Cohesion and Clarity
12- 27
Review of the English Article System
Articles ( a, an, and the) — like adjectives ( small, surgical, etc.) — are words that modify nouns. Words that modify nouns change the meaning of the nouns. Articles can change a noun’s m eaning from singular to plural and from general to specific. In general, the English article system includes the words a, an, the, and the absence of these words (represented in this review by “ Ø” ). The patterns of article usage, however, are complex and often depend on the particular context. As anyone learning English knows, this system has many exceptions. Moreover, scientific writing, like other types of specialized writing, has developed many patterns of article usage that differ from those of “textbook” English.
The best way to learn how to use articles correctly is to become very familiar with the usage patterns described in this review and then to pay close attention to what you read and hear.
There are many different ways to describe the English article system. The chart that follows shows how this review is organized.
English Article System*
Nouns
Common
Proper
Count
Noncount
Singular Plural
Singular
Plural
Indefinite
a / an
Ø / some
Ø / some
Ø
the
Definite
the
the
the
* Some minor differences exist in American and British English. This chart is based on American English. (Adapted fromCampbellE. ESL Resource BookforEngineers and Scientists. NewYork, John Wiley & Sons, 1995.)
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