131 Articles – and when not to use them You already know how to use articles in English. Explain how they are used in these examples: 1 In picture B, people are building a house. 2 The people in picture C are handing out food. 3 I first heard about volunteering through an event at school. Knowing when not to use an article can be tricky because some of the rules for this case are different to German. Translate the sentences below to see the difference: 1 I spend a lot of time at school. 2 Volunteers are building a house on Market Street. 3 I came here by car. 4 The most important thing in my life is art. Study the rules below for when not to use an article. Match them to the examples in 24b above. LANGUAGE 24 a b c You do not use an article with: a plural nouns or uncountable nouns expressing general ideas (in nature). b many names of countries, towns, streets or mountains (on Mount Everest). c nouns for certain places when talking about the purpose you use them for (in court). d nouns for some forms of transport (on foot). See Grammar revisited, Articles, p. 181. When do you use/don’t you use articles in other languages you know? Try to find one similarity and one difference. Cross out the wrong articles in the sentences below. Explain why they are wrong. 1 The injured man was quickly taken to the hospital. It’s not about the hospital as a building, but about what they do there (the purpose). 2 Did the schoolboys get to the island by the boat? 3 Ralph and Jack fight for the control of the group. 4 My brother is a volunteer firefighter in the town. 5 A new soup kitchen has opened on the Abbey Road. 6 We read the book Lord of the Flies together in the class. 7 Problems like the climate change can only be solved by working together. 8 I generally go to the bed far too late. Which two sentences go together and why? 1 Linus and Nazim first met at college. 2 Linus and Nazim first met at the college. a There were lots of good coffee shops nearby. b They were both studying biology at the time. Use each of the words below in a sentence. Think carefully about whether you need an article. This will depend on the specific details and meaning you want to express. Check your sentences with your teacher. a education c bike b Oxford Street d university 25 26 a b 27 Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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