IELTS writings: IELTS Writing: Aritcles

Friday 13 February 2015

ARTICLES

Uncount nouns

• You cannot say a/an with an uncount noun.

• You cannot put a number in front of an uncount noun. (You cannot make an uncount noun plural.)

• You use an uncount noun with no article if you mean that thing in general.

• You use the with an uncount noun when you are talking about a particular example of that thing.

Count nouns

• You can put a number in front of a count noun. (You can make a count noun plural.)

• You can put both a/an and the in front of a count noun.

• You must put an article** in front of a singular count noun.

• You use a plural count noun with no article if you mean all or any of that thing.

• You usually use a/an with a count noun the first time you say or write that noun.

• You use the with count nouns:

◦ the second and subsequent times you use the noun in a piece of speech or writing

◦ when the listener knows what you are referring to (maybe because there is only one of that thing)

• You use an (not a) when the next word (adverb, adjective, noun) starts with a vowel sound.

Note:

• The above rules apply whether there is or there is not an adjective in front of the noun.

• Some nouns can be either count or uncount, depending on the context and meaning:

◦ Do you have paper? I want to draw a picture. (uncount = a sheet of paper)

◦ Can you get me a paper when you’re at the shop? (count = a newspaper)

• Uncount nouns are often preceded by phrases such as: a lot of .. (luck), a piece of .. (cake), a bottle of .. (milk), a grain of .. (rice).

•

• * Instead of an article, the noun can also be preceded by a determiner such as this, that, some, many or my, his, our, etc.

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