Article determination of certain noun groups
Some English nouns present special difficulties in the use of articles. Here are 5 groups of them.
a) Morning, day, afternoon, evening, night. With regard to meaning and syntactic position the nouns can be determined by the zero (no article), definite and indefinite article.
No article is used before the above nouns when the idea of day, afternoon, night, morning, evening is meant. Day, afternoon and morning are used in the meaning «light» while evening and night — in the meaning «darkness». Hence the set expressions by day, at night, from morning till night, etc. The nouns may be attributed by the adjectives early, late. For example: It was early morning. Day broke and we set out for work. The sun set and night came. It was late evening. Day is for work, night for sleep.
The indefinite article is used when the nouns are modified by the descriptive attribute, and thus performs its classifying function: It was a foggy, frosty afternoon. (Not a clear, warm afternoon.) / spent a sleepless night. (Not a night full of sweet dreams.)
The definite article is used to denote a concrete morning, day, afternoon, evening and night. The nouns may be modified by the limiting attribute. For example: We spent the night in the mountains. (A particular night.) / will never forget the day I met her.
The definite article is always used with the nouns as part of adverbial phrases with the preposition in to denote a concrete, usually tomorrow, morning, day, afternoon, . etc.: / haven't got what you want now, but I can get it for you in the morning. I'll work in the evening. I'll have a sleep in the late afternoon. (Today)
b) Spring, summer, autumn, winter. These nouns can be determined by the 3 types of the article.
No article is used when the nouns denote the idea of the season. They may be attributed by the adjectives early and late. For example: It was spring. Winter is the season between autumn and spring. It was late autumn. I like summer.
No article is used before the nouns attributed by next and last, last autumn, next winter.
The indefinite article is used with the nouns modified by a descriptive attribute: It was a wet spring. It was a hot summer. It was a rainy autumn. It was a snowy winter.
The definite article is used to point to a concrete season of a year. The nouns may be modified by the limiting attribute. For example: It was the spring of 1987.
The summer was cold and rainy. It happened in the summer of 1990.
c) Breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea, supper. These nouns can have various article determination.
No article is used before the nouns when they arc not described by any attribute: We usually have breakfast at eight in the morning. What time do you have dinner? Mother is cooking dinner. It happened during lunch. She made a cake for tea. We had fish for supper.
The indefinite article is used with the nouns attributed by adjectives: We had a substantial breakfast. They had a nice dinner at a restaurant.
The definite article is used with the nouns when a concrete meal is meant. They may as well be modified by the limiting attribute. For example: The breakfast we had today was substantial. The dinner was a success.
d) School, college, university, hospital, church, prison. These nouns can also be determined by various articles.
No article is used before the above nouns when they denote the idea of those places. Most often they collocate with the verbs be and go: For example: She went to school at the age of six. (As a pupil) She started college last year. Did you go to university? (As a student) He had to go to hospital. He is still in hospital. (As a patient) They go to church every Sunday. I saw them at church. (As parishioners) The thief was sent to prison for a year. (For punishment)
The indefinite article is used when these nouns refer to a building, with or without an attribute. For example:
There is a school near my house. (Not a college, a church, or prison) A new hospitalis being built in this street. While travelling in the country we passed through a small village with an old church.
The definite article is used with the nouns to denote a particular school, college, university, church, etc.: The parents went to the school to meet their daughter's teacher. (To a concrete school, not as pupils) Where is the university? (A concrete university) The workmen went to the church to repair the roof. (Not as parishioners) She went to the hospital to visit her brother. (To a concrete hospital, as a visitor)
e) Bed, town. These nouns differ in terms of article determination and therefore should be described one after another.
Bed can be determined by the 3 types of the article.
The indefinite article before bed is used to denote a piece of furniture to sleep on, usually after there is, with or without an attribute: There is a comfortable bed in his room. There is a bed, a table, and a cupboard in the room.
The definite article before the noun is used to denote a concrete bed: The bed has never been slept in. The bed is not comfortable.
No article before the noun usually renders the idea of sleep or illness: It's time to go to bed. Is she still in bed? She likes reading in bed. (Before falling asleep) You look ill, you 'd better stay in bed.
Town can be specified by the 3 types of the article.
The indefinite article before town is used to refer to something which is larger than a village but smaller than a city: Stratford-upon-Avon is a small town on the Thames.
The definite article before town is used to denote a concrete town, or life in towns and cities: / want to go to the town where I was born. The town is small but beautiful. I prefer the town to the country.
No article before town is used to denote the nearest town or the chief city of an area in England, usually London: We cannot go shopping to town tomorrow. I was in town on business last week.
Ш EXERCISES
1. Comment on the use of the italicized articles and nouns they determine in the extracts below:
a) The origin of the name «Mother Goose» and how it came to be attached to collections of traditional children's rhymes has been a subject of scholarly research and discussion. It is claimed by some that she was really Mistress Elizabeth Goose, who is said to have lived in Boston about a hundred years ago, and who crooned nonsense jingles to a large and happy family of grandchildren.
b) The good teacher will be aware of what each of his pupils knows in terms of vocabulary and mastery of structures and grammar points. He will know what ground in the syllabus he has covered, where more practice is needed and who needs the practice.
c) The various branches of the Germanic family of language derive from the migrations of the Germanic tribes who lived in northern Europe during the Г' milleniumBC.
d) If you do not speak in the «right way», it could affect the impression you make at an interview or on the telephone, your credibility as a defendant in court, even the way your doctor treats you. There remains a conspiracy of silence about all this, but in Britain, perhaps more than in any other country, people are still often assigned to a social and educational category, and even to a level of intelligence, partly because of their accent.
2. Compare and explain the use of the italicized articles and nouns they specify in the following groups of sentences:
a) 1. Cultural life in England takes so many forms that a brief summary can only attempt to suggest its variety. 2. A vigorous cultural life in Scotland has as its highlight the annual Edinburgh International Festival, one of the world's leading cultural events. 3. He was the life and soul of the party.
b) 1. A large part of the house was destroyed by the fire. 2. She has been offered a marvellous part in the new film. 3. The best part of my job is all the travel it involves. 4. She lived there for the better part of her life. 5. In the play he plays the part of the policeman. 6. Working irregular hours is part and parcel of being a journalist.
c) 1. It will take you a long time to learn French properly. 2. What's the time! 3.The universe exists in
time and space. 4. Time does fly, and we are not getting any younger.
d) 1. I couldn't find a parking space. 2. Please save a space for me in the queue. 3. He satellite has been in space for a year. 4.In the space of ten miles the road rises 1000 feet.
e) 1. There is a fish market near here. 2. He can't find a market for his skills. 3. They sell mainly to the home market. 4.They have put their house on the market.
f) 1. Silence in court! 2. The defendant told the court that he had never seen the woman before. 3. He is well-known at court. 4.Are the players on court yet?
g) 1. He has sailed round the world. 2. She is a well-known character in the business world. 3.There is a world of difference between thinking about it and doing it.
h) 1. The injured man was lying on the ground. 2. Moles seldom come above ground. 3.The soldiers marched on a parade ground. 4.The curtains have white flowers on a blue ground.
i) 1. They have a charming home in London. 2. She came from a poor home. 3.India is the home of elephants and tigers. 4.Is he home from work yet?
j) 1. He became king on the death of his father.
2. Once upon a time there was a rich king in Baghdad.
3. The Queen Elizabeth II is the head of the British Commonwealth. 4. Elizabeth became queen in 1952. 5. He was sitting on a Queen Anne chair.
3. Insert proper articles where necessary into the texts below:
a) It was raining heavily as I was walking towards ... Metro station. There were very few people in ... street. ... road was slippery. Just as I was crossing ... road near ... Metro station, ... car came round ... corner. It was travelling very fast, at ... speed of 80-90 miles. It was clear ... driver was having difficulty in controlling it. Suddenly it hit ... lamp-post and turned over. At once I ran to ... car. I tried to help ... driver. But I could do very little. ... man's eyes were closed, there's ... lot of ... blood on his face.
b) ... Pygmalion was ... king of ... Cyprus and ... famous sculptor. One day he took ... piece of ... marble and began to sculpt ... statue of ... young woman. When ... statue was finished, it was more beautiful than any woman in ... world. ... marble girl seemed to be almost alive. ... Pygmalion looked at ... beautiful statue ... day after ... day, and soon he fell in ... love with it. He brought ... flowers to ... statue and often kissed it. Sometimes it seemed to him that ... statue moved and became warm. But he understood that it was only ... marble statue.
c) When in 1483 Edward died, his eldest son was to become ... king. But before it happened ... prince was taken with his younger brother to ... prison and they were never seen again. Richard became ... king of ... England. ... people said that he had murdered his younger nephews. Shakespeare's play «Richard III» and many history books show Richard as ... cruel king, but he lived in ... cruel times, and many king who are not known as cruel did ...
same things. It is ... murder of ... prince and his brother that make ... people angry. But was it Richard who murdered them? Nobody knows.
d) At ... dinner ... beautiful girl looks at ... young man sitting at another table. They smile at each other. It is ... end of... dinner. ... People get from their tables. Will ... young man come up to ... girl? Yes, he is walking to her. Then suddenly when he is near ... girl turns round and walks quickly away. This is ... beginning of anti-smoking advertisement in ... British cinemas. As she walks from ... dining room alone ... girl turns to us and says, «He smells like ... old ash-tray». ... British government has ... campaign against smoking. In ... film they say, «Smoking makes you unattractive».
e) Once upon ... time there lived ... noble lord and his lady. They had ... little son. He was seven years old and his name was Philip. ... boy had no brothers and sisters and so felt lonely. He often ran after ... butterflies in ... beautiful gardens. ... butterflies and ... flowers were his only friends. One afternoon Philip was missing, and nobody knew where he was. ... servants were sent along all ... roads, but they came ... home without hearing anything of Philip.
4. Translate the following texts into English using proper articles:
а) Около трехсот лет назад в Англии жил один храбрый моряк. Его звали Генри Хадсон. Много раз на большом корабле он уплывал далеко от английских берегов. Он мечтал пересечь Северный Ледовитый океан. Он трижды пытался сделать это, но
безуспешно. Каждый раз, возвращаясь домой, он [рассказывал друзьям о многих трудностях, с которыми ему пришлось столкнуться.
b) Один молодой человек был влюблен в прекрасную девушку. Однажды она сказала ему, что на следующий день она будет отмечать свой день рождения. Молодой человек очень обрадовался и сказал ей, что пошлет столько роз, сколько ей исполнится лет. Вечером он отправился в цветочный магазин. Зная, что девушке исполняется 22 года, молодой человек заплатил за 22 розы и попросил цветочника отнести их девушке на следующее утро. Когда юноша вышел из магазина, цветочник подумал, что назвал слишком высокую цену человеку, который является его постоянным покупателем, и потому решил прибавить к букету еще 10 роз. Так и ' поступил. А на следующий день молодой человек никак не мог понять, почему именинница так на него рассердилась.
c) У одного богатого фермера был друг, у которого росли вкусные яблоки. Однажды друг принес фермеру отличную молодую яблоньку, велел отнести ее домой и посадить. Фермер был очень рад подарку. Но придя домой, он не мог решить, куда ее посадить. «Если я посажу яблоню у дороги, яблоки сорвут прохожие, а если посадить у дома, то ночью яблоки могут украсть соседи,» — подумал фермер. Наконец, он посадил яблоню в лесу, где ее никто не мог увидеть. , х
CHAPTER III
Adjective
Definition
The adjective is a part of speech which denotes the property of substance. This is the nominative class of words though functionally limited as compared with nouns. This means that adjectives are not supposed to name objects: they can only describe them in terms of the material they are made of, their colour, size, quality, etc: red, white, big, high, long, good, kind, happy. Therefore they find themselves semantically and syntactically bound with nouns or pronouns: We bought white paint. We painted the door white. She is a happy woman. She is happy. He made her happy.
The exceptions are substantivized adjectives, i.e. those that in the course of time have been converted to nouns and therefore have acquired the ability to name substances or objects: The bride was dressed in white. You mix blue and yellow to make green.
The substantivation of adjectives may be either complete or incomplete. In the case of complete substantivation, words like a native, a relative, a conservative, an alternative, a cooperative, a derivative, a savage, a stupid, a criminal, a black, a white, a liberal, a radical, a general, a corporal, a Russian, an American, a Greek, a Hungarian, a weekly, a monthly and so on share all the nounal grammatical characteristics: number, case, the ability to be used with the definite and indefinite articles: a native,