Презентация по теме "Употребление неопределенного артикля".

The indefinite article is  a  or  an .

The form  an  is used before a word that starts with a vowel sound.

a  girl

an  eight-year-old girl

a  cat

an  engineer

The indefinite article is used with singular countable nouns:

• to refer to a person or a thing which you do not want to be specific about.
• I stopped off at   a   shop to buy   a   newspaper.
• You go past   a   petrol station on the left, and then you’ll see our house on the right.
• to refer to a person or a thing which you cannot be more specific about because there is not enough information.

• A   man called to see you this afternoon.

• There was   a   telephone call for you a minute ago.
• in definitions.

• An   octopus is   a   sea creature with eight tentacles.

Use  a  to refer to something for the first time.

Examples

• Would you like  a drink ?
• I've finally got  a good job .
• An elephant and  a mouse  fell in love.

Indefinite articles often precede descriptive  adjectives .

Example:

• He is a good boy.
• What a nice car!

Naming members of a group

Use  a  with names of jobs.

Examples

• John is  a doctor .
• He wants to be  a dancer .

Use  a  with nationalities and religions in the singular.

Examples

• John is  an Englishman .
• Kate is  a Catholic .

Use  a  with the names of days of the week when not referring to any particular day.

Examples

• I was born on  a Thursday .
• Could I come over on  a Saturday  sometime?

Use  a  to refer to an example of something.

Examples

• The mouse had  a tiny nose  .
• The elephant had  a long trunk  .
• It was  a very strange car  .

Use  a  with singular nouns after the words 'what' and 'such'.

Examples

• What  a shame  !
• She's such  a beautiful girl  .
• What  a lovely day  !

Use  a  meaning 'one', referring to a single object or person, or a single unit of measure. In these sentences using "one" instead of the indefinite article is grammatically correct. It will add emphasis to the number, and contrast with other numbers.

Examples

• I'd like  an orange  and two lemons please.
• The burglar took  a diamond necklace  and some valuable paintings.
• I can think of  a hundred reasons  not to come.
• I need  a kilogram  of sugar.
• You can't run  a mile  in 5 minutes!

We don't use A/AN with possessive pronouns, demonstratives or cardinal numbers.

• My shirt is dirty.
• This car is expensive.
• One person is in the reception.

We use ONE (or more) instead of A/AN when the number is important.

• There is only one exit from the airport.

A or an -  sometimes makes a  Proper Noun  a Common Noun. Proper nouns generally do not take any articles, but when a proper noun needs to be used as a common noun, you must bring  a or an -  for it.  

Example: 

• He thinks he is a Shakespeare. (Here, ‘Shakespeare’ does not refer to the actual person but someone like him.)

A or an -  sometimes can be used before a  Proper Noun  to show that the person mentioned is unknown for the speaker.  

A Mr. Smith called you.

Вам звонил некий мистер Смит.