The College of Saint Rose Writing Center, 2010

Articles and Nouns

An article is a word that identifies (or modifies) a noun. A noun may be a
person, place, thing, or idea. Each noun is also either a count noun (countable) or a
mass noun (uncountable). There are two types of articles: indefinite and definite. The
articles a and an are indefinite articles and the article the is a definite article. The
noun and its use in a sentence is the determining factor when considering which
article to use to modify the noun.

Indefinite Articles: A and An

Articles “a” and “an” are articles that are used when the noun is not specific
and used in a general sense. Each indefinite article also has specific rules for its use
in a sentence.
Indefinite Article: A
A is used when the noun is singular and begins with a consonant or with
a vowel that sounds like a consonant.

Examples:
“Riding a bike is one way to exercise and have fun at the same time.”
“Bike” is the noun in this sentence and starts with a consonant sound.

“A ukulele looks like a small guitar.”

“Ukulele” is the noun in this sentence and starts with a consonant sound.
Note: The “you” sound in “ukulele” is considered as a consonant sound.

“According to folklore, gold is found at the end of a rainbow.”

“Rainbow” is the noun in this sentence and starts with a consonant sound.

Indefinite Article: An
An is used when the noun is singular and begins with a vowel sound or
with a silent “h” (as in “hour”).

Examples:
“Dr. Thompson is an Oceanographer.”
“Oceanographer” is the noun in this sentence and starts with a vowel sound.

“Devin used an umbrella to stay dry.”

“Umbrella “is the noun in this sentence and starts with a vowel sound.

“It was an honor to receive the academic achievement award.”

“Honor” is the noun in this sentence and starts with a vowel sound.
 The College of Saint Rose Writing Center, 2010

Definite Article: The

The definite article the is used when the noun is either singular or plural, and has
already been identified.

Ask yourself:
? “Is the noun I want to use referring to a noun specifically mentioned or
described previously in my paper?”
If the answer is yes, then use the.
OR
? “Am I using the noun in a general sense?
If the answer is yes, then use a or an.

Example:

“Will and Bradley went pumpkin picking in early October. Just before
Halloween, they decided to make pumpkin pie out of the pumpkins. ”

 In this sentence, the noun is “pumpkins.” The definite article the is used because the
reader knows Will and Bradley are making pumpkin pie out of the pumpkins they
picked when they went pumpkin picking. These are specific pumpkins, not just any
pumpkins.

On the other hand, when using a more general use of the noun “pumpkin,” use
the article a:

Example:

“Everyone at the party made a dish to pass for either dinner or dessert. Tori made a
pumpkin pie to share for dessert.”
 In this example, the noun “pumpkin” is used in a general sense. The indefinite article
a is used because “pumpkin” is not a specific pumpkin and begins with a consonant
sound, not a vowel sound.
 The College of Saint Rose Writing Center, 2010

When not to use articles

In some cases, articles are not necessary to use in a sentence. There are two
specific instances in which articles are not required prior to the noun.

1) Articles are unnecessary before singular proper nouns that refer to a

specific place.

Examples:
“I want to visit Paris, France.”
“Paris, France” is the singular proper noun that refers to a specific place.
“Samantha spent a semester abroad in Spain.”
“Spain” is the singular proper noun that refers to a specific place.

Exception to the rule: Use the definite article the when referring to geographical
locations.

Examples:
“I spent my entire winter break in the Caribbean.”
“My favorite place to camp is in the Adirondacks.”

Example proving both the rule and the exception:

“Niagara Falls is a popular tourist spot located in the Northeast.”
“Niagara Falls” is a singular proper noun referring to a specific place and therefore does not
need an article, but the definite article is needed in the sentence when referring to the geographical
location of the tourist spot.

2) Articles are unnecessary when the noun, usually plural, is used to indicate a
general category.

Examples:
“Cat scratches may lead to a skin infection or even Cat Scratch Fever.”
The phrase “cat scratches” is made up of two nouns that are used to refer to a
general category and therefore does not need an article.

“We went to the mall to buy clothes.”

The noun “clothes” is used in the sentence as a general category and does not require an
article before it. On the other hand, the noun “mall” is used to denote a specific place, and therefore the is
required in the sentence.
 The College of Saint Rose Writing Center, 2010

Nouns: Count or Mass?

Generally, a noun may be a person, place, thing, or idea. Nouns are also
classified as either count nouns or mass nouns. It is important to understand this
classification in order to appropriately describe (or modify) nouns within sentences.

Count Nouns
A noun is considered to be countable, or a count noun, when it is possible to
literally count how many of the noun exists and a quantifying number may be
assigned to that noun.

Count nouns may be:

 Names of persons, animals, plants, insects, and their parts: a girl or 5 girls; a bird or
2 birds; a tree or 3 trees; a bug or 10 bugs; a leg or 4 legs.
 Objects with a definite shape: a computer or 2 computers; a ball or 6 balls; a car or 3
cars.
 Units of measurement: a pound or 2 pounds; an ounce or 5 ounces.
 Words of classification: a phrase or 3 phrases; a word or 6 words.
 Some abstract words: an idea or 2 ideas; a plan or 3 plans.

Examples:
“There are twenty chairs in the classroom.”
The noun “chair” is countable because you are able to count how many chairs are in a classroom.

“There are twenty-four hours in a day.”

The noun “hour” is countable because you are able to count how many hours are in a day.

To check if the noun is a Count Noun, ask yourself:

 Can the noun be counted or quantified by a number?
Ex. Noun: “Study” Answer: Yes! “Two studies were conducted.”

 Does the noun have both a singular and plural form?

Ex. Noun: “Flower” Answer: Yes! “Flower” is singular and “Flowers” is plural.

 Can the word “many” be used before the noun to modify it?
Ex. Noun: “Cup” Answer: Yes! “Many cups of sugar were used to make the cake.”

 Can the word “one” or the articles “a” or “an” be used to modify the noun?
Ex. Noun: “Pig” Answer: Yes! “One pig was rolling in the mud.”
OR “A pig was rolling in the mud.”

If you answer yes to these questions, then the noun is a Count Noun!
 The College of Saint Rose Writing Center, 2010

Mass Nouns
A noun is considered to be uncountable, or a mass noun, when it is impossible
to use a number to represent how many of the noun exists. Instead, a mass noun is
quantified by using a word that signifies an amount (e.g., cup, pound, foot), which is
then followed by the preposition “of” prior to the mass noun.

Mass nouns may be:

 Materials, food, metals, and natural qualities: wood, bread, iron.
 Names of liquids, gases, and substances made of many small particles: oil, coffee,
oxygen, sugar, salt, cement, gravel.
 Names of languages: English, Spanish, Latin, French, Sanskrit, Chinese.
 Most gerunds: looking, burning, swimming, running.
o Gerunds are “–ing” words that look like verbs, but are used as nouns in sentences.

Examples:
 The noun “wood” is uncountable because a number cannot be used to represent how
much wood was split and stacked.
Incorrect: “50 woods were split and stacked for the wood stove.”

Correct: “A cord of wood was split and stacked for the wood stove.”

 The noun “food” is uncountable because a number cannot be used to represent how
much food was donated.
Incorrect: “There were 100 foods donated for a local charity event.”

Correct: “There were several pounds of food donated for a local charity event.”

 The noun “cement” is uncountable because a number cannot be used to represent

how much cement was used to make a side walk.
Incorrect: “Twenty cements were used to make the side walk.”

Correct: “A bag of cement was used to make the side walk.”

To check if the noun is a Mass Noun, ask yourself:

 Does a word signifying an amount need to be used to modify the noun?
Ex. Noun: “Flour” Answer: Yes! “A cup of flour was used in the recipe.”

 Does the word “of” need to be used before the noun in order to modify it?
Ex. Noun: “Coffee” Answer: Yes! “I usually drink a cup of coffee in the morning.”

 Does the noun have only a singular form?

Ex. Noun: “Smoke” Answer: Yes! “Smoke” is singular and does not have a plural form.

If you answer yes to these questions, then the noun is a Mass Noun!
 The College of Saint Rose Writing Center, 2010

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The following resources were consulted in the design of this handout:
“Grammar Handbook: Mass and Count Nouns.” Writers Workshop: Writer Resources. The Center for Writing Studies
at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008. Web. March 2009.
Harris, Muriel. Prentice Hall Reference Guide. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2008. Print.
Rodrigues, Dawn and Tuman, Myron. A Norton Pocket Guide to Grammar and Punctuation. New York, NY: W. W.
Norton & Company, 2006. Print.

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The College of Saint Rose Writing Center, 2010 Designed by Cynthia Mitteager