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Articles

ARTICLES

 

A) the DEFINITE ARTICLE =                      the

B) the INDEFINITE ARTICLE =               a  or an

Some languages have lots of different words for 'the'.   This can depend on:

a) the gender (see NOUNS) of the noun it is accompanying: e.g. the table

If the word for 'table' happens to be feminine, then the word for 'the' may also have a feminine form.

b) the number (see NOUNS) of the accompanying noun, that is, whether the noun is singular or plural.

c) the case (see NOUNS) of the accompanying noun, that is, the function of the noun within the sentence, whether it is the subject, direct object or indirect object.

This is true of German, for example.

d) the first letters of the accompanying noun.  If that noun begins with a vowel, for example, the form of the article is often modified.  Italian, for example, has a more complex system and a larger number of articles than French. Not all languages require the use of articles.  Some languages require them where English does not and some do not require them where English does.

CONJUNCTIONS

Conjunctions are the words we use to join two or more sentences together:

e.g.  and, but, if, because.

John is an engineer.  He works in Coventry.

John is an engineer and works in Coventry.

I like learning Italian.  It is easy.

I like learning Italian because it is easy.