Students of English, faced with difficulties in mastering articles, always complain: why are they needed if they are not translated and do not affect the semantics of the word they refer to.
There are no articles in Russian because we have many ways to express definiteness/indeterminacy.
English articles play a very important clarifying role in nouns. Thus, it becomes clear to the listener or reader that the meaning of the sentence contains additional information about the subject of speech - something is known or unknown.
There are only three articles in English (a, an and the) - it would seem that there are only three - however, there are many difficulties in distinguishing them.
A clue to the concept of their difference is the very differentiation of articles into definite (only one article The) and indefinite (a, an).
Definite article
The very name of this exceptional grammatical phenomenon speaks for itself - it comes from the verb “to determine” meaning to lead to clarity, to establish the essence of the phenomenon.
Indeed, such an article indicates a specific object, phenomenon, makes it clear that information about them is known and is not questioned.
The history of the definite article is very simple.
Previously, the was semantically equivalent to demonstrative pronouns in the singular. As a result of phonetic changes in the composition of the word, separate pronouns this and that appeared, which completely took over.
Read more about the article The in English: Why then did the article the remain if pronouns “spun off” from it?
It turns out that in modern English it also has a demonstrative function, with a visible additional clarification.
In other words, in writing and speech, it is enough to simply use the where the speaker (writer) wants to deliberately emphasize the subject of his statement. Usually the meaning is subconsciously taken - “exactly this (this, this).”
Indefinite article
Indefinite articles are a completely different matter. Such articles also have an ancient origin, namely, they go back to the numeral one (one).
That is why it is easy to remember its use - before singular nouns. However, it should be remembered that the articles a or an are not equivalent in meaning to the word one.
On the contrary, they create some confusion in perception: for example, we don’t have anything specific, for example, when we hear a noun with the article a table.
In general, indefinite articles are used when talking about something general - about any group of objects from a number of similar ones. Again, nothing concrete or definite.
What is the difference between the indefinite article varieties A and An?
Even schoolchildren quickly and easily remember one single difference in the distinction between a and an. The indefinite article a is placed before nouns beginning with a consonant, and the article an, on the contrary, before nouns beginning with a vowel.
Compare: a box – an orange.
Rules for using articles in English
Indefinite article
It was mentioned above that indefinite articles refer exclusively to nouns. Yes, this is true, but they are also often found before adjectives.
Consider this example:
- A skirt– a skirt (just a skirt among a number of similar objects in function),
- A short skirt– short skirt (some kind of short skirt).
There is also an interesting case of use when a noun acts as a representative of a group of names of objects, phenomena, and realities of the surrounding world. So the article acquires a new meaning - “any”, close to any, every, etc.
For example: A carpet will be suitable for this table (any carpet will suit this table) or A woman wants to be married (every woman wants to get married).
However, such semantic use is most often found in phraseological units and idioms.
Also, indefinite articles act as exponents of the category of singularity. For example: Would you like a cup of tea? (That is, would you like a cup of tea? (not two, not three, but exactly one)).
Often articles, as an indicator of singularity, go beyond the scope of common usage and become firmly frozen in stable combinations, which, in turn, are quite widespread in the language
For example: to have a rest (rest), As a rule (as a rule)
The use of indefinite articles in such similar combinations as a year, a week is also quickly remembered. For example: I play tennis with my friends once a week.
Indefinite articles are used in speech when talking about something for the first time. For example: My father bring a little toy from the supermarket. The toy became the most favorite toy in my life.
Definite article
The is used most often when we want to talk about something as an outstanding phenomenon (object)
For example: the Baikal is the dippest lake on Earth - Baikal is the deepest lake in the world (here and in other similar cases the emphasis is placed on the fact that the exclusivity of the presented reality is beyond doubt; as a consequence, in sentences of this structure a compound nominal predicate is used, expressed by an adjective superlative).
The definite article concretizes the indefinite article: this is possible when, during a chain connection in the text, the first sentence spoke about something indefinite (the reality was introduced for the first time), and in the second sentence it is already known, and the reader draws attention to it with the help of the definite article .
For example: My father bring a little toy from the supermarket. The toy became the most favorite toy in my life.
REMEMBER the words that must be preceded by the: whole, all, same.
For example:
- at the same time - at the same time
- The whole life
The is the main attribute for ordinal numbers. For example: the first (first), the second (second). Also before nouns denoting the place where the action is taking place: the cinema.
In what cases are articles not needed, or the rule for using the zero article?
The indefinite article is inappropriate when it comes to:
- about objects (phenomena) in the plural. For example: We are teenagers
- about uncountable nouns. For example: Butter is very useful for our stomach.
There is no place for the article the in a sentence when we are talking about proper names consisting of one word. For example: England. But! If the proper consists of two or more words, then the article is appropriate: The United States of America.
According to words related to the semantics of food intake: For example: for breakfast (for breakfast)
- about the names of languages. For example: Russian, Turkih.
Exercises on articles in English with answers
Now, in order to master the use of articles, let’s practice the exercises.
Tip: When doing a grammar exercise on distinguishing and using articles, always keep the cases before your eyes.
First, let's do an easy task:
- Choose the correct indefinite article for the words:
(1)___cat, (2)___pencil, (3) ___ engeneer, (4)___small, (5)___knife, (6)____ oak, (7)___bridge.
In what case did you not put an article at all? Why?
In the version of the task numbered “4” the article is not used at all, since the given name is an adjective that does not have a noun. The article must still refer to the noun.
- Put the articles a (an), the or the zero article correctly:
He came into (1)____ room to shut the window while we were still in bed.
I have got (2)___headache.
You will be (3)___ first man in my life.
Give me please (4)___coffee.
(5)____Water is (6)___ necessary thing in the world
Rudolf Steiner, (7)___ young piano salesman, was (8)__ true adventure.
When he was walking along (9)___ street his attention was attracted by (10)____ Negro. (11)___Negro was straight and handsome.
“(12)__Old man and (13) ___ Sea” — is a story, which was written by E. Hemingway.
Give me (14)___ apple, please.
I was deeply impressed by everything I saw on (15) ___ stage
We will come to (16)___ cinema on (17)___ Saturday
Tanya speak (18)___French fluently
Explain in what cases(s) did you use the zero article? Why?
In case No. 5, the word water is an uncountable noun, in case No. 17 a fixed expression is given (the use of articles to characterize events associated with the days of the week), in case No. 18 French is the name of the language.
In all of the above cases, articles are not used.
Tips for learning articles:
- Even if you are quite literate in the field of English, you are still not immune to the incorrect use of articles. Therefore, even if you are well-versed, many tasks can be designed taking into account various “pitfalls” that will confuse you and lead you to the wrong answer.
Experts advise to always have small cheat sheets with you. Make yourself such a help yourself. You will kill two birds with one stone by once again running through your consciousness the existing material about articles, and you will also have a hint.
- It is also very useful for beginners to write cheat sheets, reviewing the material independently or with a specialist tutor.
It is impossible to boast of knowledge of English grammar without knowing seemingly insignificant but important details, for example, articles. One of the most insidious and treacherous of them is the definite article “the”. When communicating with a native speaker, it is very easy to get burned by using it inappropriately, or vice versa, by missing it. Knowing the following 10 rules, you can
strengthen your knowledge on the front of articles and be more confident in the correctness of your sayings. But be extremely careful - the rules are full of exceptions and pitfalls. Don't say “thanks” just yet. Check what we have in store for ya!
Let's start with something simple. You use an article when you want to distinguish a word from its other possible versions. If there is no confusion regarding what you mean, then you don't use the article. So if everyone already knows, for example, where you go to school (university or work), you simply say: “I"m going to school,” because there is no confusion. Or if you say that are you ever going to go to school in general, you don't use articles « the" The same applies to the house - usually everyone has one, and hell and Heaven, about which everyone knows. So, the next time you think about where you will go after death, think in English, and do it correctly: “I"m going to hell.” However, when we talk about special hell of a specific religion, the article “the” should already be: “ The hell of Islam is far worse than the hell of Chirstianity.»
With that being said, it is important to remember that if countable noun (one gun, two guns), That always use the article (the / a / an). And at the same time remember that can't bet his before plural (guns, books) or innumerablenouns(water, blood, advice, chocolate, meat etc.).
Generally
We don't put « the", When talking about something generally, without specifics.
Cats are awesome pets!
Here we are not talking about one specific awesome cat or pet, but about all awesome cats and pets at once.
Women love it when men do it right.
People are evil in that neighborhood.
Sport
Names of sports and other types physical activity don't require article "the".
I love to go skiing in the winter.
I play baseball every day after school.
He loves watching hockey on TV.
She does yoga 3 times a week.
My daughter really enjoys dancing.
Family
We use « the"when we talk about family(by last name), but not about specific person or combinations with names:
We"re having dinner with the Smiths tonight.
The Browns are going to the play with us.
John is coming over later.
Mary Carpenter is my boss.
Prince Charles is Queen Elizabeth's son.
President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.
Numbers
We don’t put an article, When:
- after the noun there is a number:
He's staying at the Haunted hotel in room 221.
The train to Noplaceville leaves from platform 2.
My Exorcism class is in room 6 on the first floor(“first” is the adjective in this sentence and describes “the floor.”)
- year indicated:
1948 was a wonderful year.
He was born in 1995 .
We put the article before:
- superlative adjectives and ordinal numbers:
the third movie
the tallest kid
the last hour
- decades and other periods of years:
I"m the kid of the nineties.
This is a painting from the 1820's.
Only
If there is such a word in a sentence, then feel free to put “the” in front of it:
This is the only day we"ve had sunshine all week.
You are the only person she will listen to.
The only tea I like is black tea.
Not for the first time
We put " a"when we talk about something for the first time, and then change to « the"when what is being discussed is it's becoming clear. Also put « the"when everything is with completely obvious, or when something or someone is one of a kind. Using this rule, you will be right in most cases, but remember about hell and heaven.
He was talking to a man. The man was laughing.
She gave him a present. The present was very expensive.
I cleaned the bathroom this morning.
The sun is hot today.
He walked around the world.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner
We don't use article before the names of meals:
We had lunch at noon.
I have breakfast at 7 a.m.
Proper names
Majority names holidays, companies, languages, countries, streets, airports, stations, cities, continents, islands, individual mountains, lakes etc. - all these are proper names, and article Here usually not needed. But it is precisely in this section of the rules for using “the” that there is many exceptions, so be extremely careful.
McDonald's has restaurants in 119 countries.
Victoria Station is in the center of London.
Can you direct me to Bond Street?
She lives in Florence.
I got some cool ideas for Halloween. (there is only 1 Halloween that everyone knows about)
Asia and Europe are two continents, in case you didn't know.
Her son graduated from Harvard. (but “He has a master’s degree from the University of Toronto»).
I"m leaving for America next week (but " the United States»).
Lake Ontario and Lake Huron are 2 of the Great Lakes(“the Great Lakes” - a group of lakes on the border between Canada and the United States requires an article).
I teach people how to speak English / Chinese / Spanish / Russian(however, when talking about the inhabitants of a particular nation: “ The Spanish are known for their warm hospitality").
Mount Everest is the one I plan to climb next week (but “ the Ends», « the Rockies" or unusual names of individual mountains, such as Mt. " the Matterhorn"(peak in the Pennine Alps).
Easter Island, Maui, Key West- none of these islands I "ve visited (but chains islands like " the Aleutians», « the Hebrides" or" the Canary Islands» require an article).
Names, establishments and places
We don't use « the" before:
- names of professions, school subjects, shops and some places:
My office is located on Main Street/Washington Blvd..
I usually go to church on Sundays.
Did you go to school today?
She's studying business at university.
Engineering is a well-paid career.
He'll probably study medicine.
I"ll get the card at Smith's.
Can you go to Boots for me?
- names of subjects at school:
math
geography
business
history
science
- before the following words in a general sense:
school
prison
college
I hope to go to college.
He spent three years in prison.
We use « the" before:
- names of rivers, oceans and seas ( the Nile, the Pacific,the Arctic, the Atlantic, the Black Sea, the Thames);
- countries ( the Netherlands, the Philippines), also before those whose names include the words " republic", « states" And " kingdom» ( the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, the United Kingdom);
- points of the globe ( the Equator, the North Pole);
- geographical areas ( the Middle East, the West);
- deserts, forests, sea bays and peninsulas ( the Sahara, the Persian Gulf, the Black Forest, the Iberian Peninsula).
- names of newspapers and famous buildings, works of art, museums and monuments ( the New York Times, the Guardian,the Vietnam Memorial, the Louvre, the Mona Lisa, the Eiffel Tower,the Globe).
- before the names of hotels and restaurants, unless they are named after a person ( the Golden Lion, the Hilton).
- before already famous places where people usually go ( the bank, the supermarket, the doctor's)
Let's go the movies.
My dad is in the hospital(Americans will put the article here, but the British may omit it).
She works at the post office.
What time do you have to be at the airport?
Please drop me off at the bus stop.
She doesn't like to go to the doctor or the dentist.
Abbreviations
Or acronyms are shortened forms of the name of something, using the capital letters of each word to form a new one. So, if the acronym is pronounced like a word, We we don't use « the»:
NATO['neɪtoʊ] (North Atlantic Treaty Organization here pronounced as one word) ambassadors met to discuss the situation.
UNSECO(United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) was formed in 1946.
Sorry, you've got AIDS(Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome).
The same goes for abbreviations names of educational institutions:
She has a Ph. D from MIT(Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
However, if the abbreviation is spelled out, That article"the" is needed. And you may well say the NATO member(NATO member).
The UN was created after the Second World War (United Nations = UN and spelled).
The same applies to the following abbreviations:
the EU(European Union)
the US(United States)
the CIA(Central Intelligence Agency)
the FBI(Federal Bureau of Investigation)
Now, in theory, you should be from “the” to “you,” but do not rush to become familiar. Don't forget about exceptions and the main rule. Good luck in learning English and keep the progress going!
Big and friendly EnglishDom family
Article table
While studying English, you will certainly encounter such a grammatical phenomenon as articles. You will never be able to avoid it, because they are all over the place, and their use causes significant difficulties. Let's try to compare all the cases to make it easier to navigate.
The best way to do this is to use a table of articles in English. So, you already know that “a/an” and “the” exist. Some nouns may even have no articles before them. In this case, the zero article is highlighted. The main thing to know is that “a/an” is used mainly before countable nouns that are unknown, meaning any, one of. But “the” specifically refers to something specific: this pencil, not that one. And we will consider all the exceptions and subtleties below.
Cases of use
Don't think that using articles is that difficult. If you lay everything out correctly and study it in detail, then very soon you will not only complete tests and assignments without any problems, but also speak correctly. Our table of articles will tell you about the main cases.
Articles with geographical names
Titles | Article the | Zero article |
Countries, continents, cities - usually without an article | Ho: the Hague, the Vatican, the Congo, The Philippines, The USA, The United Kingdom, The Netherlands, the city of Moscow, The England of today | France, Moscow, North America, Africa |
Names of rivers, oceans, seas, canals, straits, lakes | The Atlantic Ocean, The Black sea, The Volga, the Antario | BUT: Lake Baikal |
Bays, bays | BUT: the Bay of Fundy | San Francisco Bay |
Deserts, mountain ranges, island groups, plains, valleys | The Alps, The Urals, The Gobi, The Sahara, The west Indies, The great Plains | BUT : Dearth Valley, Silicon Valley |
Separate mountains, separate islands | Everest, Sicily, Madagascar |
|
4 cardinal directions | the north, the south, the west, the east | |
Regions | the Middle East |
Table of English articles with titles and proper nouns
Titles | Article the | Zero article | Article a |
State institutions, parties, organizations | the Senate, the Labor party, the United Nations, the Cabinet | BUT: congress, parliament | |
State institutions, parties, organizations - abbreviations | If the composition includes a company: the Bell Telephone Company | NATO, UNICEF | |
Historical events | The French Revolution | ||
Museums, theaters, hotels, restaurants, shops, monuments | The Bolshoi Theatre, The Opera House, The Ambassador hotel | ||
Musical groups, famous trains, ship names | The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, the Titanic | Oueen, Dire Straits, ABBA, Gorky Park | |
Names of American and English newspapers only | The Times, the Languages | BUT: Today, Pravda | |
Names of streets, parks, airports, railway stations | BUT : the Wall street, the High street, the Strand, the Kremlin, the Hey Market, the Mall | London Airport, Victoria Station, Traffalgar square, Broadway | |
Names of sporting events | The Olympic games, The World Cup, The Boat Race | ||
Holidays, festivals, religious events | Christmas, Easter, St. Valentine's Day | BUT: I wish you a happy Easter |
|
Language names | The English language | English, French, Russian | |
Churches, cathedrals, parishes | Buckingham palace, St. Paul's Cathedral | ||
Days of the week, months | Monday, September | on one of - a Monday |
|
Surnames and names | the Browns - family, the Simon - if there is a phrase description or of: the Pat of his memories, The Simon he had known so long | Montagray, Pete, Ann, aunt Polly | Some of the members - a Brown |
Famous people | |||
Job title, title | The Queen of England, Ivan The Terrible, the President of the Belarus | Ho: Queen Elizabeth, President Putin, Doctor Brown |
Articles with names of periods, diseases, meals
Nouns | Article the | Zero article | Article a |
Meals | The specific name of a specific meal (for example, dinner) - the dinner - the whole process, the food itself | lunch, dinner, supper, tea, breakfast | descriptive definition - a modest lunch |
Diseases | the flu, the measles, the plague | cancer, allergy, bronchitis | a cold, a chill, a cough - a human condition, not a disease |
Centuries, historical periods | the twentieth century, the iron bronze age | ||
Present, past, future | the future, the present, the past | after at/ in - without: in future, at present |
Articles with names of times of day
Nouns | Article the | Zero article | Article a |
Seasons of the year, parts of the day | Summer, spring, with the words early (late, broad) early morning, late evening | ||
A fine clear morning, a rainy summer |
|||
From to come, to approach, to fall, to set in, to break | Night came at last.Day was breaking when we set out.Night was falling quickly. |
||
REMEMBER: | In the morning - in the morning; in the evening - in the evening; in the daytime - during the day; in the afternoon - during the day; at night - at night; at dawn - at dawn; before dawn - before dawn; after sunset - after sunset; from morning to night - from morning to evening; early in the morning - early in the morning; all through the day - all day; day after day - day after day; night after night - every night during the summer - in the summer (during the summer period) day and night - around the clock |
||
Articles with abstract and concrete nouns
Nouns | Article the | Zero article | Article a |
Uncountable nouns | Weather, love, friendship, wealth | If they acquire another real or singular meaning: a glass - a glass, an iron - an iron, a business - a matter, a law - a law |
|
If there is a descriptive definition | a happy life, a terrible silence - literary meaning, rarely used in everyday speech |
||
Pleasure, relief, comfort, shame, pleasure | In exclamations: what a pity! |
||
In sentences with it is: It is a pleasure. |
|||
With phrase - restriction: of | The English literature of the 19th century;the security of childhood;the pleasure he felt |
The table of articles in English can serve as a clear hint as to what to use and when to use it. If you need more detailed explanations, then take a look at the individual articles. But the main thing to learn how to use articles is to practice, day after day. And then English will seem not so confusing and difficult to you.
Greetings, my dear readers.
I know I usually start somewhere else, but today I have a task for you right away. I want you to look at these sentences and tell me what the difference is.
Tommy sat down on a chair while waiting for his turn.- Tom sat down on a chair while he waited his turn.
Tommy sat on the chair nearest to the door while waiting for his turn.- Tom sat down on the chair closest to the door while he waited his turn.
You have probably already noticed that the difference is in the very articles and the meanings that they carry. And yes, my dears, today an exciting journey awaits us, where there will be an important topic for you and me - articles in English. I will tell you the basic rules, give you many examples, both for children and adults. I also immediately give you links to and on the topic of articles.
What is it and what is it used for?
Let's define it right away: article- this is what should always come before a noun. He, to put it very roughly, defines the noun so that we can better understand what is being said.
What are they and what are they used with?
There are three of them in total: a, an and the.
And their use depends on what noun follows. There are two types of nouns in English:
- Countable- those that we can count. For example:
Pen
Earring - earring
- Uncountable- those that we cannot count. For example:
Sugar - sugar
Water - water
To understand when articles are used, we also need to remember that nouns are singular (diamond - diamond) or plural (diamonds - diamonds).
And now, to make it absolutely clear to you, here you go table with examples where you can clearly see where and with what they are used.
Brother "a"
This article also bears the not at all proud name “ uncertain » ( ). This is because it is usually placed in front of objects, of which there are many all over the world. And it is used only with nouns that can be counted, and even then if they are singular. That is, if there is a lot of something, and you need to mention one thing, you need to use this particular article. Let's look at examples:
This morning I bought a magazine.- This morning I bought a magazine. (Not a specific magazine, but one that was in the store).
I had a sandwich for lunch.- I had a sandwich for lunch. (Just one sandwich).
My sister has got a job. - My sister got a job. (One of the existing works all over the world).
By the way, the article “a” has a small, modest brother who appears quite rarely - before words starting with vowels. This is "an". His goal is the same, so don’t be afraid - you won’t get confused.
I've got an apple and an orange with me. - I have an apple and an orange with me.
Brother "the"
The article the, also called definite , is used when we know the subject that will be discussed. Next to it, countable and uncountable nouns, both singular and plural, coexist calmly ( You can find out more about him).
In addition, it is very often used with place names and set expressions that you just need to learn. But it is important to remember that everywhere, including in the names of places, there are exceptions, which we will study separately ( Come in to find out about it).
Rosy doesn't feel well. She went to the doctor. - Rosie doesn't feel well. She went to the doctor. (To the doctor she usually goes to).
Did Molly get the job she applied for?- Did Molly get the job she applied for? (Exactly the job she applied for).
When is he not there at all?
OK then,- you say. - When these articles are used, we understand. But we don’t always use only them!
And here you will be right, because the English language has prepared a little test for us and created cases where the article is not needed at all. And this phenomenon even got its name - zero article. Its use is mainly associated with exceptions to the previous rules. Or if we use in speech proper names(Tom, Mary, Ritha) or any concepts in general.
Apples grow on the trees.- Apples grow on trees. (In general, all apples as a species).
Tom bought a bike.- Tom bought himself a motorcycle. (The article is not placed before proper names.)
There are also situations when you don’t need to put anything in front of a noun. It happens after pronouns(my, our, his, this, that, etc.).
By the way, my dears, after completing the lesson with the rules, never forget to practice. I have something for you that will help you fix it for a long time. new material. You can also, which will help you remember the rules for using articles for a long time. Of course, articles are not the most simple rules for children, be it 2nd grade or 8th grade. And adults usually suffer with them too. But with my help, I hope you can figure them out faster.
Don't forget that you can receive news from my blog much faster by simply subscribing to the newsletter. Be the first to know about all important events.
The article is a functional part of speech in English. Always used with a noun and refers to the inherent characteristics of the noun. There are some rules for using articles in English.
Indefinite article
There are two forms of the indefinite article: a and an.
This article originates from the ancient Greek numeral “an”, which translates as “one”. The consequence of this is that it is used only before countable nouns used in the singular. When using the plural, the article an is not used or can be replaced by some pronouns such as some and any.
The indefinite article a is used:
1) before consonants (a blade - blade, a tree - tree, a garden - garden);
2) before the letter u (a university - university, a universe - universe, a utility - benefit);
3) before the letter h (a horse - horse, a helmet - helmet, a hero - hero).
The indefinite article an is used:
1) before the vowels o, i, a, e (an apple - apple, an elephant - elephant, an ivory - Ivory);
2) before the letter u [^] (an uncle - uncle, an umbrella - umbrella, an unambiguity - unambiguity).
Definite article
The definite article has one form, the. The origin of this article goes back to the word that (that). This article can be used with both plural and singular nouns.
There are also rules for the use of articles in English in relation to certain groups of nouns.
The article is not used before the names of squares and streets. This rule also applies to the names of metro stations, airports and parks. For example: Fifth Avenue - 5th Avenue, Red Square - Red Square, Domodedovo Airport - Domodedovo Airport.
When using hotel names in speech or writing, the definite article is usually used: the Hotel Riga - Riga Hotel, the Hotel Europe - Europe Hotel, the Hotel Hennies - Hennies Hotel.
The use of names of days of the week, months and seasons requires some care in relation to articles.
1) So, the names of the days of the week are used without articles. The same applies to the names of months and seasons, found both in pure form and in combination with some frequently used adjectives (last - past, next - next). Examples: last winter - last winter, in summer - in summer, on Monday - on Monday.
2) If we are talking about situations that are facts, that is, some description is being made, then the indefinite article is used. Examples: It was a rainy week in Moscow (This week in Moscow was rainy). I saw some trees in the garden on a Sunday (on one of the Sunday this year) (I saw some trees in the garden on Sunday).
3) If we are talking about a strictly defined situation or event, then the article the is used with the names of seasons, months and days of the week. Often such sentences refer to an exact date or time period. Examples: The meeting was in the January of 2012 (The meeting was in January 2012). New company was located in the winter (The company was founded in winter).
The use of words denoting times of day also has its own characteristics in terms of the use of articles.
1) The article the is used when talking about a certain period of the day. Examples: The morning is good time to do exercises (Morning - good time for charging). The night was cold (The night was cold).
2) The article the is also used if the noun occurs with the preposition in. Examples: I saw you in the evening (I saw you in the evening). The sun shines in the morning (The sun shines in the morning).
3) If these nouns perform the function of a complement in a sentence, then they are used without an article. Examples: I wish it was morning (It’s a pity that it’s not morning). He likes evening (He loves evenings).
4) In combination with prepositions, they are used without articles (by day - during the day, at night - at night, from morning till night - from morning to evening).
5) When using an adjective together with a similar noun, use the indefinite article. Examples: What a wonderful day! It was a terrible evening (It was a terrible evening).
When using words that describe objects that are unique and unique, the definite article is used (the moon - the moon, the earth - the earth, the sun - the sun).
There are also some noun combinations that do not use an article. A characteristic feature of such combinations is the repetition of the same noun (from time to time - from time to time, day by day - day after day).
When using geographical names, the definite article the is used (this applies to the names of rivers, seas, oceans, mountains, states, cities). Examples: the Altai - Altai, the Ukraine - Ukraine, the Gulf of Mexico - Gulf of Mexico.
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