One of the grammer mistakes I commit commonly is Articles. To know how to avoid making this mistake, let's first identify what is articles. An article is a word that combines with a noun to indicate the type of reference being made by the noun. The three main articles in the English language are
the,
an and
a. An article is sometimes called a noun marker, although this is generally considered to be an archaic term.
Articles can be divided into 2 categories, namely Definite Article and Indefinite Articles. Definite Article (the) is used when you know that the listener knows or can work out what particular person/thing you are talking about. Indefinite Articles (an, a) refer to something not specifically known to the person you are communicating with.
A and an are used before nouns that introduce something or someone you have not mentioned before. For example:-
- A revamped version of the Apple's iPod will be launched next quarter.
- Everybody is given an oppurtunity to try out the new product.
The is used when the listeners know what you are referring to. For instances:-
- Windows Vista, the latest product from Microsoft has gained many good reviews.
- The internet has changed how people communicate.
Practice
Personal information management has come a long way since the Filofax became the ‘in’ thing for executives in late the 1980’s.
Today, diaries are no longer made of paper- they are mini computers which can process information at the touch of a button, allow users to surf the Internet or even play music video clips. Not only that, typical personal digital assistant (PDA) can have a memory capacity of 16 to 96 MB, or enough space to store the information kept in more than 100 paper diaries.
Ever since Palm- the mother of modern-day PDAs- launched the Palm Pilot in 1996, much has changed. Colour screens and vast leaps in memory capacity have changed the humble handheld gadget from a mere digital Filofax to a pocket multimedia hub.
However, once you decide to buy handheld products, it doesn’t stop there. More than 145,000 developers for the Palm operating system (OS) alone are busy producing software and hardware accessories. This means that users can attach anything to their PDAs, from digital cameras to devices that massage their backs. Your palmtop can also be a television remote control unit, game theatre, database, book reader, humble pocket calculator and even a phone.
Some traditional phone manufacturers like Motorola (Accompli A388, available next month) and Nokia (Communicator 9210, available now for $1288) satisfy convergence -gadget fans by putting useful diary functions into their handsets. But the Palm OS and the Pocket PC products are still the superior PDAs. The choice between the two, however, is personal.
Reference:
1. Learn English. (1999). Articles. Retrieved September 7, 2008, from http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/articlestext.htm.
2. Centre for English Language Communication. (2002). Articles Excercises. Retrieved Septermber 7, 2008, from http://courses.nus.edu.sg/courseware/ITSELF/.
