Structure 2014-07-09 articles

Homework (p. 107 reading questions)
A
1 e
2 d
3 g
4 h
5 c
6 a
7 b
8 f
B
1 F - by Polynesians
2 T
3 T
4 F - they didn't have access to wheels, they used rails
5 (F) - cutting down all the trees->climate change->decline
6 T
7 F - drier
a great deal of change  = a lot of change
a great deal on bananas = a very good price

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ARTICLES
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a/an, the, Ø ("the zero article" - nothing)

a + consonant sound (a school, a university, a one-way ticket)
an + vowel sound (an egg, an apple, an hour, an honor)

Indefinite Article a/an:
before singular (count) nouns, indefinite or generic
 - I bought a new computer. (singular, nonspecific)
 - A calculator is a machine for computing numbers. (generic)

Zero Article (nothing):
plural or noncount nouns, indefinite (nonspecific) or generic
 - I bought new computers. (plural, nonspecific)
 - Computers are becoming more and more common. (plural, gen.)
 - I bought rice. (noncount, nonspecific)
 - Rice is healthy. (noncount, generic)
(We can use "some" for the indefinite meanings.)
many proper nouns - Boston Academy of English, Greg, WWII

Definite Article the:
any kind of noun, specific or generic (especially species, inventions, body parts)
- The computer is next to the smartboard. (singular, specific)
- The desks are arranged around the outside of the room (pl)
- The water from this sink is okay to drink (noncount, spec.)
- The computer was invented during World War II. (generic)
other proper nouns - the United States, the Great Lakes

the + adjective = "the [adjective] people" (generic)
the British = the British people (-ish / -ese)
the young = the young people

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p. 110 exercise 1A
2 D
3 N
4 D
5 G
6 G (definitions are always generic)
7 G (the Chilean Wine Palm as a species = all of them)
8 N
9 G
10 D (which supply? the seafood supply)

The heart weighs between 250g and 350g. (generic)
The heart weighs 274g. (specific/definite)

You should NOT use "the+singular" generic for people.
(it is dehumanizing - it makes the person like an object)
"The Arab is..."
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p. 111 exercise 2
1 - "Hurricane" is like a title: President Obama
2 the (many plural names have "the" - the Philippines)
3 the
4 the
5 -
6 a
7 the
8 -
9 the
10 the
11 the
12 the

13 the
14 the
15 a
16 the
17 The
18 the
19 a (there are multiple (possible) towns approximately 16 miles west of Port-au-Prince)
20 the
21 the
22 -
23 the
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Homework: p. 112