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What's the English Grammar Tip for this month?

This month's English grammar tip is "The Definite Article and The Indefinite Articles". These articles are the most frequent mistakes found in authors' writings. Even 'native' English speakers and writers make the very same mistakes. If you are writing English, then you must understand this grammar. It's very easy!  Read more...


 

ENGLISH

GRAMMAR TIP


What's The

English Grammar Tip For This Month?


"Definite and Indefinite Articles"

These are the most frequent errors that are found in all authors' writing.

Even 'native' English speakers and writers make these very same mistakes.

So for this month - we will examine "Definite and Indefinite Articles"

(PLUS "PREPOSITION" TIP - AN EXTRA TIP!)

No.1 Grammar Error for Authors – “the” “a” “an” – (Definite and Indefinite Articles).

This is the No.1 error throughout all of the copy editing of manuscripts – be they Scientific Manuscripts, Academic Articles, Thesis, Dissertations, CVs, and so on.

Should it be the ‘Definite Article’ – or an ‘Indefinite Article’?

That is the question faced by all authors.   Even the ‘native’ speakers of the English Language make this query and same mistake too.   So do not feel alone!

In fact, most (ESL & Scientific) authors leave both the Definite Article and the Indefinite Article out altogether – without even considering if it is necessary at all.

So what is the answer and what are the rules?

In the English Language, there are three Articles: “the”, “a”, and “an” – “the” is named as being the Definite Article (before a singular or plural noun), while “a” and “an” are called the Indefinite Articles (before a singular noun beginning with a consonant sound, or before a singular noun beginning with a vowel sound).

In simple terms, the Definite Article (the) is used before a noun that is “specific” – for example: “The researcher found that the values were higher than expected” – i.e. there was 1 (one) specific researcher, known to the reader.

Alternatively, for the Indefinite Article - “A researcher found that the values were higher than expected” – i.e. ‘a researcher’ is “not specific”, it could be any researcher, anywhere in the world.

For a noun beginning with a vowel, or with a vowel sounding letter, such as "a, e, i, l, m, o, r, u" – use "an" instead of "a".

This is not always easy to understand and it takes a person with a great knowledge of English Grammar to get this one absolutely correct.

The above explanation is very simple and it will help you – but to be fulfilling, all of this needs a further detailing from an English teacher.   Exceptions to this rule are "UFO", "university" and so on - with them only using "a".    There are always exceptions in the English language.

PRS Proofreading Services will expand on this explanation in more detail in the very near future.   But for now, the above is enough to "get your head around" (idiom = meaning "to understand").

Please Contact Us if you need any further assistance on this one right now.

There will be more on this topic again very soon.   Stay tuned.

EXTRA!              PREPOSITION TIP              EXTRA!

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