Using English Articles: Using English Articles (#8)

Dennis Oliver

Using English Articles (#8)

Because the English articles (a, an, the) are often very
challenging for learners of the language, the next several
Hints will provide guidelines on their usage.

_____________________________

The Definite Article The (#6)

Another use for the definite article the happens when
you are writing or talking about part of a group or unit.
In this situation, a quantifier with of is used before the
and a noun (which may be either a singular or plural
countable noun or an uncountable noun).

Examples:

One of the students in our class is from Qatar.

*****

Some of the cheese that we bought smells terrible!

*****

Most of the people at the meeting were bored.

*****

Many of the questions in the test were really easy.

*****

Can you eat more of the pie?

*****

Several of the apples in the bowl are rotten.

*****

Part of the apple that you gave me has turned brown.

*****

Much of the water in that stream comes from melted snow.

*****

I was able to watch more of the game than I expected.

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Special Notes:

Use the with of, but do not use the without of:

not this:		Most of people were bored.
not this:		Most the people were bored.
but this:		Most of the people were bored.
or this:		Most people were bored.

not this:		Some of cheese smells terrible!
not this:		Some the cheese smells terrible!
but this:		Some of the cheese smells terrible!
or this:		Some cheese smells terrible!

Notice another change when one is used, but
not of the:

One of the students in our class is from Qatar.

One student in our class is from Qatar.

Using English Articles: Using English Articles (#8)

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