Managing Article Madness
You’ve come across a noun (a person, place, or thing). Now you need to decide whether to use a/an, the, or no article. There are exceptions to the following rules, but this information can help you to manage a lot of the frustrations that articles create.
First, ask whether the noun is a proper noun—a noun used for a specific person, place, or thing (e.g., President Obama, California, Santa Clara University, England)—or a common noun—a noun that is not used for a specific person, place, or thing and does not require capitalization (e.g., professor, assignment, education).
Dealing with Proper Nouns
If the noun is a proper noun, is it singular or plural?
| Noun Type | Article Rule |
|---|---|
| Proper + singular | no article |
| Proper + plural | definite article "the" |
Examples for proper + singular: They were excited to visit Santa Clara University. Neither of them had been to California before. We met up at the fountain near Benson Memorial Union.
Examples for proper + plural: the Broncos, the United Nations, the Golden State Warriors.
Dealing with Common Nouns
If the noun is a common noun, check whether it is specific (a noun that stands for a particular person, place, or thing).
| Noun Type | Article Rule | Notes/Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Common + specific | definite article "the" | We have tickets to the game on Sunday. I have to pick up the new textbook for my class at the bookstore. We are taking the freeway because it will take less time. |
| Common + unspecific + uncountable | no article | If it is unspecific and uncountable (i.e., a noun that takes the singular, even in mass form or quantity), it will not take an article (e.g., advice, homework). |
| Common + unspecific + countable | article | If it is unspecific and countable (i.e., a noun that can take the singular or plural form), it will often take an article (e.g., the road(s), a lab report, an apple, the photographs). |
| Common + unspecific + countable + singular | indefinite article "a/an" | Examples: a professor; an advisor. |
| Common + unspecific + countable + plural | no article | Examples: We use computers all the time. People are always looking at screens. They traveled many roads in order to get here. |
Key Reminders
- Specific, singular, countable nouns should always take an article or another determiner (e.g., our, their, my, your, its).
- Nouns that have been made more specific via modifiers will take the definite article (e.g., the left arm of the patient; the trip of a lifetime; the hopes of many).
