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English grammar

Articles when you are generalising

B2 · Upper intermediate Nouns and describing Questions 10

The rule

A0 and A2 teach a/an/the for things in a room. B2 needs articles for ideas. There are three ways to generalise and they are not interchangeable: zero article with a plural or uncountable (Nurses are leaving the profession, Water is scarce), a for any one example (A nurse has to be able to say no), and the for the class as an institution (The nurse has replaced the doctor at the door). The is also obligatory with superlatives, ordinals, rivers, ranges, plural country names, and in the more … the better. Go to school and go to the school are two different journeys.

Pattern

zero + plural / uncountable (general) · a + singular (any one) · the + singular (the class / the institution) · the + superlative / ordinal / river / plural country

Examples

  1. Nurses are leaving the profession faster than they can be replaced.

  2. A landlord is not allowed to enter without notice.

  3. The car has changed the shape of every city in Europe.

  4. She went into hospital on Tuesday and left on Friday.

Common mistakes

  • Wrong: The nurses are leaving the profession in large numbers.

    Right: Nurses are leaving the profession in large numbers.

    For a general statement about a whole group, use the plural with no article.

  • Wrong: I went to the school to collect my daughter, and I am a pupil.

    Right: I go to school; I am a pupil.

    go to school is being a pupil; go to the school is visiting the building.

  • Wrong: He is best candidate we have seen.

    Right: He is the best candidate we have seen.

    A superlative always takes the.

Practice questions

Try each one yourself first, then open “Show answer” for the solution and the reason.

  1. 1Choose the correct sentence.

    1. Water is becoming scarce in the south.
    2. The water is becoming scarce in the south generally.
    3. A water is becoming scarce in the south.
    4. Waters are becoming scarce in the south.
    Show answer

    Answer: A Water is becoming scarce in the south.

    An uncountable generalisation takes no article.

  2. 2Choose the correct sentence.

    1. The elderlies are the group most affected.
    2. The elderly are the group most affected.
    3. Elderly are the group most affected.
    4. An elderly are the group most affected.
    Show answer

    Answer: B The elderly are the group most affected.

    the plus an adjective names a whole group.

  3. 3Choose the correct sentence.

    1. She was taken to hospital by ambulance.
    2. She was taken to the hospital by the ambulance generally.
    3. She was taken hospital by ambulance.
    4. She was taken to a hospital by ambulance yesterday morning in.
    Show answer

    Answer: A She was taken to hospital by ambulance.

    Institutional hospital takes no article in this use.

  4. 4Fill in the gap.

    _____ rent in this city has risen faster than wages.

    1. An
    2. The
    3. Some the
    4. A
    Show answer

    Answer: B The rent in this city has risen faster than wages.

    A specific, shared referent takes the.

  5. 5Fill in the gap.

    _____ good surveyor will find it in ten minutes.

    1. An
    2. A
    3. Some
    4. The
    Show answer

    Answer: B A good surveyor will find it in ten minutes.

    A means any one example of the type.

  6. 6Fill in the gap.

    He studied at _____ University of Leeds.

    1. an
    2. the
    3. a
    4. no article
    Show answer

    Answer: B He studied at the University of Leeds.

    University of X takes the.

  7. 7Fill in the gap.

    We crossed _____ Netherlands in four hours.

    1. a
    2. no article
    3. the
    4. an
    Show answer

    Answer: C We crossed the Netherlands in four hours.

    A plural country name takes the.

  8. 8Fill in the gap.

    _____ more you read it, the worse it gets.

    1. A
    2. The
    3. So
    4. That
    Show answer

    Answer: B The more you read it, the worse it gets.

    The double comparative takes the twice.

  9. 9This sentence is wrong. Choose the fix.

    Which sentence is wrong?

    1. Life on that estate is hard.
    2. The life is hard for people on that estate.
    3. Life is hard for people on that estate.
    4. The life of a carer is hard.
    Show answer

    Answer: B The life is hard for people on that estate.

    A general abstract noun takes no article.

  10. 10This sentence is wrong. Choose the fix.

    Which sentence is wrong?

    1. She plays the piano every Saturday.
    2. She plays in the football team.
    3. She plays football every Saturday.
    4. She plays the football every Saturday.
    Show answer

    Answer: D She plays the football every Saturday.

    Sports take no article; instruments take the.

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