We develop web-based tutorials to provide instruction on common English grammar problems for non-native speakers of English. The following sample tutorial explains the appropriate use of the article before nouns.
Using the Articles a,
an, some, and the before Nouns
Because of differences in languages, knowing
how to use articles before nouns can be difficult to learn for
non-native speakers of English. Many languages have rules about
using definite (the) and indefinite articles (a,
an, or some) before nouns. For example, in French,
an article (a, an, some, or the)
always precedes a noun. In English, only some nouns require an
article. In other languages, articles may not even exist.
The following tutorial introduces some general
guidelines on how to use articles before nouns in English. Please
click on each step to learn the rules or click on the fourth
button below ("Test Yourself!") to first see
if you know the rules!
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First, learn to identify "countable"
and "non-countable" nouns and when to use the articles
a, an, some and the or no article
before these nouns. |
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Second, learn when "countable"
nouns can also act as "non-countable" nouns. |
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Third, learn how to use the definite article
the before nouns. |
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Test yourself! Identify when to use the indefinite
articles (a, an, or some) and the definite
article the before nouns. |
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Summary: learn a recap of the basic rules
of using articles before nouns. |
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