A or An – The Indefinite Articles
The difference of a and an
You can use a and an for all genders in the singular. If you have to use a or an, depends on the sound the word begins with. If the first sound is a consonant you have to use a.
a banana a sandwich a toffee
If the first sound is a vowel you have to use an.
an orange an apple an ice cream
NOTE:
an hour – because the first letter is silent and the word starts with an au-sound.
a uniform, a university – because the first letter starts with a ju-sound.
Use of the indefinite article a and an
- We can use a and an before countable nouns:
That’s a fast car. My aunt has got a big house.
- We often use a and anto tell what someone/something isand what someone/something is like in the singular:
A hamster is an animal. Sarah is a very smart girl. Her dad is a mechanic.
Shakespeare is an English writer. Lisa has got a small nose.
- We use a and an if the listener doesn’t know which thing we mean:
Frank sat down on a sofa. (we don’t know which sofa)
Do you have a bike? (it’s not a particular bike)
- We use a and anbefore phrases of time and measurements:
We can do these exercises in an hour. The mangos are $3.50 a kilo.
Our neighbors go on holidays three times a year.
The – The Definite Article
We use the:
- When we talk about a specific thing.
- When it is clear which thing or person we mean.
- When there is only one of something.
What is the highest building in the world?
Washington is the capital of the United States.
The moon is bright tonight.
- To talk about geographical pointson the globe like rivers, oceans, seas, canals, deserts, etc
The Nile is the longest river.
- When we talk about musical instruments, plants, animals and currencies.
He plays the piano well.
The rose is my favorite flower.
The dollar is a strong currency.
The tiger lives in Asia.
- When we refer to a system or service.
When does the train arrive? We should call the ambulance.
- With Adjectives like rich, poor or unemployed to talk about groups of people.
Do you think the rich should pay more taxes?
- With countrieswhich contain the words state(s), kingdom, republic or union the UK, the USA
- With countries which have plural nounsas their names the Netherlands, the Bahamas
- Before newspapers, organisations, hotels, pubsand restaurants, well known buildingsor works of art and families.
the Times, the United Nations, the Ritz, the Mona Lisa, the Eiffel Tower, the Simpsons
No article
We don’t usually use an article:
- To talk about things in general.
- Before the names of countries, cities, towns andvillages.
- With plural nounsand uncountable nounswhen talking about them generally.
She has got long hair.
He wears black shoes.
- When talking about sports, people’s first names, languages,names of shops, religions, meals,days, months and holidays.
Sandra is her best friend.
Mount Everest is the highest mountain.
She speaks Spanish fluently.
Sunday is my favourite day of the week.
What would you like for breakfast?
BUT! the High Street
– with individual lakes, islands and mountains.
She lives near Lake Superior.
Have you ever visited Long Island.
Mount Everest is the highest mountain.
NB! the Matterhorn
– with most names of towns, streets, stations and airports.
They have a shop in Oxford Street. He lives in Rome.
– with parks, universities, colleges, hospitals, temples, churches, malls, stadiums, public squares, beaches, waterfalls and canyons.
We also visited St Paul’s Cathedral.
NB! the Grand Canyon
Illnesses or diseases
– don’t use an article with cancer, malaria and AIDS.
– use the with flue, measles and mumps.
– use a /an or the with most arches, pains and attacks.
I had a cold. The cold wasn’t very bad.
Directions
– don’t use an article if it follows a verb.
I drove east all the day.
– use the after a preposition and compass directions.
My house is in the south of the city. The shop is on the left. I love the South.
Time Expressions
– we don’t use an article: at night, at noon, every week, every day, every night, last morning, last week, all night, all day, tomorrow, yesterday, etc.
– use the with in the morning, in the afternoon, during the night, the winter, the summer, the day after tomorrow, etc.
– use a /an or the with whole and entire.
We spent a whole week in Madrid. I spent the whole day watching TV.
A – An – Some
A and an can only be used with nouns in the singular if we don’t mean a special thing or person. Some can only be used in the plural if we don’t know the exact amount of something or if we use nous we can not count, e.g. liquids.
Singular: a or an
| a banana | a car | a monkey | a football |
| an egg | an accident | an umbrella | an eagle |
Do you have a ball? – not a special ball
She doesn’t have a sister. – not a special sister
Plural: some with countable nouns
| some bananas | some cats | some monkeys | some balls |
| some eggs | some oranges | some umbrellas | some eagles |
Buy some tomatoes, please. – not a special amount
They have some children, haven’t they? – we don’t know how many
Use some for things you can’t count
| some milk | some water | some coffee | some sugar |
| some tea | some juice | some money | some butter |
Would you like some orange juice? – May I have some more honey?
We can’t count juice or honey – only glasses, litre, tins, kilos, …
Am – Is – Are
The forms of to be in the present simple tense
| Long form
I am You are He is She is It is We are You are They are |
Short form
I‘m You‘re He‘s She‘s It‘s We‘re You‘re They‘re |
Example
I am late. You are clever. He is happy. She is hungry. It is cold. We are late. You are sleepy. They are great. |
| Negation
I am not late. You are not clever. He is not happy. She is not hungry. It is not cold. We are not late. You are not sleepy. They are not great. |
Negation short form
I‘m not late. You aren’t clever. He isn’t happy. She isn’t hungry. It isn’t cold. We aren’t late. You aren’t sleepy. They aren’t great. |
Question
Am I late? Are you clever? Is he happy? Is she hungry? Is it cold? Are we late? Are you sleepy? Are they great? |
Imperative
Commands are also known as the imperative form. There is no difference if you give a command to a single person or to a goup of people – the form of the verb is the same. Put the verb in the infinitive form without “to” at the beginning of the sentence, you don’t use a subject and end the sentence with an object.
1. Tell someone to do something
Put out the rubbish.
Take an umbrella with you.
Turn off the TV.
Negative form: to make commands negative, put “don’t” or “do not” before the verb.
2. Tell someone not to do something
Don’t shout at me.
Don’t open the window.
Do not stay out too late.
Polite form: if you want to use the polite form, then add the word “please“.
Polite form
Please don’t shout at me.
Please tell me your phone number.
Hand out the books, please.
Help me with the homework, please.
The Plural of Nouns
Regular Plural Forms
We form the plural of a noun with the singular + s
parrot – parrots / apple – apples / girl – girls
Nouns ending with y if a consonant is written before. —-> ies
lolly – lollies / story – stories / strawberry – strawberries
BUT! boy – boys / toy – toys / bay – bays
Nouns ending with ch, x, s, sh, o —-> es
class – classes / brush – brushes / box – boxes
Some nouns ending with f, fe, lf —-> ves
knife – knives / wolf – wolves / life – lives
BUT! chiefs, safes, cliffs, handkerchiefs
Irregular Plural Forms
| man – men | woman – women |
| goose – geese | ox – oxen |
| foot – feet | mouse – mice |
| person – people | tooth – teeth |
| louse – lice | child – children |
Special Plural Nouns
You can use singular or plural with nouns like family, class, police, team, army, band, choir, class, club, crew, company, firm, gang, government, orchestra, party, staff, etc.
Some nouns are identical to the singular form:
| bison – bison | deer – deer |
| fish – fish | moose – moose |
| series – series | species – species |
| sheep – sheep | offspring – offspring |
Special Plural Nouns
You can use singular or plural with nouns like family, class, police, team, army, band, choir, class, club, crew, company, firm, gang, government, orchestra, party, staff, etc.
In British English the plural is used more often than in American English.
If the group acts in unison (as a group), use a singular verb:
My family lives in Miami. – All the members living under one roof.
The team was successful. – You see the team as a group.
If the group acts individually, use a plural verb:
My family live in towns all over Florida. – Each individual is living a separate life in a different town.
The team were successful. – You see the single members of the team.
Possessive Case
The Possessive case is used to express that something belongs to someone or to show a relationship between two or more people. We show this ownership by adding an apostrophe and an s to the noun if the noun is a person or an animal. We use the word “of” if there is a relation between two or more things.
With persons and animals:
| Singular: ‘s
This is Tom‘s bike. This is Kathy‘s mother. |
Plural: s’
These are the boys’ bikes. This is the girls’ mum. |
‘s with irregular plural forms: These are our children‘s cell phones.
‘s or s’ with people’s names ending in “s”: This is Charles’ / Charles‘s car.
To express an ownership for two or more people put the ‘s to the final name: This girl is Ken and Bob‘s sister.
With things: of
The colour of the table is black.
The second chapter of this book.
Possessive Adjectives
Possessive Adjectives are used to show that something or someone belongs to a person. It shows a relationship. The Possessive adjective is always used with a noun.
I like my new mountain bike. She does her homework.
| Person | Personal Pronouns | Possessive Adjectives |
| singular | ||
| 1st | I | my |
| 2nd | you | your |
| 3rd (male) | he | his |
| 3rd (female) | she | her |
| 3rd (thing) | it | its |
| plural | ||
| 1st plural | we | our |
| 2nd plural | you | your |
| 3rd plural | they | their |
Present Simple
We use the present simple to express habits, facts, thoughts and feelings. It is also used with general statements and actions that are repeated. It is formed with the base form of the verb, except the third person singular where you have to add an “s”.
KEY WORDS: often, always, never, every day, month, usually, sometimes, generally, normally, rarely, seldom, whenever, on Mondays, Tuesdays, etc.
Present Simple Statements
| I, YOU + PLURAL
They go to school. I like oranges. We hate peppermint. You have a cold. Monkeys (= They) eat bananas. Bob and I (= We) go shopping. Jim and Carol (=They) sing a song. |
HE, SHE, IT + S
He wants an ice cream. She likes hot dogs. It drinks milk. The dog (= It) hates cats. Ann (= She) hates chewing gums. Bob (= He) speaks English. My mother likes singing. |
| NOTE:
– es after – s / – ch / – sh Examples: passes – watches – finishes – ies if there is a consonant before the y Examples: study – studies / carry – carries but play – plays do – does / go – goes / have – has |
Present Simple Negation
| DON’T (do not) + VERB
They don’t go to school. I don’t like oranges. We don’t hate peppermint. You don’t have a cold. Monkeys don’t eat snakes. Bob and I don’t go shopping. Jim and Carol don’t sing a song.
DOESN’T (does not) + VERB He doesn’t want an ice cream. She doesn’t like hot dogs. It doesn’t drink milk. The dog doesn’t hate cats. Ann doesn’t hate chewing gums. Bob doesn’t speak German.
|
TO BE, CAN, MUST –> VERB + NOT
They are not (aren’t) at home. The boys are not (aren’t) in the park. I am not (I‘m not) hungry. We can not (cannot / can’t) swim. I must not (mustn’t) go out. My brothers can’t dance.
VERB + NOT She is not (isn’t) at school. It is not (isn’t) hungry. He can not (cannot / can’t) sing. Susan is not (isn’t) angry.
|
Present Simple Questions
That’s the way how to form Questions. The question word always comes first!
Questions with am – is – are – can – must – have got
Are they happy?
Is she a nice girl?
Can you swim?
Have you got a dog?
Where are the children?
What is the time?
What can you draw?
How many stickers have you got?
Questions with verbs – do, does
Do the boys play football? – Where do the boys play?
Do you like ice cream? – What do you like?
Do they like coffee? – What do they like for breakfast?
With he, she, it – does
Does she like hamburgers? – What does she like?
Does Carol play the guitar? – Where does Carol live?
Does an elephant eat nuts? – What does an elephant eat?
Question Words
Except the word “how” all question words start with the letters “Wh”. In the table below you have a list of all the question words with their meanings and an example of each of these words.
| I want to know the | Example | |
| What | Specific thing | What do you like best? |
| When | Time, occation | When does he get up? |
| Where | Place, position, location | Where do you live? |
| Why | Reason | Why are you late? |
| Who | Person | Who is that girl? |
| Whose | Person – 2nd Case | Whose pen is it? |
| Which | Choice | Which book is yours? |
| How | Manner | How can I get better? |
| How much | Quantity | How much is the dress? |
| How many | Quantity | How many shoes do you have? |
How much und how many have the same meaning, but their use is different. We use how much with uncountable nouns like money or liquids and how many with countable nouns.
Some or Any
We use some and any with uncountable nouns and with countable nouns in the plural when we don’t know the exact amount.
SOME
- In sentences you expect a positive answer and with demands
I bought some very nice postcards. Give me some orange juice, please.
- In polite questions or requests or if we expect the answer “YES”.
Would you like some more coffee? Do we have some time to go to the cinema?
ANY
- In questions: Have you got any blue shoes?
- In negations: No, I haven’t got any.
- In conditional clauses: If I had any, I would wear them.
- We use any with never, withoutand hardly: They hardly do any homework.
Compound words with some and any
They are used the same way as some and any.
Talking about people: somebody – anybody = someone – anyone
I didn’t know anyone at the meeting. I had to ask someone to find the hotel.
Talking about things: something – anything
We don’t have anything to eat. He saw something in his garden.
Talking about places: somewhere – anywhere
We didn’t go anywhere last weekend. They stayed somewhere near Manchester.