Showing posts with label a. Show all posts
Showing posts with label a. Show all posts

ARTICLES: Use of a or an and The


ARTICLES


If you are unsure whether to use a, an or the, consider the following:

Use of a or an

Usage
1. before a singular countable noun

Example:

She is a member of our Finance Committee.


2. when a person/thing is mentioned for the first time

Example:
An in-house seminar will be held next Tuesday. Three representatives from the Human Resources Association will speak at the seminar.


3. in exclamations
Example:
What a memorable event it was!


4. before words which begin with a vowel sound
Example:
an interesting idea
an overloaded truck
an honest officer


Use of the


Usage
1. before nouns of which there is only one
Example:
The police force in HK is one of the most efficient forces in the world.

2. when a person/thing is mentioned for the second/third time and so on
Example:
A proposal was discussed in the annual general meeting. Three members voted against the proposal.


3. before superlative, adjectives, adverbs and ordinal numbers
Example:
Mr Chan is the most experienced clerical officer in our unit.


4. before some adjectives used as nouns
Example:
This policy aimed to help the mentally-handicapped / the unemployed / the blind.

5. before plural place names or names which include the words Republic, Kingdom or States
Example:
the New Territories
the United Kingdom
the Philippines


6. before names of ships
Example:
the Queen Mary


7. in some time phrases in the year the war began
Example:
in the morning
in the afternoon
in the middle of the night


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