Portfolio 2 Grammar Mistake--ARTICLE
The most common mistakes I always made is the usage of the article. I am not sure which article should be used with noun sometimes. Now I would like to explain the grammar in order to avoid the misusing in the future.
In general, there are two kinds of articles: definite and indefinite. The definite article "the" can be singular or plural. The indefinite article "a" or "an" is singular, and cannot be used with a plural noun.
"A" or "an" is used with a singular count noun when you mean "one of many," "any," ,such as, a bus, an apple.Also, use "a" or "an" the first time you use a noun in a paragraph
"The"is used with any noun when the meaning is specific,when the noun names the only one of a kind, for example, the earth.In addition,Use "the" the second time you use that same noun in the same paragraph.
When I struggle with articles in my writing, I always remind me of the most basic rule.That is , "the" should be used for specific nouns, when your reader knows exactly which one you are referring to, or for nouns of which there is only one. "A" or "an should be used for general nouns, or when your reader does not know exactly which one you are referring to. Here is some examples to illustrate the basic rule.
"A bear is a mammal". In the above sentence, we do not know which pig the writer is referring to. Therefore, the writer should use "a", instead of "the".
"The bear is running in the street". In this situation, we know which bear the writer is referring to(the bear running in the street), which means that the writer can use "the", instead of "a".
"The teddy bear is a toy bear". In a situation like this, there is only one teddy bear in the world, so the writer can use "the" instead of "a", and we will still know exactly which "bear "he is talking about .
I hope i have explained the grammar clearly and there is no article mistakes in this writing!