| THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE | Use of a/an
| Examples
| | 1. Before a singular countable noun, when it is mentioned for the first time and represents no particular person or thing:
| I can see a book on the table. They live in a flat.
He bought an ice-cream.
| | 2. Before a singular countable noun which is used as an example of a class of things:
| A child needs love = All children need/Any child needs love.
| | 3. With a noun complement. This includes names of professions:
| My friend is a manager. She'll be a dancer.
| 4. With certain numbers.
Before half when half follows
a whole number.
But  kg = half a kilo, though
a + half + noun is sometimes possible.
With ,  ,etc a is usual:
| a dozen, a hundred, a million (but one dozen, one hundred, one million is also possible).
 kilos = one and a half kilos or
a kilo and a half;
a half-holiday, a half-portion,
a half-share;
a third, a quarter etc., but one is also possible.
| | 5. In expressions of price, speed, ratio etc.:
| 5p a kilo, sixty kilometres an hour, four times a day; (Here a/an=per)
| | 6. Before a singular countable noun after the word whatin exclamatory sentences and after the wordssuch, quite, rather:
| Such a long queue! Such long queues! What a pretty girl! What pretty girls! She is still quite a child.
It is rather a difficult problem.
| | 7. With the nouns in the function of apposition. But when the apposition refers to a well-known person the is used:
| The report was made by Petrenko, a student of our University.
Jack London, the great American novelist, was born in San Francisco.
| | 8. In a number of set expressions: a lot of, a great many, a great deal of, a good deal of, a great number of, a good many, a couple, a little, a few, at a speed of, at a time when, at a time, in time, on a large (small) scale, all of a sudden, by bus (train), to be in a hurry, to be in a position, to be at a loss, it’s a pity, for a short (long) time, as a result of, as a matter of fact, to have a good time, to have a mind, in a loud (low) voice, to have a look, to have a headache, to take a sit, to have a cold, to go for a walk.
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Date: 2015-12-11; view: 1484
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