"A, An, The" Definitive and indefinitive article

Posted in Monday, September 6, 2010
by dangerakko

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I am from Seattle, Washington. Seattle is a city in the United States. It is near border of Canada in the northwest corner of the USA. I live in a town called Olympia which is on the Puget Sound. I live in a house in a street in the countryside. The street is called "Bear Street" and the house is old - more than 100 years old. I am an English teacher at a school in the center of the town. I like books and taking photographs. I usually have lunch at school. I usually go home by car. We have all kind of food in Olympia. I like Italian food very much. Sometimes, I go to Italian restaurant in Seattle. The restaurant is called "Luigi's". Italian food is great !
Here are the rules for when to use "A, An or The" :
* a = indefinite article (not a specific object, one of a number of the same object) with consonants
   - I work in a factory
   - She has a dog

* an = indefinite article (not a specific object, one of a number of the same object) with vowels (a,i,u,e,o)
    - Can I have an apple ?
    - She is an English teacher.

* the = definite article (a spesific object that both person speaking and the listener know)
   - The car over there is fast.
   - The teacher is very good, isnt he ?

*The first time you speak of something use "a, or an", the next time you repeat that object use "the".
   - I live in a house. The house is quite oled and has four bedrooms.
   - I ate in a Chinese restraurant. The restaurant was very good.

*DO NOOT use an article with countries, states, counties or prvinces, lakes and mountain except when the country is a collection of states such as "The United States"
   - He lives in Washington near Mount Rainer.
   - They live in northern British Columbia.

* Use an article with bodies of wate, oceans and seas
   - My country borders on the Pacific Ocean.

* Do NOT use an article when you are speaking about things in general.
   - I like Russian tea
   - She likes reading books.

*DO NOT use an article when you are speaking about meals, places, and transport.
  - He has breakfast at home
  - I go to university
  - He comes to work by taxi.