ow that you left the fish on the hall table and: it has soaked through to the mahogany? » As we came out into the cold damp air she shivered.
. When the definite article is associated with nouns which have no reference to the category of countability it has its defining function. It naturally refers to a definite object, as the noun denotes a thing or notion that is unique:. G. The moon set, and in the sky the countless stars shone with their terrifying brilliance.each knew that this quarrel was different from those in the past.of the Article (The Zero Article) absence of the article (the zero article) has only one function with common nouns and this is synonymous with the main structural meaning of the indefinite article: it is the nominating function.function of the absence of the article may be found with countable nouns in the plural; it is parallel to the use of the indefinite article with singular nouns. But while the indefinite article is associated with the idea of ??oneness, the zero article always implies more-than-oneness:. G. As Robert got out of the car Marion came round the corner of the house, wearing gardening gloves and a very old skirt. her friends came to tea, my mother would give me some pennies to buy apples or a magazine. sleeps very soundly. She had a splitting headache and took an aspirin and sleeping pills. road led across a stream and then through woods and open clearings.the indefinite article, the zero article may convey some additional meanings. It may sometimes express indefiniteness and perform the classifying and the communicating functions.nominating function of the zero article is also found with uncountable nouns, both abstract and concrete (names of materials):. G. Last night I felt friendship and sympathy for Henry, but today he has become an enemy. he is so interested in justice he might do something about that.asked for water and drank thirstily. place smelled of dust.grammars point out the introductory function of the indefinite article and the anaphoric function of the definite article. It is not correct, however, to regard the use of the indefinite article with nouns mentioned for the first time and the use of the definite article to refer back to an object which has already been mentioned as structural meanings inherent in the articles themselves. We rather deal with certain situations here in which the nominating function of the indefinite article and the defining function of the definite article are manifest.above description of the various functions of articles and their significant absence may be summed up in the table.can be seen from the table, the use of the articles depends on the character of the noun. But in English there are many polysemantic nouns which may be countable in one meaning and uncountable in another. As a result, the functions of the articles vary in accordance with the different meanings in which a noun appears.
Countable nounsUncountable nounsNouns having no reference to the category of countabilityThe indefinite articleWith singular nouns - the nominating function + oneness Additional functions: 1) indefiniteness 2) classifying 3) communicating 4) any 5) a certain 6) numeric 7) the same 8) distributiveThe aspective function Additional functions: communicatingThe aspective function Additional functions: communicatingThe definite articleWith singular and plural nouns 1. the defining funct...
