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A2 · ⑳ Articles again
Articles revisited
The three cases the first lesson left out, because they would have confused everything.
45minthe whole
sheet
31questions
in the practice
3pages,
one at a time
01 · First page · the cases that look already solved
The second pass
1
Are you talking about a whole category, in general?
sì → plural with no article — I like dogs
no → keep going down
2
Is it a building you are using for its purpose — studying, sleeping, being treated?
sì → no article — go to school, in bed, in hospital
no → keep going down
3
Is it the building itself, as a place on a map?
sì → the — go to the school to fix the roof
no → keep going down
4
Is it a country made of several parts, or a plural name?
sì → the — the USA, the Netherlands, the Alps
no → keep going down
5
Is it a river, a sea, a chain of mountains, a hotel or a newspaper?
sì → the — the Thames, the Baltic, the Ritz
no → no article: single mountains, lakes, streets and most countries
the generic three: There are three ways to speak about a whole category, and they are not interchangeable in tone. The plural with no article is the everyday one: Dogs are loyal. a plus singular takes one example as typical: A dog is loyal. the plus singular is formal and scientific: The dog is a social animal.
institution or building: school, hospital, prison, church, bed and university drop the article when you are there for their purpose, and take the when you mean the building. She is in hospital means she is ill; she is at the hospital means she is standing in it, perhaps visiting.
names that take the: Most proper names take no article, but a clear set does: countries made of parts or plurals, rivers, seas, oceans, mountain ranges, deserts, hotels, cinemas, newspapers and organisations. The pattern behind it is that these are all thought of as a collection rather than a single point.
- Dogs are loyal animals.
- She is in hospital.
- I met him at the hospital.
- He lives in the Netherlands.
- We sailed down the Thames.
| Which article | ||
|---|---|---|
| Kind of name | Article | Examples |
| most countries and cities | none | Poland, Italy, Kraków, Rome |
| countries made of parts or plural | the | the USA, the UK, the Netherlands |
| rivers, seas, oceans | the | the Danube, the Baltic, the Atlantic |
| mountain ranges, deserts | the | the Alps, the Sahara |
| single mountains and lakes | none | Mont Blanc, Lake Garda |
| hotels, cinemas, newspapers | the | the Ritz, the Times |
| streets, parks, airports | none | Oxford Street, Hyde Park |
| languages and meals | none | English, breakfast |
Golden rule
The first lesson asked whether the listener knows which one. This one asks a second question underneath it: are you talking about a thing, or about what a thing is FOR? A building takes the; a purpose takes nothing. That single distinction settles school, hospital, prison, church and bed in one go.
the also appears before a superlative, an ordinal and a unique thing: the best, the first, the only one, the sun. These were mentioned in the first lesson and are worth repeating, because the is the article most often left out — it feels optional and is not.
02 · Second page · the three cases, one by one
The uses
Everyday general
The plural with no article. This is the one to use unless you have a reason not to.
I like dogs.Books are expensive.Children learn fast.
One as an example
a plus singular takes one specimen to stand for all of them.
A dog needs exercise.A teacher must be patient.
The scientific one
the plus singular sounds formal: textbooks, lectures, and instruments.
The tiger is endangered.She plays the piano.
Never the plural with the
the dogs means specific dogs you both know, never dogs in general.
I like dogs.not: I like the dogs.
There for its purpose
No article: you are studying, being treated, sleeping, praying.
go to schoolin hospitalin bedat university
There as a place
the: you are at the building for some other reason entirely.
at the school gatevisiting the hospital
by + transport
No article after by, however the journey actually happened.
by busby carby planebut: on foot
Meals and languages
No article, unless you are describing one particular meal.
have lunchspeak Englishbut: the lunch we had
in hospital and at the hospital · one word, two situations
My father is in hospital says he is a patient. My father is at the hospital says he is inside the building — perhaps working there, perhaps visiting somebody. The same distinction runs through the whole family: in prison is serving a sentence, at the prison is standing outside the gate; at school is studying, at the school is at the building; in bed is asleep or ill, on the bed is sitting on top of it. In every pair the version without the article describes what the place is FOR, and the version with the describes the place itself. Once you hear it that way you never have to memorise the list.
🌍 For everyone
Both languages name musical instruments without an article after to play, and English does the opposite: she plays the piano, he plays the guitar. It is a small thing that appears constantly in conversation about hobbies.
Suono il pianoforte. → I play the piano.
Sports and games take no article after play, but musical instruments do: play football, play chess, but play the piano. The two look like the same construction and behave in opposite ways, which is why they are worth learning as a pair.
I like the dogs. → I like dogs.
A general plural takes no article; the dogs means specific ones.
My son goes to the school every morning. → My son goes to school every morning.
He goes there to study, so the institution takes no article.
She is in the hospital with a broken leg. → She is in hospital with a broken leg.
As a patient there is no article; the hospital is the building.
He lives in United States. → He lives in the United States.
Countries made of parts or plural names keep the.
We swam in Baltic. → We swam in the Baltic.
Seas, rivers and oceans always take the.
She plays piano very well. → She plays the piano very well.
Instruments take the after play; sports and games do not.
The breakfast is at eight. → Breakfast is at eight.
Meals take no article unless you mean one particular meal.
- Children need a lot of sleep.
- He was sent to prison for a year.
- We crossed the Alps by train.
- Lunch is ready.
03 · Third page · now it's your turn
Exercises
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