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Articles — General

There are three articles in English: a/an, the, and zero.

A / An

When we use it Example Explanation
We use “a” and “an” for singular, countable nouns when the listener doesn't know which one we're talking about yet. Let's see a movie. “Movie” is a noun.

It's singular (one movie).

It's countable.

It's the first time we talk about the movie, so the listener doesn't know which movie yet — at this point, it might be any movie.

The

When we use it Example Explanation
We use “the” for a specific noun — both the speaker and the listener know which one we're talking about. We can use it for any noun — singular or plural, countable or uncountable. I love the book you gave me. It's a specific book — both the speaker and the listener know which book we're talking about.
I explained it to the students in my class. Specific students. “Students” is plural in this case.
She gave me the information I wanted. Specific information.

“Information” is uncountable.

Zero Article

When we use it Example Explanation
Zero article means no article at all. We use zero article when we're speaking or writing about something in general, about all the members of that group. I love cats. This means I love all cats; I love cats in general.

Meaning Check

1. So, if you want to talk about all books in general, which one is correct?

  1. I love books.
  2. I love the books.
  3. I love a book.

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2. If you want to talk about a specific book and both of us know which one it is, which is correct?

  1. I love books.
  2. I love the book I'm reading right now.
  3. I love a book.

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3. If you want to talk about a non-specific book and you're talking about it for the first time so the listener doesn't know which one it is yet, which one is correct?

  1. I bought books.
  2. I bought the books.
  3. I bought a book.

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When you are sure that you understand the lesson, you can continue with the exercises.