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Here are the basic rules for when to use "A, An or The":
a = indefinite article (not a specific object, one of a number of the same objects) with
consonants
Eric has a dog.
Gregory works in a factory.
• an = indefinite article (not a specific object, one of a number of the same objects)
with vowels (a,e,i,o,u)
Can I have an apple?
Donata is an English teacher.
• the = definite article (a specific object that both the person speaking and the listener
know)
The car over there is fast.
The teacher is very good, isn't he?
• The first time you speak of something use "a or an", the next time you repeat that
object use "the".
I live in a house. The house is quite old and has two bedrooms.
I ate in a Vietnamese restaurant. The restaurant was not very clean.
• DO NOT use an article with countries, states, counties or provinces, lakes and
mountains except when the country is a collection of states such as "The United
States".
My uncle lives in Cumbria near Lake Windermere.
They live in Bristol.
• Use an article with bodies of water, oceans and seas -
I live on a small island in the Baltic Sea.
• DO NOT use an article when you are speaking about things in general
I like Indian tea.
Simon likes reading books about linguistics.
• DO NOT use an article when you are speaking about meals, places, and transport
He has breakfast at home.
I go to university.
Magda comes to work by taxi.
• Read the following description
• I am from Winchester, Hampshire. Winchester is a city in the United
Kingdom. I live in a town called Taunton which is on the River Tone. I live in
a house in a quiet street in the countryside. The street is called "Hudson
Street" and the house is old - more than 100 years old! I am an English
lecturer at a college near the centre of the town. I like books, music and
taking photographs. I usually have lunch at college. I usually go home by
car. We have all kinds of food in England. I like Polish food very much.
Sometimes, I go to a Polish restaurant in Bath. The restaurant is called
"Magda's". Polish food is delicious!
PREPOSITIONS
1 - PREPOSITIONS OF TIME
These prepositions are used to show the time and date of events, activities and situations:
Structure: At:
at + particular time: dawn, midday, noon, night, midnight, nine o'clock etc.. e.g. at dawn.
at + calendar festival season: Christmas, New Year, Easter etc.. e.g. at Easter.
at + meal: breakfast, lunch, mid-morning, tea, dinner, supper etc.. e.g. at breakfast.
Structure: On:
on + particular part of a day: Friday morning, Saturday afternoon. e.g. on Sunday evening.
N.B.
On the nineteenth of March is how this date is read aloud or said in conversation.
on + calendar festival day: Christmas Day, Palm Sunday. e.g. on Easter Sunday.
Structure: In:
in + the + a part of a day: the morning, the afternoon, evening. e.g. in the afternoon.
in + historical period of time: the Dark Ages, Pre-historic Times. e.g. in the Middle Ages.
N.B.
No preposition is used if the day/year has each, every, last, next, this before it:
These prepositions explain how long an event, activity, situation has continued:
Structure: For:
for + a period of time: two days, one week, three months, four years e.g. for the weekend.
e.g. Michael went to Latvia last year for three weeks. - past
My cousin will be visiting the West Indies for two months next February. - future
Structure: Since:
since + a point of time + past tense: last week, the war ended, 1990, yesterday.
e.g. My sister and her husband have worked in India since 1991.
These prepositions explain a period of time in which an event, activity or situation took place:
Structure: During:
during + a noun or phrase: the war, the nineteenth century: e.g. during my schooldays. This
phrase can be used with all verb tenses: past, present, future.
e.g. Magda received many telephone messages during the last week. - past
Structure: While:
while + subject + verb: to eat, talk, swim, walk etc.... This clause can be used with all verb
tenses: past, present, future
N.B. In English, While can often be replaced by when and retain the same meaning.
Structure: Before:
before + a noun: Monday, Christmas, examinations etc.. e.g. before the weekend.
before + subject + verb: to eat, study, swim, talk. etc.. All verb tenses can be used.
before + infinitive + -ing (Present Participle): to read, write etc.. e.g. before eating.
Structure: After:
after + noun: the lesson, the meal etc. e.g. after the journey
after + subject + verb: to draw, sit, read etc.. All verb tenses can be used:
e.g. Patricia was very happy after she won the tennis match.
Why did the Queen smile after the President shook her hand?
after + infinitive + -ing (Present Participle): to decide, say, report etc.. e.g. after crying.
Usage: By, until, till:
By means not later than and can be used with all verb tenses.
Until/till explains how long an activity continues, will continue or has continued and can be
used with all verb tenses.
N.B. Until/till have the same meaning: till is a short form of until.
Structure: By:
until/till + noun describing time/date: examples: next week, this evening, tomorrow.
e.g. Tom's wife will stay here until/till the end of next week.
From . . . . . to/until defines the beginning and end of a period of time, present, past or future:
From + time/day/date/year to + time/day/date/year and can be used with all verb tenses.
Each day, Arthur works in the bank from nine till five thirty.
At, on and in are prepositions of place and show the position of people, places and things:
Structure: At:
at + the + place: the cinema, theatre, school, cross roads etc.. e.g. at the bank.
at + specific place: Heathrow Airport, Buckingham Palace: e.g. at Notre Dame Cathedral.
at + specific address including the house number/name: e.g. at 33 rue de La Fayette, Paris.
N.B. In English, at is not normally used with names of villages, towns and cities.
Structure: On:
on + a/the + surface of a place or object: shelf, wall, floor, ceiling etc.. e.g. on the table.
on + levels of a building: first floor, second floor, top floor etc.. e.g. on the ground floor.
on + parts of the body: his foot, her leg, our heads etc.. e.g. on his left arm.
on + a/the + types of transport: horse, bicycle, train, foot etc.. e.g. on the ferry, on a horse.
in + named places: Buckingham Palace, the Louvre etc.. e.g. in Windsor Castle.
in + the + geographical regions: Auvergne, Lake District etc.. e.g. in the Alps.
in + streets, roads, avenues: Moniuszki, Fish Street etc.. e.g. in Stratford Avenue.
in + the + rooms and places: kitchen, bedroom, foyer, auditorium etc.. e.g. in the bathroom.
in + the + weather: sun, rain, hail, snow etc.. e.g. in the fog.
in + parts of the body: his foot, her leg, our heads etc.. e.g. in his foot.
in + a/the + types of transport: car, train, van, lorry, aeroplane, ship e.g. in a train.
Prepositions: Exceptions:
B: Some expressions are used without a/the, here are some common examples:
at school in bed
at home in business
at school in hospital
at school in prison
at work
at university
at 37 k.p.h.
C: Both on and in can be used for types of transport and parts of the body:
On is used when the part of the body/type of transport is the most important detail.
D: At and in can be used with places which can contain large numbers of people: cinema,
theatre, church, stadium etc..
e.g. At school, there are forty teachers and four hundred pupils. - no movement
G: The preposition by is often used with transport when the type of transport is very important:
the common examples are: by aeroplane, bicycle, horse, car, ferry, horse, lorry, ship, train
e.g. The businessmen travelled to Africa by aeroplane and in Africa, they travelled by car.