Books or the books?
Your goal
Choose no article for general plural or uncountable nouns, and the when your listener can identify the things you mean.
Change one small word; change the meaning
I like books. Books in general.
I like the books you recommended. A particular set: your recommendations.
The choice depends on what you mean. The second sentence is not a correction of the first.
General ideas: often no article
With a plural noun: Bicycles are useful for short journeys.
With an uncountable noun: Music helps me concentrate.
These statements are not about a particular group of bicycles or one particular piece of music.
Particular things: the
The bicycles outside our flat belong to our neighbours.
The music at last night’s concert was wonderful.
Your listener can identify which bicycles or which music you mean. The works with singular, plural and uncountable nouns.
One new item: a or an
I found a notebook. The notebook had a blue cover.
A introduces one countable item; the points back to it.
A/an follows the next sound: a small museum, an unusual photograph. Advice and information are uncountable: use some advice or a piece of advice, not an advice.
A useful extra pattern
Formal writing can use the + a singular noun: “The bicycle changed everyday travel.” This means the invention, not one bicycle.
Try it in context
For tasks 1–7, write a, an, the or — (no article). Use the meaning given in the sentence.
- __________ music helps me concentrate. I mean music in general.
- I really enjoyed __________ music at last night’s concert.
- In general, __________ bicycles are useful for short journeys.
- __________ bicycles outside our flat belong to our neighbours. I mean those particular bicycles.
- Yesterday I visited __________ small museum that I had never heard of before.
- Inside, I saw __________ unusual photograph of the town.
- I found a notebook on the bus. __________ notebook had a blue cover.
- Correct the sentence: “I liked the these books.”
- Correct the sentence: “She gave me an advice about the interview.”
- Complete both sentences with the or —. Then explain the difference:
“__________ coffee helps me wake up.” (Coffee in general.)
“__________ coffee you made this morning was delicious.”
Make it yours
Write two pairs about your own life. In each pair, make one general statement and one statement about particular things. Try books, food, films or music.
Answers and why
Reveal answers and explanations
- — music
Music is uncountable here and refers to music in general. - the music
The concert identifies the particular music you enjoyed. - — bicycles
A plural noun with no article makes a general statement. - the bicycles
The speaker identifies a particular group outside the flat. - a small museum
One new, previously unknown museum. The next word small begins with a consonant sound. - an unusual photograph
One new photograph. The next word unusual begins with a vowel sound. - The notebook
We already know which notebook: the one found on the bus. - I liked these books.
These already identifies the books. Do not put the before these. - She gave me some advice about the interview.
Advice is uncountable. “She gave me a piece of advice about the interview” is also correct. - — coffee / The coffee
The first sentence is about coffee in general. The second identifies a particular coffee: the one you made this morning.
For teachers
Ask “Which things do you mean?” before asking for an article. Keep the zero-article symbol out of the completed sentence. The optional bicycle example is generic singular; do not treat the as always meaning one specific object.
More practice
Read the matching English lesson on LingvoBerry
Lesson, activities and visual guide © LingvoBerry. CC BY 4.0.
