Chapter 5- Articles and Determiners

Topic 1- Definite and Indefinite Articles.

Definite and Indefinite Articles

Articles are words like “a”, “an”, and “the” that we use before nouns (things, people, or places) to talk about them in more detail. Let’s learn about the definite and indefinite articles in simple words!

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1. Indefinite Articles: “A” and “An”

• What are indefinite articles?
  We use “a” and “an” when we talk about something for the first time or when it’s not specific. We don’t know exactly which one we mean.
• When do we use “a”?
  • We use “a” before words that begin with a consonant sound (a letter that is not a vowel: a, b, c, d, etc.).
  • Examples:
    • I saw a dog in the park. (We don’t know which dog, just any dog.)
    • She has a pencil. (It’s just any pencil, not a specific one.)
• When do we use “an”?
  • We use “an” before words that begin with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u).
  • Examples:
    • I ate an apple. (It’s any apple, not a specific one.)
    • He is reading an interesting book. (Interesting starts with an “i” sound, so we use “an.”)

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2. Definite Article: “The”

• What is the definite article?
  We use “the” when we talk about something that is specific or known. We know exactly which one we mean, or the person we are talking to knows.
• When do we use “the”?
  • We use “the” when the noun is already mentioned, when there is only one of something, or when both the speaker and listener know exactly what we’re talking about.
  • Examples:
    • I saw the dog that you mentioned. (We know exactly which dog.)
    • Can you pass me the pencil? (There’s only one pencil we’re talking about.)
    • I went to the park yesterday. (Both the speaker and listener know which park.)

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Quick Review

• Indefinite Articles:
  • “A” is used for words that begin with a consonant sound.
    • Example: I saw a cat.
  • “An” is used for words that begin with a vowel sound.
    • Example: I ate an orange.
• Definite Article:
  • “The” is used for specific things or things that are already known.
    • Example: I saw the movie you talked about.

Topic 2- Demonstratives

Demonstratives: This, That, These, Those

Demonstratives are words we use to point out or show something. They help us tell if we’re talking about something that is close to us or far away. The words we use are this, that, these, and those.

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1. This and That (For One Thing)

• This:
  We use “this” when we’re talking about one thing that is close to us. It’s for something that is near.
  • Examples:
    • This is my book. (The book is near me.)
    • Look at this dog! It’s so cute! (The dog is close by.)
• That:
  We use “that” when we’re talking about one thing that is far from us. It’s for something that is not near.
  • Examples:
    • That is my school. (The school is far from me.)
    • I don’t like that shirt. (The shirt is far from me.)

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2. These and Those (For More Than One Thing)

• These:
  We use “these” when we’re talking about more than one thing that is close to us.
  • Examples:
    • These are my toys. (The toys are near me.)
    • I love these cookies! (The cookies are close to me.)
• Those:
  We use “those” when we’re talking about more than one thing that is far from us.
  • Examples:
    • Those are my friends over there. (The friends are far from me.)
    • Do you see those stars? (The stars are far in the sky.)

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Quick Review

• This: Used for one thing that is close.
  • Example: This is my pencil. (The pencil is near me.)
• That: Used for one thing that is far.
  • Example: That is a beautiful mountain. (The mountain is far away.)
• These: Used for more than one thing that is close.
  • Example: These are my shoes. (The shoes are near me.)
• Those: Used for more than one thing that is far.
  • Example: Those are nice houses. (The houses are far away.)

Topic 3- Quantifiers

Quantifiers: Some, Many, Few, and More

Quantifiers are words that help us talk about how much or how many of something there is. They are used to tell us if there is a lot, a little, or just a few of something. Let’s look at some common quantifiers!

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1. Some

• What does “some” mean?
  We use “some” when we talk about a small amount or a few things. It’s not specific, but we know there is at least a little.
  • Examples:
    • Can I have some water? (Just a little bit of water.)
    • There are some apples on the table. (A few apples, but not a lot.)
• “Some” is also used in positive sentences or requests.

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2. Many

• What does “many” mean?
  We use “many” when we talk about a large number of things. It is used for countable nouns (things we can count like apples, books, or people).
  • Examples:
    • I have many friends. (I have a lot of friends.)
    • There are many cars in the parking lot. (A lot of cars.)

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3. Few

• What does “few” mean?
  We use “few” when we talk about a small number of things, but it’s not as many as we want. It usually means not enough or very few.
  • Examples:
    • I have few toys. (I don’t have many toys.)
    • There are few people at the party. (There aren’t a lot of people at the party.)

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4. A Few

• What does “a few” mean?
  “A few” means a small number, but it’s more than just a couple. It’s positive and usually means enough.
  • Examples:
    • I have a few pencils. (I have some pencils, but not too many.)
    • There are a few cookies left. (There are still some cookies, not many.)

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5. Much

• What does “much” mean?
  We use “much” when we talk about a large amount of something, but it is used for uncountable nouns (things we cannot count like water, milk, or air).
  • Examples:
    • There is much water in the bottle. (A lot of water, but we can’t count it.)
    • I don’t have much time. (I have little time, not a lot.)

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6. A Lot (of)

• What does “a lot of” mean?
  “A lot of” means a large amount or a large number of something. We can use it for both countable and uncountable nouns.
  • Examples:
    • I have a lot of books. (I have many books.)
    • There is a lot of food. (There is a large amount of food, but we can’t count it.)

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7. Any

• What does “any” mean?
  We use “any” when we talk about an unknown amount of something or when we are asking or talking about things that we don’t know exactly.
  • Examples:
    • Do you have any cookies? (We don’t know how many cookies.)
    • I don’t have any money. (I don’t have any amount of money.)

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Quick Review

• Some: A small amount or a few things.
  • Example: I have some candy.
• Many: A large number of things (for countable things).
  • Example: There are many books in the library.
• Few: A small number (but usually not enough).
  • Example: There are few cars in the parking lot.
• A Few: A small number, but enough or positive.
  • Example: I have a few dollars left.
• Much: A large amount (for uncountable things).
  • Example: I don’t have much time.
• A Lot (of): A large amount or number (for both countable and uncountable things).
  • Example: There is a lot of water in the pool.
• Any: An unknown amount, usually in questions or negative sentences.
  • Example: Do you have any milk?

Topic 4- Possessives

Possessives: My, Your, His, Her, Its, Our, Their

Possessives are words we use to show that something belongs to someone or something. They help us talk about ownership—who has something. The words we use are my, your, his, her, its, our, and their.

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1. My

• We use “my” when something belongs to me (the person talking).
  • Example: This is my book. (The book belongs to me.)
  • Example: This is my dog. (The dog belongs to me.)

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2. Your

• We use “your” when something belongs to you (the person we’re talking to).
  • Example: Is this your pencil? (The pencil belongs to you.)
  • Example: I like your shoes. (The shoes belong to you.)

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3. His

• We use “his” when something belongs to him (a boy or man).
  • Example: This is his toy. (The toy belongs to him.)
  • Example: That’s his bike. (The bike belongs to him.)

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4. Her

• We use “her” when something belongs to her (a girl or woman).
  • Example: This is her bag. (The bag belongs to her.)
  • Example: I like her dress. (The dress belongs to her.)

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5. Its

• We use “its” when something belongs to it (an animal, thing, or idea).
  • Example: The cat is licking its paws. (The paws belong to the cat.)
  • Example: The tree lost its leaves. (The leaves belong to the tree.)

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6. Our

• We use “our” when something belongs to us (the person talking and the people being talked to).
  • Example: This is our house. (The house belongs to us.)
  • Example: Our team won the game! (The team belongs to us.)

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7. Their

• We use “their” when something belongs to them (a group of people or things).
  • Example: These are their toys. (The toys belong to them.)
  • Example: I saw their car outside. (The car belongs to them.)

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Quick Review

• My: Belongs to me.
  • Example: My backpack is blue.
• Your: Belongs to you (the person we’re talking to).
  • Example: Is this your phone?
• His: Belongs to him (a boy or man).
  • Example: His hat is red.
• Her: Belongs to her (a girl or woman).
  • Example: Her bike is green.
• Its: Belongs to it (an animal or thing).
  • Example: Its tail is long.
• Our: Belongs to us (the person talking and others).
  • Example: Our school is big.
• Their: Belongs to them (a group of people or things).
  • Example: Their house is yellow.

PLEASE GO AND READ CHAPTER 6. *#THANKS FOR VISITING, VISIT AGAIN#* 😊