In grammar, the article is the word class that precedes the noun to determine it in a particular or general way.
There is two types of articles:
- defined articles: o, os, a, as;
- indefinite articles: one, one, one, ones.
You definite articles determine a specific subject. That is, they are used to specify and particularize something for the reader or receiver of the message.
Defined article example: I met the math teacher yesterday.
In this case, the interlocutor specifies that he met the math teacher, someone who in a way to define exactly who the teacher is by specifying and particularizing the person.
already the indefinite articles approach a subject in a generalized way. They are used to point out something or someone that is not specified in the speaker's context.
Indefinite article example: I met a math teacher yesterday.
In this case, the person is not concerned with defining or particularizing the person he met, so he used an indefinite article.
Examples of definite and indefinite articles
- I found O geography teacher at school - singular definite article;
- I found a geography teacher at school - indefinite article in singular;
- I talked with The girl from my street - singular definite article;
- I talked with at girls from my street - definite article in the plural;
- I will call you boys to play ball tomorrow - definite article in the plural;
- I will call some boys to play ball tomorrow - indefinite plural article;
- I called The nanny to help me - singular definite article;
- I called one nanny to help me - indefinite article in singular;
- I talked with The doctor about my daughter's case - singular definite article;
- I talked with some doctors about my daughter's case - indefinite plural article.
The use of articles
noun one word
In addition to preceding a noun, the article can also substantiate a word. That is, if the word is not a noun, but an article is placed before it, it is automatically transformed into a noun.
Example: In between O love and O hate, i prefer the first one.
Love and hate are verbs, not nouns. However, the definite article “the” was used to precede the two and, consequently, substantiated them.
See also the meaning of substantive.
Shows gender and number
Articles also have the function of helping to identify gender (female and male) and number (singular and plural) within a sentence.
Examples: O of; The lettuce; The lime; O bus; you bus; some women; The women.
Indicates an approximate amount
when the announcer it does not have precision of the quantity of something, it uses indefinite articles to get as close as possible to the estimated quantity.
See also the meaning of singular and plural form.
Example:
- this happened ago some 20 years.
- There was some 200 people at the lecture.
Combines with prepositions
When an article is combined with a preposition, it forms a new preposition. See the examples:
- Preposition “in” + article “o” = at the;
- Preposition “a” + article “a” = à;
- Preposition “of” + article “os” = From;
- Preposition “in” + article “one” = in.
Some special cases of the correct use of articles
- After "whose(s) and whose(s)" the article is not used
Example: The student, whose focus is to pass the entrance exam, you will be rewarded if you study hard.
- In possessive pronouns the use of articles is optional
Example: “I found my friends last night” or “I met my friends last night.”
- If the name of a newspaper, magazine or institution begins with an article, one article is not combined to become a preposition
Example: I read the news in A Newspaper.
See also other grammar topics:
- Conjunction;
- How to use the backstroke;
- nominal complement;
- Metaphor and Metonymy;
- Verb;
- Ellipse;
- Morphology;
- Lexicon;
- Euphemism;
- Prayer;
- Vocative;
- Subject;
- Adjective;
- Pronoun;
- Part of speech;
- Adverb.