English Grammar Essentials: Articles & Vocabulary

Common English Noun Phrases

• a piece of advice
• a large number of trees
• that bit of government
• a great piece of news
• a great deal of effort
• the amount of food
• a cash box
• an advice column
• an accommodation agency
• an interesting item of news
• a flight of stairs
• a sheet of paper
• a lump of coal
• a head of hair
• a slice of toast
• an information centre
• a luggage trolley
• a set of cutlery
• a single blade of grass
• by a clap of thunder
• a bread knife
• a spelling mistake
• a parking space
• a lightning conductor
• a cookery lesson

English Articles: A/An, The, Zero Article

Indefinite Articles: a/an

• Use with singular, countable nouns mentioned for the first time.
• Use when talking about jobs (e.g., He is an engineer).
• Don't use with uncountable nouns or plural countable nouns.

Definite Article: the

• Use with things we have mentioned before or when it’s clear who/what we are referring to.
• Use when referring to a particular thing.
• Use with things which are unique (e.g., the internet, the moon).
• Use with adjectives to express groups (e.g., the rich, the unemployed).
• Use with nationalities (e.g., the French, the Spanish).
• Use with superlative adjectives (e.g., the best, the tallest).
• Use with ordinal numbers (e.g., the first, the second).
• Use with countries whose names include: Republic, Kingdom, States, or Emirates (e.g., the United Kingdom, the United States).
• Use with names of rivers, mountain ranges, seas, and oceans (e.g., the Nile, the Alps, the Mediterranean).

Zero Article (No Article)

• Use when talking in general and using plural or uncountable nouns (e.g., Cats are independent. Information is key.).
• Use with many common expressions involving places like: bed, hospital, prison, school, university (when referring to the general idea or purpose, e.g., go to bed, be in hospital).

Confusing English Vocabulary Explained

Fun vs. Funny

• Fun: You enjoy something (e.g., The party was fun.).
• Funny: Something makes you laugh; something is strange, surprising, unexpected, or difficult to explain (e.g., That joke was funny. It's funny that he didn't call.).

Possibility vs. Occasion vs. Opportunity

• Possibility: A chance that something may happen or be true. Cannot be followed by an infinitive (e.g., There's a possibility of rain.).
• Occasion: An event or a time when something happens. Doesn't mean chance or opportunity (e.g., Their wedding was a special occasion.).
• Opportunity: A possibility of doing something or a situation which gives you the possibility of doing something (e.g., This job is a great opportunity.).

Work vs. Job

• Work: Something you do to earn money. It’s generally uncountable (e.g., I have a lot of work to do.).
• Job: Used to talk about the particular type of work activity which you do. It is countable (e.g., She's looking for a new job. He has two jobs.).

Work-Related Adjective Collocations

• well-paid
• badly-paid
• hard
• tough
• challenging
• tiring
• demanding
• outdoor
• office
• skilled
• manual
• full-time
• weekend
• holiday
• temporary
• part-time
• permanent
• fascinating
• worthwhile
• pleasant
• responsible