examples, this time using the noun airplanes:
Airplanes have totally changed the way we travel.
The airplanes that you see were all made by Boeing.
The absence of any article in the first sentence tells us that the noun is being used to make a generalization about the nature of airplanes. The use of the article in the second sentence tells us that we are talking about specific airplanes and not making a generalization about all airplanes.
Sometimes it is difficult to tell whether plural count nouns or noncount nouns are being used to make a generalization. There are two clues in the nature of the sentence that help identify when a sentence is making a generalization: the use of present tense forms and adverbs of frequency.
1. Generalities use present tense forms. Sentences that make generalizations are usually in a present tense form, either the simple present, the present progressive, or the present perfect. In the following examples, the noun being used to make a generalization is underlined and the present tense verb is in italics:
Present: Airports seem impossibly crowded these days.
Present progressive: Airports are getting more crowded every day.
Present perfect: Airports have become way too crowded.
Here is an example with a noncount noun:
Present: Flying is more difficult every day.
Present progressive: Flying is getting more difficult every day.
Present perfect: Flying has become more difficult every day.
2. Generalizations use adverbs of frequency. Sentences that make generalizations often contain adverbs of frequency such as always, often, generally, frequently, and usually or the negative adverb never. In the following sentences, the count noun being used to make a generalization is underlined and the adverb of frequency is in italics:
Rain storms always come in from the south.
Sweet apples never make very good pies.
Dogs are usually protective of their territory.
American television programs often use laugh tracks.
Here are some examples with noncount nouns:
Conflict always has the potential to get out of hand.
Wood is usually more expensive than plastic.
Miscommunication frequently results in misunderstanding.
Sunshine generally gets rid of moldy patches.
Exercise 3.7
Use the appropriate article in the blank spaces in the following sentences. If the sentence is making a generalization, put 0 in the blank space to show that no article is used.
— olives are usually too salty for me.
1. ... Western movies have horse chases rather than car chases.
2. All too often, ... politicians just tell people what they want to hear.
3. We are waiting until we get back all ... replies to our request.
4. We only order ... supplies when we run out.
5. ... trucks are never allowed in the left lane.
6. We are required to have 1,000 units of ... blood on hand at all times.
7. ... highways are free of ice, but I am worried about bridges being slippery.
8. ... bridges are inspected by ... independent state agency.
9. In ... park, ... trees are beginning to turn green.
10. ... trees play ... major role in controlling ... excess carbon dioxide.
11. We must get ... permission slips before every school outing.
12. At this time of year, ... snow can cause delays.
13. I can’t stand wearing ... shoes without ... socks.
14. In ... hotel’s formal dining room, ... jackets and ... ties are required.
15. When I travel overseas, ... sleep becomes ... big problem for me.
Exercise 3.8
Fill in the blanks in the following paragraph with the appropriate article. Use — if no article is used because a plural count noun or noncount noun is being used to make a generalization.
— travel by ... air has become everyone’s favorite topic to complain about. We all have heard ... stories about ... passengers being stuck for hours on ... runways and ... stories about ... endless lines at ... ticket counters. These are all true. ... problem is that none of us is willing to pay what it would cost to fix ... problems. None of us wants to pay ... penny more than we have to. When ... airlines try to raise ... prices to improve their services, we all go to ... airlines that have not raised their prices. When ... airports try to get approval to raise ... taxes to pay for ... airport improvements, we vote ... bond issues down.
We have now covered the major uses of articles with common nouns. We can summarize the use of the indefinite articles in the following table:
Indefinite articles
Remember that the choice of not using an article to signal that a plural count noun or a noncount noun is being using to make a generalization is just as much a choice as using a or the.
Exercise 3.9
Use the appropriate article in the blank spaces in the following sentences. If the sentence makes a generalization, put — in the blank space to show that no article is used.
Could you answer the phone?
1. There’s ... program on TV tonight that I would like to watch.
2. Did we ever get ... answer from the Smiths?
3. ... train from Chicago is just pulling into ... station.
4. Can you get ... bread and milk when you go shopping?
5. ... reception on my cell phone is not very good.
6. ... weather forecast is for ... big storm over ... weekend.
7. ... storm that hit us caused ... huge power failure all along ... East Coast.
8. I always enjoy reading ... comics in ... Sunday paper.
9. In Italy, ... wine is taxed as ... food.
10. Robert is ... last person to know what’s going on.
11. We are planning to go on ... hike this weekend.
12. She raised ... really good issues in class today.
13. I have ... problem that I need to discuss with you.
14. ... restrooms at ... train station are always dirty.
15. Whenever we go to ... movies, we always get ... big bag of popcorn.
16. Everyone has to have ... insurance.
17. I’ve just had ... idea.
18. There was ... fire at ... old Brown place last night.
19. Can I get ... information from you?
20. Bad news travels around ... world before good news gets its shoes on.
21. Susan lost ... baby tooth today.
22. I have ... information that ... group will be interested in.
23. ... newspapers all across ... country are losing ... readers.
24. I never get ... clear answer from ... personnel department.
25. We got ... real shock when ... contractor gave us ... final bill.