Grammar for IELTS Daw Thuzar Latt (M.

A English)

Grammar for IELTS

Articles: a / an / the

The IELTS examiner will be checking your use of articles and paying attention to the density of your
errors. Articles are things you can pay close attention to when you proofread your essay.
This chapter will focus on the following:

1. Indefinite Article a / an
2. Definite Article The
3. No Article -
4. Concepts of Specific & General
5. Invariable Idiomatic Expressions Fixed use of articles
6. Articles Review

1. Indefinite Article: a / an
Uncountable nouns do not use a or an. This is a simple rule to learn from the start.
We use the indefinite article when referring to a singular noun which is not specified. We also use the
indefinite article when referring to something for the first time.
Single Object or single person
➢ Owning a car can make some people’s life easier.
➢ Having a child is a responsibility.
➢ Having a poor diet is a common problem for many people.
➢ Many people enjoy a cup of tea in their leisure time.
Note: In spoken English, it is common to say “a tea”. However, this is an informal contraction of “a
cup of tea”. The word tea is uncountable. Such contractions should not be used in formal writing.
Objects or people that are not specific:
➢ It is normal to go to a doctor when you are feeling unwell.
➢ People should learn about a country before travelling there.
➢ Learning a language becomes more difficult as a person gets older.
➢ A person who lives on the edge is a person who likes adventure.
➢ Being able to take a holiday abroad is considered by some to be a luxury.

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Grammar for IELTS Daw Thuzar Latt (M.A English)

Professions
➢ He is a teacher. She is a doctor.
Article: an
The article an is used as an indefinite article before nouns (or adjectives modifying a noun) that begin
with a vowel sound:
➢ It is said that an apple a day will keep the doctor away.
➢ Most people in England carry an umbrella due to the weather being unpredictable.
➢ Starting a new job is an opportunity to learn new things and meet new people.
➢ Some people believe that libraries will one day become an outdated source of information.
Note that when the noun or the adjective begins with the letter u pronounced as /ju:/, we use a, not
an:

• a university, a unique opportunity, a union of creativity and expertise

Similarly, we use a, not an, when the noun or adjective begins with a silent h:

• an hour (but a hotel), an honest answer (but a holy city)

2. Definite Article: the

There are a number of cases when we use the definite article.
Specific Person or Object
When the person or object is specific or defined (this can also be in the plural), we use the.
If we write:
➢ An applicant with lots of experience will probably get a job.
This refers to any applicant, not a specific one. It also refers to any job, not a particular job.
➢ The applicant with the most experience will probably get the job.
This refers to a specific applicant (the one with the experience) and a specific job.
➢ When applying for a job, the person with the broadest range of skills will most likely succeed.
This refers to any job (not specific) and a specific person (the one with the skills).
➢ The sports preferred by most people are usually team sports.
Sport is a countable noun and is used in the plural with the article the to refer to specific sports.
➢ The students who suffer most from education cuts are always those from the modest social
backgrounds.
Student is a countable noun and is used in the plural with the article the to refer to a defined group of
students.
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Grammar for IELTS Daw Thuzar Latt (M.A English)

When the person or object has already been mentioned

➢ In my opinion, it would be useful for parents, students and teachers to hold a joint meeting every
term. The aim of the meeting would be to improve communication and bridge the gap between
home and school.
In the sentence above, the word meeting is first used as a singular, non-specific noun. It is the first
time we are hearing about the meeting. However, in the second sentence, we already know which
meeting we are talking about. For this reason, we change the article to refer to the meeting because
we know which one it is.
➢ Children should be encouraged to take up a hobby. The hobby they choose should be something
that they have a particular skill or interest in.
In the first sentence, hobby refers to any hobby. It is non-specific. However, in the second sentence,
we refer to the hobby because we are specifying it is the one that is chosen by the children and the
one already mentioned in the first sentence.
Names of mountain ranges, rivers, seas, oceans, islands, buildings, hotels and museums

• The Mekong River, the Nile, the Ganges

• The Indian Ocean, the Red Sea
• The Andes, the Himalayas
• The Canary Islands, the Galapagos Islands
• The Tower of London, the Taj Mahal, the Great Pyramid, the Colosseum
• The Burj al-Arab, the Ritz
• The British Museum, the Louvre, the Prado
Note: Some hotels named after a person do not use the. For example, ‘Raffles’ in Singapore. This
hotel was named after Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles. Also note that names of lakes and waterfalls do
not usually use the.
Groups of people
➢ The English, the Germans, the Chinese
➢ The wealthy, the rich, the poor
➢ The homeless, the disabled, the sick, the hungry
➢ The unemployed, the uneducated, the displaced
➢ The elderly, the young
Musical Instruments and works of art
➢ The piano, the violin, the flute
➢ The Scream, the Mona Lisa

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Grammar for IELTS Daw Thuzar Latt (M.A English)

Social institutions, groups, systems and services

➢ The government, the department of education
➢ The church
➢ The police, the army
➢ The media, the papers
Species groups
This does not refer to one specific animal, fish or insect, but to the whole species group.
Note the noun is singular.
➢ The giant panda is considered a national treasure in China and is a symbol of the WWF.
➢ The blue whale is an endangered species which needs more protection.
➢ The basking shark is the second-largest fish in the world.
➢ People should plant more flowers to support the honey bee.
Note: It is also possible to write these sentences differently by referring to the animals in the plural
general sense which requires no article at all and would also require a third person plural verb.
Although the grammar changes, the meaning is the same. For example, “Giant pandas are considered
a national treasure in China.” This example is listed in the following section about no articles.
Something unique
This is when there is only one of it in the world.
➢ People enjoy looking at the moon in the night sky.
➢ The Earth rotates around the Sun.
➢ The world is a complex place.
Competitions

• The Olympics, The World Cup

Note that some competitions do not use the such as Wimbledon. Note that many prizes use the such
as the Noble Prize and the Palme d’Or.
Organizations and newspapers

• The World Wildlife Fund

• (the WWF), the Red Cross, the World health Organization (the WHO)
• The BBC
• The Times, The Telegraph, The Wall Street Journal
Note: Some organizations are written without an article, such as Amnesty International, Oxfam and
Doctors Without Borders. Some newspapers do not use the, such as Metro. Most magazines do not
use the, but there are exceptions (the Economist).

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Grammar for IELTS Daw Thuzar Latt (M.A English)

Countries, groups of countries, and directions

Some countries use the if they are made up of a group of smaller states and use words such as state,
united, kingdom or republic in their name. Countries which are plurals or are made up of a group of
islands also use the.

• The UK, the United States, the EU, the People’s Republic of China
• The Philippines, the Bahamas, the Seychelles
• The north (of China), the south-east (of India)
Note: While the UK requires the article the, Britain does not. Most country names require no article
unless they are irregular as stated above. Some directions are written without an article, such as
northern China, southern France, West Africa, South America.
Ordinal numbers and decades

• The first
• The second
• The eighties (the ‘80s / the 1980s)
Times of the day or weekend
➢ In the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening
➢ At the weekend
Note: The exceptions are at night, at dawn, at dusk, at midnight without any article.
Definite noun phrases
Here are some example sentences using two extremely frequent patterns.
the + Noun + of
➢ The idea of one global language sounds ideal but, in reality, it is problematic.
➢ The content of many newspapers is often focused on bad news.
➢ We should always respect the culture of another country.
the + Noun + to + Verb
➢ The motivation to succeed is as important as the skills a person possesses.
➢ The will to win is what motivates many sportspeople.
➢ Most students are driven by the desire to surpass themselves.
Superlatives & Comparatives
➢ Improving public transport is the best way to tackle air pollution in city centers.
➢ Studying a foreign language in a classroom is not the same as learning it in the country of origin.

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Grammar for IELTS Daw Thuzar Latt (M.A English)

3. No Article
We often use no article at all if we refer to things in a general way rather than being specific. Below
you will find rules for referring to things in general as well as other occasions when no article is
required.
Referring to things in general
When we talk about something in general, we refer not to one specific person or object, but to the
general group. This is very common In IELTS Writing Task 2 as most essays are relating to people or
situations in general. However, you need to pay attention to whether the noun is countable or
uncountable.
Referring to things in general using countable nouns
When referring to things in general using countable nouns, we need to use a plural noun and no
article. Note that because we are using a plural noun, the verb must match.
➢ Cars are a more popular form of transport than buses.
➢ Holidays are something that all workers should be entitled to.
➢ There will probably be shortages in world resources in the future.
➢ Without computers, the modern world would cease to function.
➢ Giant pandas are considered a national treasure in China.
Referring to things in general using uncountable nouns
When referring to things in general using uncountable nouns, no article is required. Note that
uncountable nouns are considered singular and therefore the verb must match. It is essential in IELTS
Writing Task 2 that you learn all the common uncountable nouns.
➢ Traffic is a serious problem during rush hour in most major cities.
➢ Culture is one of the most interesting things to notice if you travel to London.
➢ Space technology can be applied to many areas of everyday life.
➢ Children should not be allowed to eat so much junk food.
➢ Some people are obsessed with money.
By contrast, the same nouns can be used in a different way which changes the use of the article. All
the sentences below use the same nouns as the sentences above but use the definite article (the) to
refer to something specific rather than general.
➢ A lot of the traffic in urban areas is unnecessary and could be avoided if people walked to work
or used public transport.
Note that the sentence above is referring to specific traffic in urban areas rather than all traffic in
urban areas.
➢ Not many people understand the technology used for delivering e-learning.
Note that the sentence above refers to specific technology for delivering e-learning, not technology
in general.

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Grammar for IELTS Daw Thuzar Latt (M.A English)

➢ Parents and children need to tackle the junk food that causes obesity.
➢ Some of the money we earn should be put aside for the future.
➢ Employers need to help new staff understand the culture of the organization they work for.
Note that the word culture, like many other nouns, can be both countable and uncountable. This
means use of the article will vary depending on how you use the word.
For example, “There are many different cultures existing peacefully side by side in London.” You should
learn which words can be both countable and uncountable.
Proper nouns
Proper nouns do not use articles. This includes: names of people, countries, cities, single lakes and
single mountains.
➢ J.k. Rowling is the author of Harry Potter.
➢ China has the biggest population in the world.
➢ London is considered an international city.
➢ Hoan Kiem Lake is in the center of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.
➢ Mount Fuji is often depicted in Japanese works of art.
➢ Facebook is a global social media giant.
Languages, professions, school subjects, names of universities, colleges and sports
➢ English is an international language.
➢ Nursing, as a career, is more popular with women than men.
➢ Some people think boys are drawn towards science, while girls often prefer literature.
➢ Universities such as Cambridge, Yale, Harvard, Oxford, Boston College.
➢ Schools should branch away from traditional sports, such as tennis or football, and offer
alternative forms of exercise, for instance tai chi or yoga.
Note: There are exception, for example, “The University of London”
Special days, holidays, days of the week and meals
➢ Christmas, Halloween, Independence Day, Spring Festival
➢ Monday, Friday
➢ Breakfast
Note that some holidays such as ‘the Fourth of July’ and ‘the Cannes Film Festival’ use the.
Places and locations
No article is used with names of places when we are referring to their general function rather than to
the building itself.
➢ All children between the ages of 5 and 16 should go to school.
➢ Many people prefer to work from home.
➢ Not all people can afford to go to university.
➢ If people are seriously unwell or injured, they should go to hospital.
➢ Criminals belong in prison.

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Grammar for IELTS Daw Thuzar Latt (M.A English)

Note: The use of the article will depend on how the noun is used. If the word Hospital is used to refer
to the building, we will use the article the.
➢ If people are seriously unwell or injured, they should go to hospital. The hospital is located in the
town center.
In the first sentence, the word hospital is referring to the function provided and for this we use no
article. In the second sentence, the word hospital is used to refer to one specific hospital and the
location is given. For this, we must use a definite article: the.
Modes of transport
➢ Many people prefer to travel by car rather than by bus.
➢ Travelling by train is not always possible in some parts of the country.
➢ Transporting goods by sea is sometimes quicker than by land.
Companies and Acronyms
Most company names will not use an article.
➢ Facebook, Apple, Starbucks, Microsoft, Google
➢ British Airways
➢ NATO, UNESCO (these are pronounced as a word rather than letter by letter)
Note: There are rare exceptions to the rule for companies, such as The Body Shop.
Acronyms where each letter is pronounced individually requires the, such as the UN and the FBI.
Abstract concepts
➢ Some people turn to religion in times of need.
➢ There have been many changes in society over the past few decades.
➢ Happiness is considered the most important thing in life.
➢ War broke out between two countries.
➢ Crime continues to be a problem.
Remember: Many abstract nouns, such as society or war, can in fact be used with a/an, the or not
article depending on the meaning you want to convey. For example:
➢ It is sometimes said that society influences art.
=abstract concept, not specific (no article)
➢ It is possible to imagine a society where human development is more important than
competition.
=single noun, not specific
➢ We are all responsible for the society that we live in.
=single noun (specific society)

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Grammar for IELTS Daw Thuzar Latt (M.A English)

➢ The war claimed over 70 million lives.

=single noun, relating to a specific war
➢ The two countries are now at war.
=invariable idiomatic expression
➢ War can put an immense stain on a country’s economy.
=abstract concept, not specific (no article)
➢ If there is a war between two world powers, the whole global economy will be affected.
=single noun, not specific

4. Concepts of Specific and General

Below are two sentences, which one is correct?
1. People fleeing war-torn countries should be guaranteed sanctuary.
2. The people fleeing war-torn countries should be guaranteed sanctuary.
In sentence 1, no article is used because it is referring in general to all people coming from a war-torn
country. The use of the article the in Sentence 2 is based on the meaning of the writer. By using the
article the, the writer is putting people coming from war-torn countries into a specific category.

5. Invariable Idiomatic Expressions and Phrases

On the whole, ‘colorful’ idioms (such as ‘a piece of cake’, ‘spill the beans’, ‘pull someone’s leg’, etc.)
are not suitable for IELTS Writing Task 2 because they are too informal. However, there are many
invariable idiomatic expressions and phrases which can be used in Writing Task 2. They are called
“invariable” because they cannot be altered: you cannot usually add or omit any word. Below is a
small selection of such idiomatic expressions and phrases. You need to learn which ones use which
articles, and which ones use no article.

Fixed use of the Fixed use of a or an

• the key to success / the key to • to play a role

solving • at a loss
• the same as • to keep an eye on
• behind the times • to turn a blind eye (to something)
• to work around the clock • a means to an end
• to think outside the box • a question of time
• up in the air
• on the whole
• in the long run
• on the other hand
• to sit on the fence
• to get to the point

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Grammar for IELTS Daw Thuzar Latt (M.A English)

Fixed use of no article

• to be at war
• to be at peace
• to cut corners
• word of mouth
• all day
• in other words
• to take part (in something)
• to make sense
• to shed light on
• to make matter worse
• to see eye to eye (with somebody or on something)
• to keep in touch
• to keep up appearances
• to take something at face value

6. Articles Review
See the breakdown of the following six sentences for a review of articles.
Sentence 1: If sea levels rise, low lying countries such as the Maldives will be at risk.

sea levels referring to sea levels in general no article needed

-use plural noun
Countries referring to countries in general, not no article needed
one particular country
-use plural noun
Maldives a country comprised of a group of article the needed
islands
Risk invariable idiomatic expression no article needed

Sentence 2: If pollution increases, it will worsen the effects of global warming, causing serious
consequences.

Pollution uncountable noun, non-specific no article needed

Effects referring to specific effects – plural noun article the needed

global warming uncountable noun no article needed

Consequences referring to consequences in general, not no article
a specific consequence – plural noun

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Grammar for IELTS Daw Thuzar Latt (M.A English)

Sentence 3: The causes of criminal behavior can be traced back to childhood.

Causes countable plural noun which is specific article the needed

Behaviour uncountable noun, abstract concept no article needed
Childhood uncountable noun, abstract concept no article

Sentence 4: The protection of endangered species around the world should be a top priority.

Protection countable singular noun which is article the needed

specific
Species referring to species in general, no no article needed
specific – plural noun
World unique noun article the needed
Priority countable singular noun which is no article a needed
specific

Sentence 5: The key to overcoming poverty is for the rich to give more money to the poor and the
needy.

key to invariable idiomatic expression article the needed

Poverty uncountable noun, abstract concept no article needed
Rich groups of people article the needed
Money uncountable noun, non-specific no article needed
poor / needy groups of people article the needed

Sentence 6: Both individuals and the government must share the responsibility to reduce the use of
plastic.

Individuals referring to individuals in general, not no article needed

to a specific individual – plural noun
Government social institution article the needed

Responsibility countable singular noun which is article the needed

specific
use of definite noun phrase, the + Noun + of article the needed

Plastic uncountable noun, non-specific no article needed

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Grammar for IELTS Daw Thuzar Latt (M.A English)

Articles: a / an / the: Exercises

1. Underline the correct articles.

1 There is often a / the decline in a / the birth rate when standards of living increase.
2 People need to be aware of an / the amount of energy they use in their homes.
3 With a / the growth of urban populations, land is becoming increasingly expensive.
4 As a / the number of cars rises, so too does a / the demand for more fossil fuels.
5 We should press a / the government to improve an / the efficiency of public transport.
6 Practical industry experience is generally considered an / the asset when applying for a / the
job.
7 Financial aid to poor countries rarely has a / the long-term impact and may create a / the
dependency on aid.
8 Over a / the past 50 years, there has been a / the huge increase in a / the number of people
owning a / the private car.
9 Younger adolescents need a / the broad range of subjects to help them develop, but at a / the
age of 18, this is no longer a / the case.
10 When a / the fire breaks out in a / the high-rise, a / the people who live on a / the top floors
may easily become trapped and may be unable to escape a / the fire.

2. Complete the sentences with a, an or (no article).

1 Most people will say that _ _ _ _ _ _ health is the most important thing in _ _ _ _ _ _ life.
2 I firmly believe that _ _ _ _ _ _ exercise is essential to keep fit and have _ _ _ _ _ _ alert mind.
3 Starting to work at _ _ _ _ _ _ early age prepares you more adequately for _ _ _ _ _ _ adult life.
4 Respecting the traditions and customs of the country you are visiting is _ _ _ _ _ _ sign of _ _ _
_ _ _ respect.
5 If _ _ _ _ _ _ young people want to start _ _ _ _ _ _ home of their own, they need to earn _ _ _
_ _ _ reasonably good salary.
6 Having _ _ _ _ _ _ booming tourist trade can have _ _ _ _ _ _ catastrophic effect on the
environment by increasing _ _ _ _ _ _ pollution.
7 Travelling on one’s own is _ _ _ _ _ _ excellent opportunity to improve one’s self-knowledge
and to develop as _ _ _ _ _ _ person.
8 It is _ _ _ _ _ _ well-known fact that actors and pop stars exert _ _ _ _ _ _ huge impact on the
fashion industry.
9 For teenagers, _ _ _ _ _ _ clothing is often _ _ _ _ _ _ way to identify others who share their
values and beliefs.
10 The popularity of _ _ _ _ _ _ online shopping has been caused by _ _ _ _ _ _ number of _ _ _ _ _
_ factors such as _ _ _ _ _ _ price and convenience.

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Grammar for IELTS Daw Thuzar Latt (M.A English)

3. Read this excerpt from an IELTS essay and cross out the five articles (a, an or the)
which are unnecessary / wrong.
We all know wealthy people who live a life of misery. On the other hand, we also know people
who can barely afford the basic necessities of a life and yet seem utterly content with their lot.
Surely this is proof that there is more to a personal fulfilment than the money?

People who walk a more spiritual path manage to find happiness partly by controlling the urge to
possess material things. Indeed, if you have no craving for anything, you do not run the risk of
being disappointed if you never get it. Such people have learnt to live in the present and to value
every single moment. To them, every new day promises a new adventure, filled with the
opportunities to express love and compassion, to revel in the beauty of the nature, and to
experience the happiness of making another fellow human being happy.

4. In most of the sentences 1-10 there is a mistake with an article (a, an or the). Some
sentences, however, are correct.
• If a sentence is correct, put a tick (✓) next to it.
• If there is an unnecessary article in the sentence, cross it out ()
• If an article is missing, insert (✓) it at the right place.

1 Many newspapers are struggling for a survival.

2 A balanced vegetarian diet greatly reduces risk of heart disease.
3 In the end, it is up to each individual to follow or ignore their doctor’s advice.
4 In a good number of countries, the music industry plays significant role in the economy.
5 People prefer health foods to foods that have been scientifically produced in the laboratories.
6 It is less harmful for a child to grow up in single parent family than in a dysfunctional one.
7 Online learning enables students to take breaks in their study schedule whenever they want.
8 I do not think it is a good idea for the teachers to discipline disruptive students in front of
others as an example.
9 In the past, elderly parents were more dependent on their children because of the lack of a
social benefits.
10 In the developed world, only the lucky few have the chance to eat what they can grow
themselves.

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Grammar for IELTS Daw Thuzar Latt (M.A English)

5. Complete the sentences with a, an, the or (no article).

1 In my opinion, _ _ _ _ _ _ only way to save our planet is to stop using _ _ _ _ _ _ plastic bags.

2 It is becoming increasingly common to have _ _ _ _ _ _ year off before starting _ _ _ _ _ _

university.

3 With _ _ _ _ _ _ growth of _ _ _ _ _ _ urban populations, _ _ _ _ _ _ land is becoming

increasingly expensive.

4 ‘Younger is better’ is one of _ _ _ _ _ _ main subliminal messages conveyed through _ _ _ _ _ _

advertising.

5 Over _ _ _ _ _ _ last few decades, _ _ _ _ _ _ rise in _ _ _ _ _ _ personal debt has risen

dramatically.

6 Very often, _ _ _ _ _ _ child psychologists study _ _ _ _ _ _ artwork of _ _ _ _ _ _ children to

gain _ _ _ _ _ _ insight into their inner world.

7 _ _ _ _ _ _ increasing number of _ _ _ _ _ _ people believe that _ _ _ _ _ _ student’s ability

should not be assessed through _ _ _ _ _ _ exams.

8 In our cities, _ _ _ _ _ _ environmental problems are mainly _ _ _ _ _ _ result of _ _ _ _ _ _

development of _ _ _ _ _ _ modern transportation.

9 It is sometimes believed that _ _ _ _ _ _ children no longer read _ _ _ _ _ _ books, but instead

spend all their leisure time on _ _ _ _ _ _ social networking sites such as _ _ _ _ _ _ Facebook.

10 Some people believe that _ _ _ _ _ _ problem with _ _ _ _ _ _ education in _ _ _ _ _ _ poor

countries is _ _ _ _ _ _ teaching methodology used, but in _ _ _ _ _ _ fact it is often _ _ _ _ _ _
lack of _ _ _ _ _ _ resources which is _ _ _ _ _ _ real issue.

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