Indefinite particle a in English. Particles in English (particles). The definite article in a general sense

02.11.2019

Do you want to know what particles are in English and learn how to use them correctly in speech? Then this material is for you: types of particles, examples of use and a few simple grammar rules.

A particle (or Particle) is a representative of the service parts of speech. It does not change and does not have morphological forms, and is also not a member of the sentence; its main purpose is to emphasize a certain meaning of a word or statement as a whole, to give an emotional and evaluative coloring.

It was just the cat I had been looking for since Sunday. This is the cat I have been looking for since Sunday.

He didn't know if they had won the game. He didn't know if they won the match.

NB! It should be taken into account that some particles coincide in form and spelling with other parts of speech, for example, with adverbs (precisely - exactly, yet - yet, still - still), adjectives (even - even, right - directly), pronouns (either - too, all - completely). To determine which part of speech a word belongs to, refer to the context: particles do not have their own lexical meaning!

You should stay right here. “You should stand right here. Right - particle (to stand where? - right here).

You are right to say this. - You are right in saying that. Right is a short adjective (what are you? - right).

Types of particles in English: features of use

Grammarians do not distinguish clear boundaries for the classification of English particles, some words may belong to several groups at the same time. However, the following general semantic categories can be distinguished.

Refinement Particles

Used to clarify meaning. The brightest representatives:

Exactly - exactly
He came at 5 p.m. exactly. He came exactly at 5 o'clock in the evening.
Precisely - exactly, exactly
My brother paid for the costume precisely 100 pounds. My brother paid exactly 100 pounds for the suit.
Right - straight, exactly
Mary came home right in time. Mary came home just in time.
Just - precisely
Yes, I was talking just about this actress. - Yes, I was talking about this actress.

Boost Particles

They are emphatic in nature, reinforce the meaning of words. Included in this group:

All - absolutely
The party was over all too soon. The party ended too early.
Even - even
Even Michael decided to visit her new flat. Even Michael decided to visit her new apartment.
still
This child needs better treatment. This child needs even more thorough treatment.
Only - only
I want to get only this car. I only want this car.
But - only
Please, don't feel offended by Annie, she is but a little girl. Please don't be offended by Annie, she's just a little girl.

Learning to distinguish adverbs from “homonymous” particles

Restrictive-excretory particles

They play the role of a kind of “limiter” of meaning or draw the attention of the listener / reader to a certain meaning. This includes some of the particles from the previous group. Representatives: alone - only, merely - only, even - even, only - only and others.

NB! When assigning similar words to one category or another, pay attention to their role in the sentence.

Examples of the use of a restrictive-excretory particle in English are shown in the table:

negative particles

They express negation, refer to a single word or to the entire sentence.

Kate wished to travel around the world, not Fox. “Kate wanted to travel the world, not Fox.

He had no chance of getting acquainted with Liza. He didn't have a chance to meet Lisa.

A clear example of denial

They do not belong to any group, but are of interest to students of a foreign particle whether in English (expressed using the words if or whether) and the complementary particle ELSE (still).

I mean only his attractiveness nothing else. “I mean only his attractiveness, nothing more.

Everybody wondered whether they were married or not. - Everyone was interested in the question whether they were married or not.

As can be seen from numerous examples, particles mainly take place before the word being defined and only occasionally are placed after it. With the help of them, we make speech more emotional and expressive, but isn’t it worth striving for when learning any foreign language? Let this short article serve as a kind of compass in the grammatical sea of function words and let you learn more about particles and how to use them.

Rules for using the else particle (in English):

Brief material about particles in English with examples (in Russian):

A and an are called the indefinite article. The is called the definite article.

Indefinite article a used before words that begin with a consonant: a face, a camera. a used before u and eu when they are pronounced like y (/j/): a university, a euro.

Indefinite article an used before words that begin with a vowel: an arms, an onion. Also the indefinite article an used before words beginning with h, when h unreadable: an hour, an honor.

A series of articles will appear on the blog soon, in which the use of articles will be discussed in detail. This article covers only the main points.

A/an

Indefinite article a/an derived from the numeral one, and is used only with singular countable nouns.

The indefinite article is used in the following cases:

When we talk about a person and an object that mentioned for the first time, and unknown to the interlocutor or reader.

I've been to a concert recently. - Recently I went to a concert.

I live in a small town. - I live in a small town.

When we talk about any person or object from some class.

A triangle has three sides. - A triangle has three sides.

With titles professions or type of activity.

My brother is a pilot, and I am a student. My brother is a pilot and I am a student.

The

Definite article the derived from demonstrative pronoun that, and is used with countable nouns in both singular and plural.

The definite article is used in the following cases:

When we talk about a person or thing that previously mentioned in conversation or text.

I went outside and saw a car parked in front of my house. The car seemed familiar. I went outside and saw a car parked in front of my house. The car looked familiar to me.

When it is clear from the context or situation about which one the person or thing we are talking about.

I'm going to the supermarket. I am going to the supermarket (the one where I usually go).

could you open the windows? - Please open the window (window in this room).

When we talk about a person or an object, one of a kind.

The Moon revolves around the Earth in an elliptical orbit. The moon revolves around the earth in an elliptical orbit.

with adjectives in excellent degree.

You are the best mom ever! - You are the best mom.

5. With many expressions with of.

In the middle of the night

At the end of my holiday

The and the absence of the article

The is used in the following cases:

In the names of countries that are formed using the plural, or in which there are words Kingdom or Republic.

the United Arab Emirates, the netherlands, the United Kingdom

With the names of everything related to water: oceans, rivers, seas, bays, straits (except for the names of individual lakes, which are used without the article)

the Baltic Sea, the british channel, the pacific Ocean, the Persian Gulf

With the names of mountain ranges (the names of individual mountain peaks are used without the article).

the alps, the Apennines

With the names of the parts of the day.

in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening

With many prepositions of place and time.

on the right, at the bottom

The article is not used in the following cases:

With the names of most countries, cities and continents

Asia, Saudi Arabia, Beijing

With the names of individual mountain peaks and lakes

Mountblanc, Lake Titicaca

With precise indications of the day, month and time

on Monday, at nine o'clock, in July

With some prepositional phrases of place

at work, at home, in bed

School, university, hospital, prison, church, etc.

Compare:

1. Tim is studying mathematics at university. Tim is studying mathematics at the university.

There is a large park not far from the university. There is a big park near the university.

2. He will be hospital for two weeks. He will be in the hospital for two weeks.

Is there a chemist's shop in the hospital? Is there a pharmacy in the hospital?

3. The kids go to school by bus. The children go to school by bus.

There was a fire at the school last year. There was a fire at the school last year.

If someone is in a school/hospital/prison, etc., because he is a student/patient/prisoner, then the article not used.

If someone is in a school/hospital/prison for some other reason, or if we mean a building, then use the.

How well do you know this grammar topic?

Test yourself! You can find all online tests on the rules for using articles.

Particles in English (particles)

Particle- this is a service part of speech that does not carry any signs of action, nor characterizes the sign of a noun, but only gives some shade to a word or group of words. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish a particle from an adverb, so in the lessons they are referred to as adverbs. Usually comes before this word (group of words), but in some cases it can come after the word.

Particles can be divided according to their meaning:

Restrictive-excretory. The name shows that the particles highlight and limit a word: only(only), even(even), but(Besides), just(only), alone(only), only(simply). Example:

Only his son wanted to help me.

only

We looked for just our shoes.

amplifying- reinforce the meaning of the word: even(even), yet(for now) still(still), all(at all), just, simply(simply). Example:

Even I can't run this way.

The teacher still has hope.

clarification- clarifies the meaning of the word: right(straight), exactly(exactly) just(only). Example:

He stood right in front of me.

It was exactly two kilograms.

negative particle not. We have already encountered it many times, it gives a negative connotation to the proposal. Example:

The pupils do not know a right answer.

Complementary particle else- more. Example:

Can you give me something else?

As you can see, some particles can belong to several groups at once, depending on the context, while others coincide in spelling with other parts of speech. To determine whether the particle is in front of you, just look at the function of the word in the sentence, that is, it should not carry either an action sign or a noun sign, nor indicate the place of the subject (not a pronoun), but simply highlight this word from others in the sentence.

What does the particle to before verbs mean? Do you know the answer to this question?

Most English learners don't even think about it. Therefore, they make mistakes using this particle before each verb. When should it be used?

In the article I will answer this question and explain to you when to put to before verbs and when not.

What does the particle to mean and when is it used?

We use the particle to in English before the initial (indefinite) form of the verb. The initial form of the verb is a form that does not show us who and when will perform the action.

Indefinite verbs answer the question "what to do?" and “what to do?”. For example:

(what to do?) to write - write;
(what to do?) to see - see.

In English we call the indefinite form of the verb infinitive.

How to understand that we have an infinitive in front of us?

In Russian, we understand that we have a verb in an indefinite form at the end TH: skaz be, rice be, call t . In English, the endings of words do not change.

And here we come to the rescue particle to, which serves exactly as an indicator, which in Russian is the ending TH. That is, if we see a particle to before the verb, we can safely say that this verb is in the indefinite form: to say, to paint, to call.

If you look at the particle to and pronounce it, you will see that it is VERY similar to Russian TH but only at the beginning of a sentence.

I want to call my sister.
I want (what to do?) call be to her sister.

I forgot to give him his book.
I forgot (what to do?) yeah be him his book.

I will go to swim tomorrow.
I'll go (what to do?) swimming be tomorrow.

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When do we not put to in front of indefinite verbs?

Every rule has exceptions. Consider them:

1. When a verb in an indefinite form is preceded by a verb that expresses not an action, but a possibility, necessity, ability.

We call such verbs in English modal: can (I can), may (I can), must (should), need(necessary), should(should). After them, we do not use the particle to.

I can run fast.
I can run fast.

You must tell me the truth.
You must tell me the truth.

He should be more careful.
He should be more careful.

True, there are several modal verbs that are always used with the to particle: have to (must), oughtto(should).

They have to work hard.
They have to work hard.

She ought to help me.
She must help me.

2. After the verb let (give, let).

Let me know how you are.
Let me know how you are.

Let him say.
Let him speak.

3. After the verb make if we use it meaning "force".

You make me think about it.
He made me think about it.

He makes me smile.
He makes me smile.

4. If in one sentence there are two verbs in an indefinite form and between them is and or or (or), then before the second verb we do not put the particle to.

I want to sing and dance.
I want to sing and dance.

I don't know to cry or laugh.
I don't know whether to cry or laugh.

The difference between the particle to and the preposition to in English

It is very important not to confuse particle to with preposition to. Despite the fact that they are the same in sound and spelling, in fact they are two different words.

Particle to we use with the verb in the initial form.

Preposition to we use with nouns. To this preposition, we can ask the question "Where?". Let's look at a few examples.

Particle to

I like (what to do?) to read interesting books.
I like (what to do?) chita be interesting books.

I want to meet my friends.
I want (what to do?) meet be hanging out with my friends.

Preposition to

I go (where?) to the cinema today.
I'll go (where?) in cinema today.

Every day I go to my work.
Every day I go (where?) on the work.

Now together

I want (what to do?) to drink the water so I go (where?) to the kitchen.

I want (what to do?) drink be water, so I went (where?) on the kitchen.

When asking a question, we can easily determine whether the particle is in front of us or a preposition.

Summarize

1. We put the particle to before verbs in the initial form (infinitive).

2. There are exceptions when we do not use a particle: after modal verbs (see above), after let and make verbs, when in a sentence 2 verbs are connected by the preposition and/or (see above).

3. The particle to is used with verbs, and the preposition to is used with nouns. These are different words.

4. How to check if the to particle should be used or not? To do this, we ask the question “what to do?”, “what to do?”. If these questions sound logical, then we put to before the verb.

Think about it.
(What do you do?) Think about it.

I want to think about it.
I want (what to do?) to think about it.

I hope now you will not be confused where to put the to particle and where not. If you have any questions, ask them in the comments below the article.

Reinforcement task

And now let's check how well you understood where to put the to particle and where not. Put the verb in brackets into the correct form. Don't forget about exceptions.

For example: “She will go (play) tennis. - She will go to play tennis.

1. My sister can (run) fast.
2. (Look) at this picture.
3. I want (cook) dinner.
4. Let him (help) you.
5. My friend forgot (call) me.
6. She decided (sell) her car.
7. He made me (buy) it.
8. You may (sit down) here.
9. I can (bring) your book.
10. We like (eat) sweets.
11. They should (write) it.
12. She wanted (drink) and (eat).

As always, write your answers in the comments. I will definitely check them out.

At the moment, the conversation will focus on the difficult, however, rather necessary rules for the use of articles.

Main types of articles

The article is the main determiner of a noun.. Before using any phrase, you need to think whether it is definite or indefinite, that is, you need to think about what kind of thing they mean: specific or any.

The article in English is considered an auxiliary word, a noun sign; which does not have its own meaning and there is no translation into Russian. There is no such combination in the Russian language. The article in English testifies to the category of definiteness or indefiniteness of nouns.

Distinguish the following articles of the English language

The indefinite article of the English language "Indefinite"

finds use in front of nouns for which they are first spoken or used for the first time in the text.

It has two grammatical configurations "a" and "an". This "a" form is used at the beginning of nouns beginning with a consonant, and the "an" form is used at the beginning of nouns beginning with a vowel.

In case the determinant is located at the beginning of the noun name, the grammatical expressions "a" and "an" are used in subordination to the 1st sound in the determinant phrase.

"Indefinite" came to us from the ancient language of the English, where the formation "an" acted as a numeral and denoted a unit. Actually, because of this, it is used only in combination with a noun. For example:

He is an engineer. - He is an engineer.

The definite particle "Definite" finds use with a noun. This particle owns the form "The" and is used at the beginning of phrases that begin with a vowel. The particle “The” was formed from the pronoun “That”, which in Russian means “that” or “those. In addition to the singular, the article is also used in the plural.

The absence of the particle "the"(meaningless particle "the") in English. It happens that "the" is not used at all. Because of this, it is called zero.

good morning! Good morning!

The use of the particle "the" with the names and surnames of people, and nicknames of animals

The sentence does not use the particle "the" when:

there is no definition ahead of this sentence:

I like Martha. - I like Martha.

in the case when an adjective is used in front of it"Little" - "small", dear - not cheap, lazy - lazy, honest - honest, etc.: little Mark - little Mark

when the particle "the" is followed by phrases title, rank, military, scientific or honorary title, which serves as the established figure of the call, that is, everything must be written in capital letters. But this is not extended to phrases that denote a specialty: teacher-teacher, painter-artist, and more.

in the names of close relatives. The use of non-common names in the form of a direct appeal to this family. Therefore, they are used without the “the” particle and are indicated in capital letters.

Don't tell father. - Don't tell dad.

The sentence uses the particle "the" in the case of:

Full name is indicated in the plural and means a single family:

The Sidorovs have moved. - The Sidorovs have moved.

there is a special meaning, expressed by an appendage, which stands at the end of the person's full name. Then the article can be transferred into the Russian language as a pronoun “that” or “that one”:

It is the Cameron who phoned yesterday. This is the Cameron who called yesterday.

at the beginning of the particle "the" a phrase is placed that denotes a specialty:

The engineer Matveev - Engineer Matveev.

The indefinite article is used in sentences when:

he stands at the beginning of the surname not in the plural, in order to depict this person as a member of that particular family:

For after all was he not a Klintons? “After all, isn’t he the Clintons?”

it is used with a name to determine the quality that coincides with it:

My husband is quite an Othello. “My husband is just Othello.

at the beginning of the full name in the meanings of the phrases "some", "someone", "some":

A Mr. wolf called you. - Some Mr. Wolf called you.

Using the Particle "The" with Place Names

The use of the particle "The" in geographical names, as well as in the names of objects in the city, is directly dependent on the traditions in the word, which are very difficult to explain.

The following are the general properties of the application of "The" in geography names:

The definite article "the" has found application in the names of the 4 sides of the world: the North-north, the South-south, the East-east, the West-west;

When a noun means direction, the particle "The" is not used:

We wish to head East. We wish to travel in an easterly direction.

You need to know that in the geography map, the name does not contain the "the" member.

- a certain particle "the" is not used with the names of lakes, if the expression "lake" is placed in front of it: Lake Michigan-o. Michigan, Lake Huron Huron.

Exceptions

the names of states and territories are considered such as the Argentine-Argentina; the Crimea-Crimea; the Ukraine-Ukraine; the Hague-The Hague, etc. The exception is the following words and phrases:
particle "the" with actual state names, including the following phrases: republic, union, kingdom, states, emirates;
particle "the" with the name of the geography of countries not in the singular: the Russian Federatio-RF; the United States; the United Arab Emirates-UAE.
particle "the" with the name of the mainland, state, village, located apart: the Moscow of the 19th century - Moscow of the nineteenth century; the Europe of the Middle Ages - medieval Europe.

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The use of the particle "The" with other proper names

The particle "The" cannot be used with street names and various monuments such as: Red Square-Red Square, Wall Street-Wall Street; Trafalgar Square - Trafalgar Square in the capital of Great Britain, Campus Martius-Champion of Mars,
Air and sea ports, railway station and subway: London Airport-London Airport; Kennedy (Airport) - Kennedy Airport; Barcelona Port - port of Barcelona; Paddington Station
adjacent bridges and nearby parks: Westminster Bridge Hyde Park Hyde Park in London; Central Park Central Park in New York;
magazines and newspapers: Time Magazine, National Geograohic - magazines.

Exceptions

These are the Arbat Arbat (in the capital of the Russian Federation), the Garden Ring Garden Ring (in the capital of the Russian Federation), the Via Manzoni Manzoni street (in Italy); the Gorki Park is a park named after Maxim Gorky (in the Russian Federation), and universities follow the example of universities, institutes, colleges, lyceums and others: Oxford - Oxford; Columbia University - Columbia University, Cambridge - Cambridge.

It is not necessary to use the word formation "The" with the names of printed publications in the area where it is absent in a real understandable language: Trud - the printed publication "Trud".

A certain particle "the" is used with the names of educational organizations:

theater institution;
cinema;
halls for concerts;
club rooms;
erections and some universal structures: the Great Wall of China, the Toronto Television Tower, the Kremlin, the Tower, the White House, the Berlin wall, the Royal Palace.

These definitions have many features, if the name of a building or house has a table of contents, which is expressed in the use of common names, consisting in the name of the individual and the name of any village, state institution, association or party; galleries of paintings, a museum institution, or Maidan; a ship or a group of musicians; hotel or cafe; various printed publications.

In addition, the particle "The" is not used with the phrase "NATO"; “Parliament Parliament.

The place of the particle "The" in the sentence

The particle "The", as a rule, is considered the 1st word of a series of nouns:

the last few days - the last couple of days.

If in a number of nouns there are word forms all, both, much (in the phrase much the same), half, twice, then, as a rule, the particle “The” is placed at the end of these expressions:

all the time - all the time;

In phrases with “as”, “how”, “so” and “too”, the particle “The” is placed at the end of the adjectives following these word formations:

It was so nice a day to stay inside. - It's been a very good day to spend in the building.

The use of the particle "The" in some phrases and sentences

The indefinite particle "The" fits into a number of constant phrases:

a few - several times;
a little

A certain particle "The" fits into several unchanged phrases:

by the way - by the way;
in the morning-sutra.

The particle "The" is not present in a number of constant expressions, such as a noun that is inseparable from a verb, in a number of verb-type expressions:

to ask permission - ask permission;
to be in bed - to be in bed, to be ill;

The particle "The" is not present with nouns that are inseparable from the preposition.

at breakfast (dinner, lunch, supper) - for breakfast (lunch, lunch, dinner);
at hand - near;

The particle "The" is not present in merged phrases of 2 nouns with a preposition.

arm in arm - hand in hand;
day after day - day after day.

Articles are objects used in front of nouns or expressions. Like adjectives, articles provide an opportunity to clarify the meaning of the noun that is used in the text.

Results

Articles are of two types:

*certain 'the'

* not defined 'a', besides its form 'an', used in front of a noun that starts with a vowel. The noun also has the ability to be applied without auxiliary particles.

It will not be difficult for a native speaker to recognize which article to use in a particular example, without even dwelling on it. Although if English is not your first language, there will be some difficulties in using particles of speech. In order to learn how to apply them correctly, you need to study separate simple and instructive rules and use them in life.

The "the" particle is set at the beginning of all modifiers that precede a noun.