For example:
the rain, a road, an apple, an ideal, the feeling, a freedom, a love, the
government, the affair, a dislike, the thought, a democracy, an ambition, the
greed, my idea, your thought, our relationship.
When
a word ends in “ist” or “er”, the word refers to a person, so the word
is a noun. For example:
scientist, biologist, racist, philanthropist, guitarist, baker, driver,
teacher, carpenter, lover. The
suffix “ology” means “the study of”.
For example, biology, mythology, theology, cardiology, physiology.
Proper nouns also include (1) organizations, (2)
institutions, (3) addresses, (4) months, days, seasons, holidays, (5) events
in history and (6) the names of specific places (called place nouns).
For example:
-
Liberal
Party, Pi Beta Phi Sorority, Land Bank, Catholic Church
-
Cagayan
Capitol College, Polymedic General Hospital, Dept. of Labor
-
Rizal
Avenue, Bonifacio Street, Forty-fourth Avenue, Sixth Street
-
January,
Tuesday, spring, Labor Day, Christmas, Easter
-
Edsa
Revolution, Battle of Manila, Spanish – American War
-
Gaisano
Mall, Misamis Oriental, Pasig River, Fort Santiago
When you choose an article to introduce a noun, use the
to describe the specific context and a or an to describe the
general context.
Please sit down in the chair. This
means “sit in this chair” – not that chair
or any other chair, but this one
chair. You do not have a choice
because
you are to sit in this one specific chair – the chair.
Please
sit down in a chair.
This means “sit down in any chair” – this chair,
that chair, or any chair that is available.
You have a choice as to which chair you may sit in.
When
you use an article to introduce a plural noun, always use the specific article the.
If you are using a noun that expresses two or more,
always use the specific article the.
The books, the trees, the ideas, the girls, the leaders
When
you use a article to introduce a noun using the general context, use an
if the next word starts with a vowel and a if the next word starts with a
consonant.
