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GRAMMAR

REVISION: ARTICLES

THE

We use the when a noun is specific. A noun is specific when:

• There is only one:

The President; the Pope; the Pacific ocean

• The + noun + of:

The University of Cambridge.

• A clause specifies the noun:

The football game that I went to yesterday.

The football game you went to was great.
The football match on TV is boring.

• The listener knows which one:

Did you go to the cinema yesterday?

• The + adjective = group noun:

The poor, the rich, the unemployed.

• The + noun = concept/idea

The computer ( = every computer)

• The noun has been mentioned before:

I have a new car. The car...

• For superlatives:

The highest; the best; the strongest.

• For ordinal numbers:

The first, the second, the third etc

UWAGA! The rules for the are stronger than the rules for a/an. For example:

The nature of Canada is beautiful = nature is abstract and so should not normally have an article, but
here it is specific because we use the noun + of structure.

OR

The tables that my mother has are very nice = tables is plural and so we should not normally use an
article but here they are specific because of the clause that my mother has.

OTHER USES OF THE

We use the in the following circumstances:

'Plural' countries:

the Netherlands, the United States

Groups of islands:

the Bahamas, the Azores, the Cyclades*

Newspapers:

The Times, The Daily Mirror, The Evening Standard*

Rivers and oceans:

the Thames, the Danube, the Pacific, the Atlantic

Deserts:

the Sahara, the Gobi, the Atacama

Musical instruments:

the piano, the flute, the cello

Mountain ranges:

the Himalayas, the Andes, the Tatras*

Hotels:

the Park Hotel, the Ritz, the Hilton

The + language:

the English language, the French language*

Times of day:

the morning, the afternoon, the evening *

Historical periods:

the eighties, the 1970s, the seventeenth century*

Names of ships:

the Titanic, the SS Indianapolis

Public bodies:

the Police, the Army, the Government

Parts of a city:

the centre, the suburbs, the outskirts*

* see exceptions below

We don't use the and a/an in the following circumstances:

Abstract nouns

love, happiness, nature

'Singular' countries:

France, Germany, England

Individual islands:

Rhodes, Ibiza (BUT the Isle of Man)

Continents:

Africa, Asia, Europe

Languages:

French, German, English

Magazines:

Vogue, GQ, Newsweek

Cities, towns, villages:

London, Paris, Lithohoro

Streets:

London Road, Halfmoon Avenue

Lakes:

Lake Windermere, Lake Superior, Lake Geneva

Single mountains:

Everest, K2, Olympus, Ben Nevis (but the Eiger)

Abstract nouns:

love, nature, anger, independence

Days, months, years:

Wednesday, October, 1971 (BUT the 17

of May)

Meals:

breakfast, lunch, dinner

Sports and games:

football, chess, rugby

Historical places:

Ancient Greece, Victorian England

Holidays:

Easter, Christmas, New Year

Companies/Shops

Marks and Spencer's, Harrods

Night:

NOT *the night

PRACTICE (1)

Fill the gaps with a/an, the or nothing:
Uzupełnij luki przedimkiem: a/an, the lub nic.

1)  I haven't got ........... camera.
2)  ............ man I told you about is very tall.
3)  ........... big man hit me with ......... heavy wooden stick.
4)  ........... love is like .................. chocolate.
5)  I've never seen such .............. terrible film!
6)  This game is ............ great fun, isn't it?
7)  She gave me ............ kiss on my .......... cheek.
8)  It was ............. rainy day in July.
9)  .......... huge cat ate my hamster.
10) ........... president has arranged to meet ........ pope this evening.
11) ........... capital of France is Paris.
12) .......... football game that I went to yesterday was excellent!
13) Did you go to ............ cinema yesterday?
14) This country has a major problem with ........... poor.
15) ......... washing machine is perhaps .......... greatest technological invention.
16) My father has bought ....... new car. ........ car has only three wheels.
17) ........... highest mountain in ............ world is Everest.
18) That's ........... first time I've ever seen ........... chicken fly!

PRACTICE (2)

Fill the spaces with a suitable article, a/an, or the. Some spaces do not require an article. Think carefully
about each noun and ask yourself these questions:

•  Is the noun singular or plural?

• Is the noun specific or common?

• Is the noun countable or uncountable?

• Does the noun have it's own special rule?

Uzupełnij luki odpowiednim przedimkiem: a/an lub the. Niektóre luki nie wymagają przedimka. Pomyśl
uważnie o każdym rzeczowników i zadaj sobie następujące pytania:
• Czy rzeczownik jest w liczbie pojedynczej czy mnogiej?

• Czy rzeczownik jest specyficzny czy pospolity?

• Czy rzeczownik jest policzalny czy niepoliczalny?

•  Czy rzeczownik posiada swoje „własne” zasady?

____ first time I ever visited ____ United States, I was amazed at ____ height of  ____ buildings that can be
seen in some ____ large cities. One of ____ highest is ____ Sears Tower in ____ Chicago. On ____ top floor
there is ____ restaurant where you can buy ____ variety of  ____ tasty meals including ____ spaghetti, soups
and ____ Chinese food. I was staying at ____Ritz Hotel, which is ____ very expensive place to stay.
However, ____ service they offer is ____ best in _____ world. I can recommend it.

VOCABULARY

HOUSE 2

Write the names of these domestic objects/rooms.
Napisz nazwy przedmiotów/pomieszczeń domowych.

Piece of furniture to rest your feet

S…………….

Press this to turn on/off a light

S…………….

A small light

L…………….

Place to keep your socks, for example

D…………….

For storing things in the kitchen

C…………….

Flat object for carrying plates etc

T…………….

Keeps you warm in winter (metal object)

R…………….

A large cup, for coffee maybe

M…….………

Room in a house used for cooking

K……………

It looks like a box with a door used for cooking

O……………

A big comfortable chair with support for your arms

A…………….

You use it to eat soup

S…………….

People have their meals in this room

D……………

You will find a bath or shower, a washbasin and a toilet there

B……………

You put your rubbish in it

B……………

9.  A huge cat ate my hamster.
10. The President has arranged to meet the pope this evening.
11. The capital of France is Paris.
12. The football game that I went to yesterday was excellent!
13. Did you go to the cinema yesterday?
14. This country has a major problem with ........... poor.
15. The washing machine is perhaps the greatest technological invention.
16. My father has bought a new car. The car has only three wheels.
17. The highest mountain in the world is Everest.
18. That's the first time I've ever seen a chicken fly!

Practice 2

The first (ordinal number) time I ever visited the United States (plural country), I was amazed at the ( the + of)
height of the buildings (buildings is described by that can be seen) that can be seen in some ____ large cities
(cities is plural). One of the highest (superlative) is the Sears Tower (there is only one) in ____ Chicago (we
don't use articles for cities). On the top (only one top floor) floor there is a restaurant (a non-specific restaurant)
where you can buy a variety (a + of = non-specific variety) of  ____ tasty meals (meals is plural) including
____ spaghetti (uncountable), soups (plural) and ____ Chinese food (uncountable) . I was staying at the  Ritz
Hotel (the + hotel), which is a very expensive place (countable, common, singular) to stay. However, the
service (service is described by they offer) they offer is the best (superlative) in the world (only one world). I
can recommend it.

VOCABULARY
House 2

Piece of furniture to rest your feet

STOOL

Press this to turn on/off the light

SWITCH

A small light

LAMP

Place to keep your socks, for example

DRAWER

For storing things in the kitchen

CUPBOARD

Flat object for carrying plates etc

TRAY

Keeps you warm in winter (metal object)

RADIATOR

A large cup, for coffee maybe

MUG

Room in a house used for cooking

KITCHEN

It looks like a box with a door used for cooking

OVEN

A big comfortable chair with support for your arms

ARMCHAIR

You use it to eat a soup

SPOON

People have their meals in this room

DINING ROOM

You will find a bath or shower, a washbasin and a toilet there

BATHROOM

You put your rubbish in it

BIN