Search Results

The indefinite article "a" changes to "an" when used before a word that begins with a, e, i, o, or short u, ignoring any silent consonants. Use "a" for long u, whether it's spelled "eu" or just with a …

English singular nouns really want a determiner unless they are proper, they are being used abstractly, or they are talking about a type of X rather than an instance of X. Get team's iterations. …

For plural nouns, an indefinite article is not used - either the article is omitted or something like any or some is used. Take boards up to the top deck for me. Take some boards up to the top deck f …

Open the doors, I want to get a breeze. The meaning of breeze has a lot of aspects that make it work as an itemizable, separable "thing": breezes can have a start location and an end location bree …

A determiner answers the question "which?" Since a possessive in front of a noun answers that question, it assumes the function of a determiner and normally "takes the place" of an article, etc. …

Okay, choose something from this box. Does everyone have something in your hands? There are two things you can mean with this question. Choose one item from this box, any type. Choose one type …

Is the reader/listener expected to know which "bitterness" already? If so, use the. Otherwise use a/an. Example reasons why the reader/listener would be expected to know which "bitterness" before t …

There is a subtle difference. This type of economic policy can be harmful for any nation Any emphasizes that nations other than our own are included. You can think of this sentence as having a …

This train hasn't been mentioned before (and after, actually), and it's unlikely that the train played such a huge role in her life that it's worth calling it "The Train". All that the X typically m …

It should be an, because the word "adblocker" begins with a vowel sound (that isn't a long u or y). Whoever is telling you it should be a is wrong.

If you are referring to the quality of people working together as a team, then say teamwork - one word. But you have to be talking about people and not an activity. Work as a noun means "a productiv …

The X means the speaker is expecting the listener to know which specific X he/she is talking about, either from previous conversation, context, or shared experience/common knowledge. It can also be …

It's easiest if you just remember this: Basically, you don't use a/an with plural nouns at all. Why? Mostly because when you use a plural noun, you either: mean it as a type or abstractly (no art …

A property in a non-legal context would lean toward meaning "real property" - something like a house, building, or section of land. It would be rare to treat a dog like a house or real state, so you …

In {article} X of Y, the choice of article has nothing to do with whether there's an of Y there or not. Articles are used if the question "which X" is important or possible. Cars are a major sour …