The use of the definite, the indefinite and the zero articles
As a general rule, the definite article accompanies a noun that is, as indicated by the context, known and the indefinite article accompanies a noun that is, as indicated by the context, unknown. The zero article is used in various and diverse ways.
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Definite article
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A noun is indicated as known by the context when:
| 1. it is unique |
| 2. it is clearly referred to |
| 3. it has been previously mentioned |
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Indefinite article
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A noun is indicated as unknown by the context when:
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1. it is an indefinite representative of a class of things |
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Zero article
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The zero article is used in various and diverse ways:
| 1.in plural, if the indefinite article has a singular number |
| 2. as a representative of a class of things in plural |
| 3. in singular, when it indicates the material something is made of or with collective nouns |
| 4. with abstract ideas |
| 5. with temporal noun phrases without a preposition |
| 6. with noun phrases of quantity |
| 7. with proper names |