Indefinite article

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1. Sounds
The indefinite articles are A or AN.
We use A before a consonant-sound.
We use AN before a vowel-sound.
The difference depends on the sound of the vowels and consonants, not the spelling!
2. Examples
a teacher
a peach
a woman
a house
a man
a useful book
a university
a European		an English teacher
an orange
an old woman
an hour
an honest man
an heir
an honour
an Irish person
3. Use
A or AN is used before names of professions:
He is a painter.
My sister is studying to be a doctor.
It's really nice to be a student.
A is used before words like couple, dozen, hundred, thousand, million, ...:
A couple of years ago I was living in Britain.
There were a thousand people in the stadium.
A or AN means 'every' or 'each' in some expressions of time, speed, price,...:
She visits me twice a year.
He drives 50 miles an hour.
Don't put A or AN before uncountables:
I don't like milk.
Silence is golden.
We're having soup for lunch.

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Definite article

Posted by Unknown

1. Sounds
The definite article is THE.
It is used for singular and plural.
The pronunciation differs before a vowel or consonant.
The difference depends on the sound of the vowels and consonants, not the spelling.
2. Examples
THE / ð¶ /
 		THE / ði: /
 
a teacher
a peach
a woman
a house
a man
a useful book
a university
a European		an English teacher
an orange
an old woman
an hour
an honest man
an heir
an honour
an Irish person

Explanation of the symbols: these symbols help you to use the correct pronunciation.
/ ð¶ / You pronounce / ð / it like th in these. You pronounce the / ¶ / like e in answer
/ ði: / You pronounce / ð / it like th in these. You pronounce the / i: / like ee in see
3. Use
THE is used before names of instruments:
I play the piano.
My sisters play the violin.
My teacher plays the guitar.
Don't put THE before names of meals, except when we talk about a particular meal:
Dinner is served.
What time do you have lunch.
BUT: The dinner we had yesterday was delicious.
Don't put THE before names of seasons, except when we talk about a particular season:
We have a long holiday in summer.
Flowers bloom in spring.
BUT: The winter of 1966 was the coldest in history.
No THE before names of mountains:
Mount Everest is 8,862 metres high.
We stood on top of Etna.
No THE before abstract nouns used in general use:
I love nature.
Life is short.

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Personal pronouns

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1. Subject pronouns
I
you
he
she
it
we
you
they		refers to the speaker
refers to the person spoken to
refers to a male person
refers to a female person
refers to a thing or an animal
refers to the speaker and one or more persons
refers to the people spoken to
refers to people or things
2. Object pronouns
me
you
him
her
it
us
you
them		refers to the speaker
refers to the person spoken to
refers to a male person
refers to a female person
refers to a thing or an animal
refers to the speaker and one or more persons
refers to the people spoken to
refers to people or things

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Possessive adjective

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1. Form and examples
my
your
his
her
its
our
your
their		My name is Sean.
What's your dog's name?
Is this his car?
Her car is a Mini.
Its nest is high in the tree.
Are our parents at home?
Your tests are good.
Their rooms are nice.

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Genitive

Posted by Unknown

1. Form and examples
my
your
his
her
its
our
your
their		My name is Sean.
What's your dog's name?
Is this his car?
Her car is a Mini.
Its nest is high in the tree.
Are our parents at home?
Your tests are good.
Their rooms are nice.

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Prepositions of place

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1. Prepositions: the ball is ... the square(s)
inonaboveunderto the left of
to the right ofbetweenin front ofbehindagainst

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Plural

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1. Regular
General rule: singular + S:
girl - girls
boy - boys
Nouns ending in -S, -SS, -SH, -CH, -X get -ES:
box - boxes
bus - buses
Some nouns ending in -O behind a consonant get -ES:
potato - potatoes
tomato - tomatoes
Nouns ending in -Y behind a consonant change -Y into -IES:
lady - ladies
baby - babies
Some nouns ending in -F or -FE change -F(E) into -VES:
knife - knives
wife - wives
2. Irregular: learn them by heart!
man
foot
woman
tooth
goose
mouse
louse
child
penny		men
feet
women
teeth
geese
mice
lice
children
pence
3. Always singular, always plural
Some nouns are always plural:
clothes, jeans, trousers, shorts, people,
police, glasses, scissors, mathematics
Some nouns (abstract, materials, kinds of food) are always singular:
bread, tea, cheese, jam, soup, soap, snow, cotton,
wood, water, information, advice, knowledge, furniture
Some nouns have the same form for singular and plural:
Names of kind of fish: cod, herring, salmon, trout, ...
Names of some animals: deer, sheep, swine, ...

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