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Linguistics & Grammar vocabulary · Parts of Speech

Article

Meaning in linguistics & grammar, with examples

/ˈɑːtɪkl/nounCore term

In linguistics & grammar, article means: One of the words a, an and the, used before a noun to show whether it is general or specific, and whether it is new or already known to the listener.

In Turkish: tanımlık, artikel

How it is used

Grammar books call the the definite article and a/an the indefinite article; using no article is called the zero article. Linguists treat articles as one type of determiner.

Example sentences

  1. Use the definite article when the listener knows which one you mean: 'Can you close the window?'

  2. Article errors are among the most common mistakes in Turkish students' essays.

Common collocations

  • definite article
  • indefinite article
  • zero article
  • article use
  • determinerA word that comes before a noun to show which one or how much is meant, such as the, a, this, my, some, every or two.
  • nounA word that names a person, place, thing, idea or feeling and can usually be the subject or object of a verb, such as teacher, Ankara, chair or freedom.
  • countable nounA noun that has singular and plural forms and can be used with numbers and a/an, such as book, idea or student; uncountable nouns like water or advice cannot.
  • noun phraseA group of words built around a noun or pronoun that works as one unit, often as subject or object, such as 'the tall man in the blue coat'.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Parts of Speech

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