English Lesson: Articles. Review of A & An
Nov 23rd
Before moving ahead, let’s take a moment to review the concepts that we have covered so far. For more details, check out the previous three lessons from this week.
Countable and non-countable nouns
There are two kinds of nouns in English, countable & non-countable. Countable nouns can be counted with numbers. A countable noun is a noun that you can count with a number. For example, 1 banana, 2 oranges, 3 dogs, 5 cars, etc. Non-countable nouns cannot be counted with a number. Liquids, like water and milk, group nouns, like fruit and furniture, and abstract words like love and trouble are not countable.
Talking about things in general.
When you want to talk about things in general, use a countable noun in the plural form, or a non-countable noun like this:
- I like dogs.
- Bananas are yellow.
- Fruit is very good for you.
- Water covers most of the earth.
You can also use a or an before a countable noun when making generalizations, like this:
- A dog is a good pet.
- An apple is red.
- A vacation would be nice.
Talking about one of many
When you talk about something that is non-specific or ”one of many”, use a or an before a countable noun, like this:
- I bought a pen.
- The zoo is helping an elephant.
- Did you eat a banana today?
- I think there is a meeting tomorrow morning.
Other determiners
Singular, countable nouns (like pen, elephant, banana, meeting, etc.) NEVER travel alone. In addition to a or an, you can use a possessive noun or pronoun before such a noun, like this:
- I have an alligator.
- I have Naomi’s alligator.
- It’s her alligator.
- It’s my alligator.
- I want that alligator.
- This alligator is cute!
Ok. That is all for our review. Tomorrow, we will move on to the. Thanks for studying today!
English Lesson: Articles. Talking in General with Nouns II
Nov 22nd
I like fruit. I try to eat some fruit every day. This morning I had a banana and some grapes. I often have fruit with yogurt. I had some time this afternoon so I went to the supermarket. I wanted to get some bananas, but they were too green.
Today, let’s continue the discussion on articles and nouns. I suggest you have a look at yesterday’s lesson first before checking today’s.
When we talk about things in general we use “a/an” for a singular countable noun, the plural form of the countable noun, or a non-countable noun like this:
- A tomato is red.
- A banana is yellow.
- A cloud is white
- Tomatoes are red.
- Bananas are yellow.
- Furniture is expensive.
- Fruit is healthy.
In the above examples, we are talking about tomatoes in general, and fruit in general. We are not talking about any specific fruit or tomatoes. We are talking about all tomatoes and all fruit.
Another way that we talk about things in general is when we talk about things we like. When we do, we use the plural form of a countable noun or a non-countable noun. Here are some examples:
- I like bananas and grapes.
- Jack loves cats.
As I said yesterday, we use a and an with countable nouns when the thing we are talking about is one of many, like this:
- I bought a pen.
- The zoo is helping an elephant.
- Did you eat a banana today?
- I think there is a meeting tomorrow morning.
Likewise, with non-countable nouns, we can just use the noun, like this:
- I bought fruit
- Jen has new furniture.
- Did you drink coffee today
- I think there is milk in the fridge.
Ok, Let’s take a break here. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns about today’s lesson. We’ll continue tomorrow!
English Lesson: Articles. Talking in General with Nouns
Nov 21st
I like dogs. I think dogs are great pets because they are loyal to their owners and always have love to give. I have a dog now, and I had a dog when I was a child. Cats are also popular pets. I like cats, but not as much as dogs.
Today, let’s continue the discussion on articles and nouns. I suggest you have a look at yesterday’s lesson first before checking today’s.
A noun is a person, place, or thing. In English, when we talk about things in general, we use the plural form of countable nouns or a non-countable noun. Here are some examples:
- I like dogs. → Dogs in general, not any particular dogs.
- Bananas are yellow. → Bananas in general, not any particular bananas.
- Fruit is very good for you. → Fruit in general, not any particular fruit.
- Water covers most of the earth. → Water in general, not any particular water.
When you want to talk about one thing, when that one thing is not unique or particular, you can use a or an before the singular, countable noun. The noun is “one of many.”
- I have a dog now. → There are many dogs in the world, I have one of them (one of many dogs).
- I ate a banana. → There are many bananas in the world , I ate one of them (one of many bananas).
- I went to a meeting yesterday. → There are many meetings, I went to one (one of many meetings).
- I saw a movie. → There are many movies, I saw one of them (one of many movies).
Singular countable nouns, like dog, banana, meeting, movie, cat, hand, desk, car, boy, tree, and alligator are never alone in a sentence. So for example, we cannot say, “This is dog”. The word dog needs something before it as a determiner. You can use an article or a pronoun, like this:
- This is a dog.
- This is the dog.
- This is my dog.
- This is our dog.
- That dog is mine.
All of the above examples are possible, but we cannot say, “This is dog.” Singular, countable nouns never travel alone. These nouns are never alone in a sentence. Let’s take a moment and study the sentences from the opening paragraph of this lesson:
- I like dogs. ← I like dogs in general, not any particular dog.
- I think dogs are great pets. ← Here I am talking about dogs and pets in general, not any particular dog or pet.
- They are loyal to their owners. ←This talks about owners in general, not a particular owner.
- They always have love to give. ← Love is non-countable, and I am talking about love in general, not any particular love.
- I have a dog now. ← There are many dogs in the world, I have one. (one of many “dogs”)
- I had a dog when I was a child. ← Here we have again, one of many “dogs.” Also, there are many children, I was one of them (a child).
- Cats are also popular pets. ← Cats in general and pets in general, not a particular cat or pet.
- I like cats, but not as much as dogs. I like ← Cats in general, not a particular cat. Also I am talking about dogs in general, not a particular dog.
This is a lesson about articles. A basic lesson. We will continue this series next time. I know that articles can be confusing, but at the same time I am sure if you take some time to go over this material, you’ll get it. Feel free to leave a comment or question below!
