This document provides guidelines for using definite and indefinite articles (a/an, the) in English. It explains that "a/an" is used for non-specific, general references while "the" is used for specific or unique things. It lists many examples of when to use definite vs. indefinite articles with nouns like countries, languages, streets, vehicles, illnesses and more. The document aims to clearly define the rules for article usage in different contexts.

1. Articles

2. A / An / - The
• Something is mentioned for the first
time.
= I bought a new shirt.
• Something is mentioned for the second
time.
= The shirt is blue.
• With singular countable nouns when we
talk about them in general. After the
verb to be / have got.
= I have got a cat.
• When we speak about inventions.
=When was the telephone invented?
• When we refer to a group of
people/animals/things.
= A dolphin is a clever creature.
• When we speak about species of
animals.
= The blue whale is a sea creature.
• With uncountable and plural nouns
when talking about something in
general.
= Dolphins are clever creatures.
= Trees produce oxygen.
• When we are talking about something
specific / unique
= the sky; the moon; the Earth;
= the equator; the North Pole; the North
= The blue whale is a sea creature.
Definite – Indefinite
Articles

3. - The
• With the names of islands; mountains;
countries
= Great Britain;
= Everest; = America
• With proper nouns
= Smith; Tom
• Nationality
= I am Russian
• With the groups of islands; mountain
ranges; countries when they include
words: state, kingdom, republic, etc.
= the British Isles; = the
Urals;
• With names of family
= the Smiths; the Browns
• Organizations = the UN
• Nationality as a whole group
= the Americans
• With the names of languages:
= I speak French.
• With the names of languages when
they are followed by the word
“language”:
= The French language is
spoken in some parts of Canada.
Zero/Definite Articles

4. - The
• With titles
= Queen Elizabeth;
= King Arthur
• With titles when the name is not
mentioned
= the Queen;
= the Prime Minister
• With names of lakes
= Lake Baikal
(but: = the Baikal Lake)
• With the names of oceans, seas, rivers,
deserts
= the Indian Ocean;
= the Black Sea;
= the Volga;
= the Sahara
Zero/Definite Articles

5. - The
• Continents = North America;
• Countries = France; Russia;
• Cities = Moscow; Paris;
• Streets = Oxford Street
• Parks = Hide Park
• Squares = Red Square
• Railway stations
= Victoria Station
• Bridges = Tower Bridge
• Countries
= the RF; the UK; the USA
= the Netherlands; the Sudan;
the Vatican City
• Streets
= the High Street; the Strand;
the Mall; the A19
• With the location of places
= the north of England
• Bridges
= the Bridge of Sighs
Zero/Definite Articles

6. - The
• With two-word names when the first
word is the name of a person or place…
= Heathrow Airport;
Buckingham Palace;
(but: = the White House)
• With names of pubs, shops, banks and
hotels named after the people who
started them and end in –s or –’s :
= Harrods; Lloyds Bank;
Emma’s pub;
(but: = the Black Bull pub)
With the names of …
•Hotels:
= the Sheraton Hotel;
•Theatres / Cinemas:
= the Odeon Theatre;
•Ships:
= the Queen Mary;
•Museums:
= the Louvre; the Eiffel Tower
•Newspapers / magazines:
= the Times
(but: Times magazine)
Zero/Definite Articles

7. - The
• With the words school, church, bed,
hospital, college, university, court,
prison or home, work when we refer to
the purpose for which they exist.
= Jack was in prison.
(He was a prisoner.)
= She is at work.
but:
= His mother went to the
prison to see him.
(She went to the prison as a visitor.)
• With the words station, shop, cinema,
pub, library, city, village, etc. …
= She went to the hotel.
Zero/Definite Articles

8. - The
• With the words this / that / these / those:
= this bag; those cars
• With adjectives / adverbs in the
superlative form.
= She is the most intelligent
woman I’ve ever met.
• With possessive adjectives or the
possessive case:
= That isn’t my car.
= It’s Kate’s car.
• With the possessive case:
= The boy’s car is blue.
• With the words home / father / mother
when we talk about our own
home/parents.
= Father is at home.
• With the words only, last, first (used as
adjectives).
= He was the last person to
arrive.
Zero/Definite Articles

9. - The
• With the names of days, months:
= Saturday; November
• With the names of celebrations:
= New Year; Easter
• With historical periods / events.
= the Stone Age;
the Middle Ages;
= the First World War
But:
= World War I
• With the word night / noon / midnight / :
= at night;
at noon; at midnight;
= at 4 o’clock;
= by day/ by night
• With the words morning / afternoon /
evening :
= in the morning;
= in the evening;
= in the afternoon
Zero/Definite Articles

10. - The
• With the names of sports, games,
activities:
= play football
• With the names of musical instruments
and dances:
= the piano;
= the violin;
= the tango
• With means of transport: by bus / by
plane / by train / etc.
= She travelled by plane.
• With means of transport after
prepositions in / on
= on the bus; on the plain;
on the train; etc.
= in the car; in the taxi; in the
helicopter.
= She left on the 8 o’clock
bus.
Zero/Definite Articles

11. - The
• With the names of illnesses:
= He’s got malaria.
• With the names of illnesses:
= flu / the flu;
= measles / the measles;
= mumps / the mumps
• With the names of drinks, meals:
= have breakfast;
a cup of coffee
• With colours:
My favourite colour is red.
Zero/Definite Articles