2015-11-18 Grammar: generic/particular nouns

Greg Malivuk
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http://www.pastebin.com/u/gmalivuk
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Remember: The choice between “a” and “an” depends on the pronunciation, not the letter.
- a university, a united decision, a one-way ticket, a hotel
- an honest man, an herbal remedy, an honor
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p. 315 exercise 2 - which articles can NOT be used with these nouns
1 a, an (it’s plural)
2 an (a water = an order or bottle of water)
3 a (apple / some apple = the material of an apple)
4 an, some, ∅
5 a, some, ∅
6 a, an (also probably not “the” or “some”)
7 an (also probably not “a”, though we can say “breads”)
8 an (also usually not “a”, but you can say things like, “french fries are a fast food”)
9 an, some, ∅
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Generic nouns (you’re talking about the general category):

Cake is unhealthy. (“cake” as a general category)
Bicycles are an excellent means of transportation. (“bicycles” in general)
Computers get faster every year.

A smartphone is an essential item to have these days.
An angry customer is a frightening sight.

The lion is native to Africa. (lions as a species, not one particular lion at a zoo)
(We use generic “the” just for species, inventions, and body parts.)

Some people never learn. (generic, or perhaps a quantifier)
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Particular nouns (you can point to the specific things you’re talking about):

I didn’t eat cake at the wedding.
They bought new bicycles yesterday.

A smartphone was left in the class yesterday.
An angry customer wants to speak with the manager.

The lion just had a baby.

Some people are waiting outside.
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Homework: p. 317 exercises 3 and 4