- •The article
- •§ 1. General notion.
- •Class Nouns.
- •§ 2. The use of the indefinite article with class nouns.
- •§ 3. The use of the definite article with class nouns.
- •§7. Names of persons.
- •§ 4. The use of articles with class nouns modified by attributes.
- •§ 5. Nouns of material
- •§ 6. Abstract nouns
- •Use of articles with proper nouns
- •§ 8. Geographical names.
- •§ 9.Names of hotels, ships, newspapers and magazines.
- •§ 10. Names of cardinal points.
- •§ 11. Names of months and days.
- •§ 12. The use of articles with nouns modified by proper nouns.
- •§ 13. The use of the indefinite article with nouns in set expressions.
- •§ 14. The use of the definite article with nouns in set expressions.
- •§ 15. Nouns in set expressions used without an article
- •§ 16. The use of articles with predicative nouns.
- •§ 17. The use of articles with nouns in apposition.
- •§ 18. Class nouns used in address take no article.
- •§ 19. The use of articles with the nouns day, night, morning, evening.
- •§ 20. The use of articles with names of seasons.
- •§ 21. The use of articles with the nouns school, college, bed, prison, jail.
- •§ 22. The use of articles with the noun town.
- •§ 23. The use of articles with the names of meals.
- •§ 24. The use of articles with names of languages.
- •§ 25. Few, a few, the few; little, a little, the little.
- •§ 26. Two, the two; three, the three, etc.
- •§ 27. The second, a second,
- •§ 28. Last, the last.
- •§ 29. Next, the next.
- •§ 30. A number, the number.
§ 26. Two, the two; three, the three, etc.
Two means ‘два’. The two means ‘оба, те два’.
Two students entered the room.The two friends travelled together.
§ 27. The second, a second,
The second is an ordinal numeral meaning ‘второй’.The second attempt proved more successful than the first.
A second means ‘another, one more’. Having eaten the gruel, Oliver asked for a second portion.
In the third, a third, the fourth, a fourth, etc. we see the same difference in meaning. He made an experiment which proved his theory. He made a second, a third, a fourth experiment with the same results,
A second time means ‘once more’. I rang the bell, but nobody answered it, so I had to ring a second time.
§ 28. Last, the last.
Nouns modified by the adjective last are always used with the definite article except in the expressions last month, last year, last week, last summer (winter, autumn, spring).
The last word remained with George. Last summer, in Switzerland, he was quite well.
§ 29. Next, the next.
Next means ‘будущий’ when referring to time: next month, next week.
The next means ‘следующий’: the next room, at the next lesson. Next time means ‘в следующий раз’. We shall discuss this matter next time.
§ 30. A number, the number.
A number of means ‘many’. It is rendered in Russian by много, ряд. The number means ‘число, количество’.
His father and a number of his cronies were in the dining-room. The number of mistakes he makes is startling.
OMISSION OF THE ARTICLE
Sometimes the article is not used where we naturally expect to find it in accordance with the rules. No change of meaning is observed in these cases. The article is often omitted in newspaper headings, telesrams in stage directions.
Gas Blast Kills Woman. Girl Gymnast Keeps Title.
The article is often omitted with homogeneous members closely connected and joined by the conjunction and. In most cases they go in pairs.
The breakfast was taken away, and that meal over, it was the general custom of uncle and niece to separate.