This document discusses the use of articles (a, an, the) with different types of nouns in English. It notes that:
- "A" is used with singular count nouns starting with consonant sounds to refer to any single item
- "An" is used with singular count nouns starting with vowel sounds
- The zero article (no article) is used with generic nouns, whether plural or uncountable, that describe a general class
The document provides examples for each case and an exception for when the first mention of a noun uses "a" but subsequent mentions use "the". It encourages reviewing a YouTube video before taking a related quiz.
2. 1.The word a called the indefinite ar ticle. Y ou can use it with a
singular countable noun to talk about any single per son or thing.
Use 'a' with nouns star ting with a consonant sound.
For example, consider the following sentences:
AA Singular
Singular
Count Noun
Count Noun
A per ipher al is a piece of computer
har dware that is added to a host computer .
AA Singular Count
Singular Count
Noun
Noun
A hard drive can store as much infor mation
as thousands of flobby disks.
3. AA Singular
Singular
Count Noun
Count Noun
A keyboar d is a typewriter -style keyboar d that uses
arr angement of buttons and keys.
So, fr om the above examples we can conclude by the following point:
Y ou must use the indefinite ar ticle a with singular count nouns that
ar e indefinite if the fir st sound is consonant.
Ex ception :
JA VA applets took an hour to be
downloaded.
Hour star ts with aa
Hour star ts with
vowel sound
vowel sound
Because hour starts with a vowel sound we used an instead of a.
4. 2.The wor d an is called the indefinite ar ticle. Y ou can use it with a singular
countable noun to talk about any single per son or thing.
Use 'an' with nouns starting with a vowel sound.
For example, consider the following sentences:
AA Singular
Singular
Count Noun
Count Noun
A n avatar is the 3d graphical r epr esentation of the user.
AA Singular
Singular
Count Noun
Count Noun
The main function of an assembler is to conver t the assembly
language into machine language.
5. AA Singular
Singular
Count Noun
Count Noun
To point to an item means to move the mouse
pointer so it is touching the item.
When the
indefinite noun is
mentioned 2 nd
time use the
befor e.
Exception:
Naif studies computer technical suppor t at
a university in the USA .
Univer sity star ts
Univer sity star ts
with aavowel letter
with vowel letter
but aais used
but is used
6. 3.Use the Zer o ar ticle or (Ø) with generic nouns that describe a gener al
gr oup or class either plur al or uncountable.
AA Generic
Gener ic
Plur al Noun
Plural Noun
Desktops are the background scr eens that
display icons and folders.
AA Generic
Gener ic
Plur al Noun
Plural Noun
Folders ar e dir ector ies that hold data, pr ogr ams
and other folder s.
7. Life wouldn’t be the same without computers.
Uncountable
Uncountable
Gener ic
Generic
Noun
Noun
Now befor e doing quiz.1,
please watch the YouTube video.