ARTICLE OR NO ARTICLE? EXERCISE 1 (ESL)

Grammar review Article or no article — when to use the, a, or nothing

Knowing when to use no article at all is just as important as knowing when to use a or the. Here are the main cases where English uses no article:

No article with proper nouns:
Countries, continents, cities, people’s names: France, Africa, London, Maria
Exception: countries with a plural or common noun in the name use the: the United States, the Netherlands, the Philippines

No article with sports and activities:
“She plays tennis.”   “He loves football.”

No article with languages and academic subjects:
“She speaks Spanish.”   “He studied economics.”

No article with uncountable nouns used in a general sense:
“She drinks coffee every morning.” (coffee in general, not a specific cup)
“He makes a lot of money.”

Use THE with:
Specific or identified nouns, previously mentioned nouns, superlatives, unique things, and groups (rivers, mountain ranges, newspapers): the Amazon, the Alps, the Times