The indefinite article

The indefinite article a/an is used with countable nouns. The 'a' form is used with nouns ending in consonant while the 'an' form is used with nouns ending in a vowel (a,e,i,o,u)
As the name already gives us a hint, this article will turn the noun indefinite.
For example if we say:
I want a book - 'a book' could be any book ever published in this world. The article depersonalizes the noun.
Another example:
I want a good teacher to help me learn English - 'a good teacher'refers to any teacher who has the quality of being 'good'.
What if we say:

I want the good teacher I saw yesterday  help me learn English - in this case, the article  individualizes our choice, it refers to one, unique teacher.

Let's take these two diagrams:

The 'the good teacher' diagram contains only one element wile 'a good teacher' is represented by many X because there are many teachers who are good


As I said before,we can only use it with countable nouns-those nouns which can be counted
For example:
one book-two books
one cat-two cats

Uncountable nouns such as mass nouns, liquids...cannot be used with a/an:

*I want a water
*I want a gold.

Of course you will try to contradict me by saying that it is ok to say 'I want a beer/a tea/a coffe' and I will tell you WHY these structures are ok:
In the case of liquids and mass nouns (gold,meat,flour) we know they do not have any form. Beer,water,juice do not have a form like for example 'man/woman/pencil'. They take the form of the recipients where they are put.
For example :
-if you put coffee in a cup ,it will take the shape of the container and then we can individualize cup as now it is ' a cup of coffe'. Because of this, we can count it : one cup of coffe,two cups of coffe.
In the everyday use, the container is left out so instead of saying:
a cup of tea we say a tea,
instead of a bottle of beer we say a beer.
Do not forget that in such case we are able to count them because we have a container .
We cannot count *one water, *two waters but we can say : 'one bottle of water, two bottles of water'.

More details about uncountable nouns and a list of quantifiers will be available in the 'Noun' chapter.

Let's come back to our discussion.

The indefinite article refers to the kind of a thing, a representative of the species or of the kind.

A cat is a mammal.
A flower is a plant.

Here you can see in the diagram another case when we use the indefinite article:

As you can see, there is only one cat I bought my mother - 'the cat' but 'a cat' is a feline by definition,it represents the species.Any cat is a feline. The diagram contains all the animals we call 'cat' because if the characteristic applies to one representative , it will apply to the rest of the species.
Of course, there is no plural indefinite article so :

Cats are animals.
Flowers are plants.

Questions?Doubts? Leave me a comment and I will reply

101 amazing exercises for practising the definite article!!!

I have created 101 exercises for you to test and learn in depth everything about the definite article. This insane training session will definitely train your brain and your ability of using the definite article.

Here you have the exercises together with the key.

Enjoy it and don't forget to share your treasure with others

Definite article exercise

Fill in the fields with the definite article (the) when necessary. You may need to put some nouns in plural.

1. … are very independent animals (wolf)

2. When you look at … , you can see many clouds (sky)

3. … are tourists' favourite destination. (Alps)

4. … always want the best for their children.(parents)

5. When I take … I always pay for my ticket. (bus)

6. I don't like travelling by … (bus)

7. There is a big difference between … and … (cat,dog)

8. There is a big difference between … of a word and … we pronounce it. (meaning,way).

9. We have to walk for 2 hours until we reach …. (castle)

10. … is very important for both men and women (beauty)

11. … is that we are out of money. (truth)

12. … does not bring … but it enriches it (money,happiness)

13.I don't have … for learning English (time)

14. Students don't have … necessary for studying 4 hours every day.

15. I want to go on a trip to …(Lake Ontario)

16. … plays a very important role in our life. (school)

17. My mother drives me to … every day.

18. ...is a very beautiful place in London (Hyde Park)

19.I watch...every day (television)

20.I love to travel by... (plane)

21....best way to relax is reading a book.

22....are very loyal (dog)

23....of ... is still to be revealed.(mystery, Maya)

24....mustn't ruin your life (sadness)

25.Can you show me... on the map? (Pacific Ocean)

26.I never have...in the morning. (breakfast)

27....I am going on a trip (Monday)

28.On...of June we celebrate my father's birthday. (three)

29. I have... on my shoes because I have been walking on ...(sand/beach)

30. ...is a natural resource (water)

31. In today's anatomy class we discussed about...(health)

32. ...is the land of promise for many people (United States of America)

33. My mother is preparing...(lunch)

34. Can you give me back ...you owe me? (money)

35. There are many people on ...(street)

36. Madrid is ...of Spain (capital)

37....is the American currency. (dollar)

38 Everyone wants to have... and ... (fame,money)

39.Today I am staying at ...(home)

40. I have to decide on...for this year. (holidays)

41... is the colour of the sky. (blue)

42. I would like to travel to ...(moon)

43. How is ...today (weather)

44. What...is it?( time)

45.Can you give me more details about ...and place of the accident? (time)

46. My friend has...of a mule (intelligence)

47. You need ...and ...to bake a cake (flour,oil)

48. I need help to do... because I don't understand anything (homework)

50. Our teacher gives us a lot of ...(homework)

51. I never go out at ...(midnight)

52. You don't have ...to kill animals (right)

53. If you want to get to the town hall you have to turn...(right) and then turn...(right/left)

54. I usually go to my native town in...(summer)

55. My brother was born in ...of 1986 (summer)

56. Today I will go to ...(cinema)

57. ...contains a lot of caffeine (coffee)

58....helps the development of our society (science)

59. She has a degree in...(philosophy)

60. I do ...every morning (bed)

61. Today I am staying in ...(bed)

62. ...were built by...(Pyramid, Egyptian)

63.... are huge constructions built in the name of gods (Pyramid)

64.The high content in ...makes...the best food choice (nutrient,fruit)

65. I want to have a walk in ...(park)

66.... shows how intelligent a person is.(IQ)

67.I am going to read a book about ...(sleep)

68.... is always right (mother-in-law)

69.I am going to ...(doctor)

70.She works in ...(hospital)

71.We went to ... to visit her.(hospital)

72.... have become more expensive.(loan)

73.I love spending time in ...(nature)

74.We have to do celebrate this event in ...(family)

75.My friend is dreaming of doing ...(catwalk)

76.My mom is preparing ...for me (luggage)

77....are kids' favorite treat. (sweets)

78.Can you please turn on ...?(light)

79.I sweeten my coffee with ...(honey)

80.This evening I am planning of listening to...(music)

81.My best friend invited me to... this evening (dinner)

82.I wake up at 7 am in ...(morning)

83.May I turn on ... because I cannot hear anything?(volume)

84.He is really keen on studying ...(accounting)

85.I am looking at the ... because I am afraid I will be late for ...(watch,school)

86.My father is looking for ...because he has been unemployed for the past 2 months. (work)

87.I wake up every day before ...and I come home after (sunrise,sunset)

88.The mechanic needs to change ...of my car (oil)

89.We are running out of ...in this house. (oil)

90.Every single day we hear ... about ... (news, greenhouse effect).

91.... is now one of the hottest topic of discussion on... (environment,television)

92.I have heard on ...that ...is getting better these days (radio,weather)

93.My sister is teaching me to play... although I like ...(tennis,chess)

94.I cannot eat... or ...because I am allergic to them. (fish, vegetable)

95.Since I am sick I take ... every 6 hours (medicine)

96.Have you checked ... to see what day is today? (calendar)

97.I bought a lot of presents for ...(Christmas)

98.Next week we celebrate ...(Easter)

99.I don't like to see ... and ... around the house (chaos,mess)

100.I never have ...when I go to the restaurant (dessert)

101.My favorite literary genre is ...(science fiction)

**********************************************************************

Answers:

1. (Wolves)

2. (the sky)

3. (the Alps)

4.(Parents)

5. (the bus)

6. (bus)

7. (cats,dogs)

8. (the meaning,the way).

9.(the castle)

10. (Beauty)

11. (The truth)

12.(Money,happiness)

13.(time)

14. (the time)

15. (Lake Ontario)

16.(School)

17.(school)

18. (Hyde Park)

19.(television)

20. (plane)

21.(The best way)

22.(Dogs)

23.(The mystery, the Maya)

24.(Sadness)

25. (the Pacific Ocean)

26. (breakfast)

27 (Monday)

28.(the third)

29. (sand/the beach)

30. (water)

31. (health)

32.(the United States of America)

33.(lunch)

34. (the money)

35. (the street)

36. (the capital)

37.(The dollar)

38 (fame,money)

39.(home)

40. (the holidays)

41. (Blue)

42. (the moon)

43. (the weather)

44. ( time)

45.(the time)

46. (the intelligence)

47. (flour,oil)

48. (the homework)

50. (homework)

51. (midnight)

52. (the right)

53. ( right/ left)

54. (summer)

55. (the summer)

56. (the cinema)

57. (Coffee)

58. (Science)

59. (philosophy)

60. (the bed)

61. (bed)

62. (The Pyramids, the Egyptians)

63.(The temples)

64.(nutrients,fruit)

65. (the park)

66.(The IQ)

67.(sleep)

68. (Mother-in-law)

69.(the doctor)

70.(hospital)

71.(the hospital)

72.(Loans)

73.(nature)

74.(family)

75.(the catwalk)

76. (the luggage)

77. (Sweets)

78.(the light)

79.(honey)

80.(music)

81. (dinner)

82.(the morning)

83.(the volume)

84.(accounting)

85.(the watch,school)

86. (work)

87. (sunrise,sunset)

88. (the oil)

89. (oil)

90. (news, the greenhouse effect).

91. (The environment,television)

92. (the radio, the weather)

93.(tennis,chess)

94. (fish, vegetables)

95. (medicine)

96. (the calendar)

97.(Christmas)

98.(Easter)

99. (chaos,mess)

100. (dessert)

101.(science fiction)

The definite article in English

As you all (may) know, in English we have two types of articles-definite and indefinite. Their very meaning offers us very useful information for better understanding their role.

The definite article -the

This article displays one of the features of the English language, which is it very simplified form. In Romance languages (French,Spanish,Italian,Portuguese) the definite article changes according to the gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural).
In English, nouns do not have the category of gender (English nouns are not masculine/feminine) so the article does not need different forms for masculine/feminine.
Even better, it does not even change in the plural.

Let's take some examples:

The boy is tall.
The boys are tall.
The girl is tall.
The girls are tall.

What you do need to know is that the article the has two pronunciations: the /thuh/ before a consonant and the /thee/ before a vowel (a,e,i,o,u)
for example: the /thuh/ dog
the /thee/ orange

When do we use the definite article? 

A first clue is given by the name- it is a definite article which means that it refers to a definite , known, limited category of people/objects etc
When we say : The boy is tall - this means that 'boy' is a known category (I know the person about whom I am talking )

We use the definite article to refer to a category in particular,to individualize a person or an object,an idea.

1.We add the definite article when we are talking about unique elements/objects such as:
the sun,the moon,the earth,the universe
There are not so many unique elements or concepts so maybe you should learn these few.

2.Common nouns can be used with or without the article,depending on the context.
The boys in my class are tall-I refer to a specific category.
Boys are generally tall.- I refer to a general category,all the boys have the same characteristic (that of being tall)

The cat I bought for Christmas is adorable -one in particular.
The cats I saw in the shop were adorable -a category in particular
Cats are adorable -the entire category

I go to school every day. -here we don't refer to a school in particular,but to 'that place everyone knows,which we call school'
The school is  very close to my house- here we refer to a particular school,where I go every day.

This rule applies to all common nouns.
There are,of course some exceptions such as :television, breakfast,lunch,dinner,supper.
We say :
I am watching television.
I am having breakfast.

3. Abstract nouns are used generally without an article:

• nouns showing characteristics:

Beauty is a characteristic of all women.
Greed destroys human relations.
Wisdom is an amazing gift.

 If we refer to a particular beauty,greed or wisdom, we say:
The beauty of this landscape is breath-taking.
The greed of this country will lead to war.
I believe in the wisdom of the ancient  stories.

• nouns representing abstract concepts,ideas:truth,freedom,justice,patience.

Truth is  a remarkable human value.
I love telling the truth.

We are fighting for freedom.
The freedom of speech is guaranteed in our society.

4. Nouns referring to national groups are used with an article:

The Spanish / the British are lovely people-in which case we refer to the Spanish people,nation.

5.We do not use articles with names of :

• continents
• countries

Exceptions: the Czech Republic, the United States of America, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom,

• islands

Exceptions:  when we are talking about a group of islands the Bahamas, the British Isles, the Canaries
cities

• mountains 

Exceptions: The Rocky Mountains, the Alps

• lakes-Lake Ontario

6. Seas,rivers,oceans have the articles

Make imagination your best teacher

The power of imagination is said to have no limit. You can move mountains,see yourself as the new manager or punch your enemy just by using...imagination.
But what is so wonderful about imagination? It can create real life situations,worlds in worlds,it is your training camp for real life.
Wouldn't it be great to use it for learning languages as well?
Of course,if you know how!
Many writing or speaking exercises ask you to imagine/think about real life situations and then speak about it or write down your thoughts.
But that is just a single exercise among other types (more or less boring) such as fill in or rephrase exercises.
Your teacher will not encourage you to imagine too much for fear of catching you day dreaming later on.
So I said that imagination help us recreate similar-to-real-life situations.How?By using words? Do you actually see words before your eyes or grammar rules when you are imagining a situation?
No.You are using concepts,mental images or representations.
The human brain works with 3D images.A word connects to one or mental concepts and even feelings (depending on the previous personal experience of the person.
Any type of thought,memory or idea is a concept at the mental level while when we talk we 'code' them into words and structures.
So one thing that can really help you learn really fast (and not forget everything afterwards) is imagining communication situations.
For example if you need to learn how to book a room ,you have prepared the vocabulary and you can use the present tense here is what you need to do:
1.write down the vocabulary you need
2.write down the grammar structures you want to use ( the more structured is your material the better things will go,as your brain works with logical structures)
3. imagine with full details for example how you enter the hotel,how you greet the receptionist,how you ask her about the information you need,her reaction,how you pay and all the actions you do.
4.The more involved you get,the better you use the rules. Why? Because in order to learn something you need to pay a lot to focus a lot. But you cannot focus on something that means nothing to you.
That is why you need to learn by creating contexts you are sure you are going to use (women will try to talk about fashion and shopping while men will talk about cars)

How to practice English by using your imagining situations :)

Let's take the following task (for beginner/pre-intermediate)
Make a dialogue in which you describe how you go to the hotel to get a room.
-Hello!
-Hello! I want a single room, with bathroom please
-One moment!What is your name?
-Allan Peter.I need the room for 2 days.
-Ok. We have room 28 for you. Do you want to pay cash or credit?
-I want to pay cash.
-Ok. Here is your key!Enjoy your stay!
-Thank you! Bye!
-Bye!

You can also add this to your dialogue:
The receptionist is friendly/nice.
She answers my questions
She smiles
I listen to the receptionist
The hotel is nice/beautiful/big/famous.
I see many flowers in the garden.
The sun is shining.
It is Monday.
I take out my wallet.
I pay for the room.
I leave the hotel.

There is a wide variety of small sentences you can make to add other type of information depending on what you want to learn.
What is good about it is that no matter what story you invent there is always a happy ending: you learn anywhere you are,in the bus,in your bed before going to sleep, you can do it once or twice per day,before an exam or talking to someone on the phone.It is the best rehersal you can get and the best way to test and improve your knowledge without the help of any teacher :)

'I know English but I cannot speak!'

Everyone is trying to learn or improve their English but sometimes we are not honest about our quest. We hesitate to start because it seems a too serious mission for us.We prefer instead going to the cinema and watch a movie and from time to time have a quick look at our iphone to see the translation of the unknown words.
We check stories and articles on Facebook and we get the general message but for some mysterious reason we cannot get engaged in a conversation with our English friends.
The typical reaction after such a failed attempt is :
"I know the words (their meaning was so clear when I read the article) and now when I put them together I speak like Tarzan's mother. And what's most I have learnt English all my life, I know English!!!!!!"

What students do not know is that :
1. If you have learnt English some time ago but you don't take the time to revise it from time to time it gets lost. Why? Because our mind works like that: new information tends to gradually replace old one. In order to keep it fresh you need to practice on a regular basis.
2. Many have the impression they know English but they cannot speak it or write it. Why? Well, learning a language involves developing several skills: speaking, listening, writing,reading. During the learning process all of them have to evolve. If for example you only watch movies you'll improve your listening skills or if you just read all day long you'll be able to understand written messages. If you want to speak-you definitely need to practise your speaking skills. The reading or writing will not replace your speaking ability.

Cure the fear of making mistakes

I have heard so many times the expression: 'I am very stupid.I cannot learn anything.I make only mistakes'.
Making mistakes is discouraging at first because they are many. And they should be like this. it is quite impossible to learn everything and never make mistakes,especially in the first stage of the learning process.
People are terrified about making mistakes because they were told mistakes are bad and they should be avoided.
In language learning mistakes are a fountain of knowledge. You need to experiment with language and sometimes you make mistakes.
The thing we need to learn about mistakes is that there is a lesson behind every mistake. Every time we say something wrong for example: 'I can to speak' we get corrected.
The right thing to do would be to learn the rule and apply it next time.
But many people repeat the mistake 2,3,10 times until they learn the rule.
If this is your case you need to be patient with yourself and not expect too much. Allow yourself the necessary time to get used to the new structures.
Tip: When I was learning English for the first time I used to write down the mistakes I made more than 2-3 times and the correct rule so that I could check it from time to time and see if I have learnt the rule

Mental exercises are the key!

Now, let's see...do you hate learning? Most people will say yes,it is not at all enjoyable.
How do you make it more enjoyable?
Well the first thing you'll need to know is that in order to learn and improve your language you need to apply it in your daily activities.
Many people say they do not have time or with whom to practise English as a second language. They go to class,come back home,write their homework, read some texts,listen to some music in English and that is about all.
Well,my dear friends, there is another way of constantly improving your English:

MENTAL EXERCISE

If you learn today , for example how to use the present perfect or the passive voice, you can do the following exercise:
1. You start with a structure like: 'I learn English'
2. Then you change the tense: I have learnt English
3.Then you add an adverb which combines with present perfect e.g. : I have learnt English all day

You can create even your own mental stories with characters of your own. This is a very good technique of creating new structures and improving the ones you already know.

Why should anyone learn English?

Difficult question,right?
Well, I must confess I have taught English for 5 years now and I know for sure that we all need to have some basic knowledge of English.
Sadly, we do not always have time to lean it as we should. We do our best to go to classes, listen to the teacher but still, we do not always understand why we need to learn so many rules and when we need to apply them.
The secrets which nobody tells you when yo go to class (they don't mention them in the books either)
1. Language is a logical system in which the grammar elements are kept only if they are performing a role. Actually we use the elements such as the pronouns or the articles because we do need them.
2. Grammar is not a system we learn to speak correctly. We learn it to express our thoughts correctly and be understood by others. We need to reflect real time situations as clear and accurate as possible using the language elements.
3. If we know HOW to use language we have a very powerful tool in our hands.' Oh,really?' you will say. Well, yes :) Just think about historic speeches made by Aristotles,Plato etc.
4. We use grammar in any moment of our lives,daily for any kind of action :)
5. Basically we live, love,hate, give thanks,argue, stimulate, encourage, judge, lie, admit,react using...LANGUAGE