Articles Flowchart: A Visual Guide to Using Articles
1. Articles Flowchart
What kind of article should you use in each case? Write an example for each.
…the first 9me you are
men9oning it?
…describing a person
(including their job) or
a thing?
No: .
…clear which one you
mean?
Yes: .
…a superla9ve?
Use a/an 4
…the only one that
Singular: is it… exists?
Use the 8
~80% of the
…a musical instrument? 9me: .
…a sport or game?
Use no ar*cle 8
With some nouns
(home, school, work)
Countable: is it singular
or plural?
…aJer at, to or from?
With all other nouns,
follow the normal
singular/plural rules
…aJer there is?
…countable or
uncountable?
General: .
Plural: is it general or
specific?
Specific: .
General: .
Uncountable: is it
general or specific?
Specific: .
…a person’s name?
…breakfast, lunch,
Find a noun: is it… dinner?
…a day, a month, a
season, a holiday (like
Christmas)?
…a 9me?
…morning, aJernoon,
evening?
AJer ‘in’: .
…night?
AJer ‘at’: .
Look at the other
…a place? chart!
Created by Sandy Millin http://sandymillin.wordpress.com
2. Articles Flowchart
What kind of article should you use in each case? Write an example for each.
Arc9c, Antarc9c
Con9nents
Others
One word names
UK, USA
With poli9cal
Use the 10 Countries descrip9ons (i.e. full
names)
With plurals
Use no ar*cle 9
With north, south,
east, west
Ci9es, towns, villages
Most roads
Roads
Roads with numbers
Places and their
and leers (e.g. M6,
names A12)
Single islands
Islands
Groups of islands
Single mountains
Mountains
Mountain ranges
Lakes (Usually) .
Water
Other water
Deserts
Talk about what the
place is used for (e.g.
He went to bed. [to
sleep])
Other places
Talk about the place
itself
Created by Sandy Millin http://sandymillin.wordpress.com