Questions tagged [indefinite-articles]
An article is a word that combines with a noun to indicate the type of reference being made by the noun.
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"images with at least one defect" or "images with at least a defect"?
I'm writing a technical document with some coworkers, and none of us is a native English speaker. I'm writing about images (pictures) of mechanical parts with or without defects, and I want to refer ...
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Guideline for use of definite and indefinite articles in source code documentation
I have a doubt about proper use of definite and indefinite articles is source code documentation.
For example:
/**
* Opens the door.
*
* @param speed The opening speed in cm/s.
* @param alarm The ...
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Nary an X or/nor a Y
It is a well-known rule of English grammar that either takes or and neither takes nor. Nary comes from the phrase "ne'er a" and is considered a non-standard variant of not, e.g.:
Nary a ...
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Why is 'the' usage is incorrect in the sentence below?
We enjoy the life on this planet because of diversity.
why article 'the' is incorrect when used with 'life' ?
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"generally good practice" - Where to place an article?
Sometimes we need to say that something is a good practice. I don't understand where to place an article. I checked multiple sources and it seems they use it differently: before "generally", ...
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how to use indefinite articles with written and spoken initialism [duplicate]
I know we are to use “a” before words that start with a consonant sound and “an” before words that start with a vowel sound, but in the case of an initialism that have a vowel sound for first letter, ...
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"replaced with an empty string" vs "replaced with the empty string" - which is correct?
I would think that the latter is correct because there can be only one empty string, that is "", or equivalent ''. Yet the former reads somewhat more natural to me.
I came to think about ...
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From...to - how to use articles?
Is this part of a sentence correct?
...the flow of electrons from atom to atom and from molecule to molecule...
Or I should use articles?
from an atom to another one and from a molecule to another ...
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Using indefinite ("a") instead of definite ("the") article with "key to success"
I have almost exclusively heard this phrase with a definite article, such as;
The key to success (in TARGET) is to do ACTION.
Is it valid to use it with a indefinite article, to emphasize that ...
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Which is more natural "a wife" or "the wife"
It is a part of a short bio, and it goes more or less as follows:
"He lives in London with his wife, his son, and three cats"
If I wanted to use articles instead of "his", which ...
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What does the construction "indefinite article + adjective" mean?
I came accross sentences like these:
"blablabla" says a breathless Mrs Johnson.
"Dinosaur Jr. set to release new album mid-2016, says a nervous Lou Barlow"
Are breathless and ...
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The comma, the full stop, but an asterisk, and an ellipsis?
For what reason Wikipedia lists comma as the comma, full stop as the full stop, ampersand as the ampersand, but asterisk as an asterisk, and ellipsis as an ellipsis?
For what reason Wikipedia use ...
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How to understand which nouns are specific and which ones aren't
This is how most people would explain it:
I want to buy a new car. You want to buy some car. You don't know which one exactly, Toyota or BMW, which color, and so on.
The car parked near the baker's ...
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Definite/indefinite article when we talk about something that is known to some people only
We use the definite article for things that were already introduced to a reader or the ones already familiar to everyone.
A have a car. The car is red.
The Sun is yellow.
But what about things that ...
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Does the structure "an example of" take a plural or a singular noun or both?
For instance, are the following sentences grammatical, and do they mean the same thing or have different meanings?
Cheese is an example of protien-rich food.
Cheese is an example of a protein-rich ...
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Improper usage of Indefinite article [duplicate]
"Grammarly" tells me that sentence:
I am a bad table.
is correct, but the following sentence:
I am a bad trash.
is not correct.
Can you explain me why?
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Using an article plus an adjective without a noun and another article plus a singular noun [duplicate]
Please consider the following, guys.
I met a good and a bad mother on the way here
What I am trying to say: There were two mothers, one bad and one good.
Is it okay to use that construction? Or need I ...
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When "a" before plural form can be used?
On BBC website I have read the article "Coronavirus: How to open a hairdressers after lockdown". Why is "a" particle used before plural form of a noun? Isn't that incorrect?
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Phone, a phone, or the phone [closed]
Which option is correct and why? I want to talk about smartphones in general.
Phone is a distraction.
A phone is a distraction.
The phone is a distraction.
Thanks!
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Indefinite article with fuel and pleasure
Is food fuel or pleasure for you?
Do we need indefinite article in the question?
Can we really count pleasure/pleasures or fuel/fuels?
Your considerations please!
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Usage of articles with phrases
No article is used before a noun used in phrases as: to leave home, to send word, to catch fire, etc etc. Examples: He sent me word to see him. He left home. Here is my question: why do not these ...
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"There is good reason" vs "there is a good reason"
There was a similar question about the sentence without reason compared to without reasons.
However here I want to ask you, is it idiomatic (and in which particular parts of the world) to omit the ...
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Articles when describing commercial logos [closed]
I shoot stock photography and sometimes I post pictures showing logos of business corporations. Usually I use a phrase like "The logo of Orange S.A., a French telecommunications company" etc. Is this ...
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Why do some people write the indefinite article "a" before vowels? [duplicate]
According to the rule, the article "a" is for consonants and the article "an" is for vowels. Nevertheless, I have seen it frequently that many use the article "a" with both vowels and consonants. For ...
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"A low LDL level" vs "low LDL level"
Which is grammatically accurate :
"Mrs.Anna has a low LDL level"
Or
"Mrs.Anna has low LDL level"
I want to go with the first sentence.
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An adjective brings an article with it. What's the general rule?
I often notice that the presence of an adjective causes an article to appear where, in the absence of the adjective, there would not be an article. For example: here's a quote from William Dunham's ...
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the/a right person and the tallest person
Why is it 'tallest person' always only takes 'the,' and that 'right person' may sometimes take 'a' depending on what you mean?
I don't know how I should put it, but the 'comparative superlative + ...
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When considering titles of scientific papers, why are definite and indefinite articles omitted sometimes? [duplicate]
Is it a rule or is it a sign of bad English among foreign researchers and scientists?
Example: Observation of Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Entanglement on Supraquantum Structures by Induction Through ...
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a or the - in the sentence: or maybe i'm just copy pasting from the website i've just came across
I'm having trouble understanding what will sound more correct in the sentence when i'm describing some software functionality to a user and i'm what i could be doing with it.
Would it be "A website ...
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what is the difference between two sentence? why we use introductory subject [duplicate]
There is a man of the roof
A man is on the roof
both sentence are giving information.
my questions is why we use introductory subject?
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The syntax of 'a mere one stroke', 'a mere one game', etc
However, Bryson DeChambeau seized the lead by the end of Friday's second round and was a mere one stroke ahead of Reed and Erik van Rooyen.
(From Bleacher Report)
It seems that a here is not a ...
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I am confused which articles will be used in the questions mentioned below
I have done __ MBA in marketing from __ IIM.
I have done __ MBA in marketing from __ Indian Institute of Management.
Options....
An
A
The
No article
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Using articles before the subject of a sentence? [duplicate]
"Smartphone is very useful"
"Dog is loyal animal"
are these sentences incorrect? or do they require articles before the subjects? if yes, how to decide which article to use, definite or ...
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Indefinite article + superlative adjective
There can no more be a best possible world than there can be a largest number.
What does "a largest number" mean here? What is the difference in that sentence between "the" and "a"?
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Is the article a matter of 'location' and 'reference' and 'identification'?
If I have a concept in mind (let us say the concept of what dogs usually are) then I label that conceptual thought in my head : in this case - 'dog'.
To me, the concept 'dog' means a living creature ...
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Why do we use indefinite articles?
I was elementary school student
vs
I was an elementary school student.
Why is the first sentence incorrect? And why do we need that "an"??
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Difference between "Need assistance?" and "Need an assistance"? [closed]
Which is the correct way to write on a website and address my website's users?
1) Need assistance? Contact us by email...
or
2) Need an assistance? Contact us by email...
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"Architecture": Countable or Uncountable
Cambridge Dictionary lists "architecture" as uncountable noun.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/architecture
noun [ U ]
Thus, it shouldn't take indefinite article; it ...
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The usage of article 'an' in the following case [duplicate]
It is common to use
1a an historical event
2a an hotel
rather than
1b a historical event
2b a hotel
Why 'an' is used in such case?
user365900
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"played a main role" [closed]
Why is it "played a main role", not "played the main role" in the example statements below?
Before the invention of transistors vacuum tubes played a main role in electronics.
He played a main role ...
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Does 'throwback' require an indefinite article?
Should it be ‘a cheeky little throwback’ or just ‘cheeky little throwback’
Any help would be appreciated
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What's the correct articulation for abbreviated words? [duplicate]
How to articulate abbreviated words when the original word articulation conflicts the pronunciation of the word?
For example, I would say
A Facebook campaign for Donald Trump
But abbreviating ...
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"a" or "an" in MSc [duplicate]
When I was writing out a degree title, I recall the "rule"
"a" comes before a consonant
"an" comes before a vowel
but then I naturally used to say that "I have an MSc degree" just for ease of ...
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Should I use "the" in this case and why?
"Download (the) React repository".
I think "the" shouldn't be used in this case, because we already have the name of the repository.
But:
"Open React. Download the repository." - download the ...
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Usage of Indefinite Article
I am wondering whether both of the following sentences are acceptable:
(A) Only water bottles with "caps" are allowed in this area.
(B) Only water bottles with "a" cap are allowed in this area.
If ...
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"I am THE weekend engineer assigned to your ticket" or "I am A weekend engineer assigned to your ticket" [closed]
I understand this question is very similar to hundreds of previously asked ones, but we still cannot come to an agreement, and maybe we'll be fighting each other soon.
Which version is correct?
"...
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Why articles being ommited sometime? [closed]
Sometime before nouns there's no definite or indefinite articles like in this sentence (before representatives and congressional districts):
The House of Representative is composed of ...
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'On behalf of' usage
I have read many sentences making use of 'on behalf of' meaning 'as a representative of'. I know behalf is a noun, so when we could use 'on the behalf of' in a sentence? I consulted many websites, but ...
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Why would "an mule" be used instead of "a mule"? [closed]
As generally agreed and as extensively discussed in this question, "an" should be used in place of the more common "a" where the following word begins with a vowel sound.
I have ...
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"A larger" vs "larger" to describe the sample size of a study
I wrote a sentence: A study with a larger sample size is required to make more conclusive remarks.
Grammarly tells me it should be, "A study with larger sample size is required to make more ...
