Blog about English
Situations where no article is used.
Do not use an article with plural countable nouns when speaking about things in general.
The zero article is used when referring to an entire class rather than specific people or things.
Dogs make good pets.
Собаки — хорошие домашние животные.
No article is used because dogs refers to dogs generally.
Books can be expensive.
Книги могут быть дорогими.
Books refers to books as a class.
Cars are getting more efficient.
Автомобили становятся более экономичными.
Cars has a general meaning, so no article is needed.
Teachers need time to prepare their lessons.
Учителям нужно время для подготовки уроков.
Teachers refers to teachers generally, not a specific group.
Smartphones have changed the way people communicate.
Смартфоны изменили то, как люди общаются.
The plural noun smartphones refers to smartphones in general.
Dogs in this neighborhood often bark at night.
Собаки в этом районе часто лают по ночам.
No article is still possible because the phrase refers to dogs as a group generally, not a previously identified set.
Electric vehicles are becoming more common across the United States.
Электромобили становятся все более распространенными по всей территории США.
The plural noun phrase refers to the category generally.
Young adults often move to larger cities in search of better jobs.
Молодые люди часто переезжают в более крупные города в поисках лучшей работы.
Young adults is a generic plural noun phrase.
Do not use an article with uncountable nouns when speaking generally.
General concepts and substances usually take the zero article unless they are made specific.
Water is essential for life.
Вода необходима для жизни.
Water is uncountable and refers to the substance generally.
Music can affect your mood.
Музыка может влиять на настроение.
Music is used without an article when referring to music generally.
Information is easy to find online.
Информацию легко найти в интернете.
Information is an uncountable noun used generally.
Coffee helps me stay awake during long meetings.
Кофе помогает мне не заснуть во время долгих совещаний.
Coffee is uncountable when referring to the drink generally.
Advice is often more useful when it comes from experience.
Советы часто полезнее, когда они основаны на опыте.
Advice is uncountable and is therefore used without a/an in this general statement.
Traffic is usually heavy during rush hour.
Во время часа пик движение обычно плотное.
Traffic is uncountable when referring to traffic in general.
Research takes time and careful planning.
Исследования требуют времени и тщательного планирования.
Research is normally uncountable when referring to the activity in general.
Knowledge gained through experience is difficult to replace.
Знания, полученные благодаря опыту, трудно чем-либо заменить.
Knowledge is an uncountable abstract noun used in a general sense.
Do not use an article with most personal names, cities, countries, streets and continents.
Most proper nouns are used without an article unless they belong to a category that normally requires the.
Maria lives in Chicago.
Мария живет в Чикаго.
Personal names and most city names do not take an article.
David moved to California last year.
Дэвид переехал в Калифорнию в прошлом году.
California normally occurs without an article.
She lives on Oak Street.
Она живет на Оук-стрит.
Most individual street names do not take the.
He speaks Spanish at home.
Он говорит по-испански дома.
Language names normally occur without an article.
They traveled across North America.
Они путешествовали по Северной Америке.
Continental names normally occur without the.
Emma is studying at Harvard University.
Эмма учится в Гарвардском университете.
University names of this type normally occur without an article.
They flew to Denver after visiting Los Angeles.
Они прилетели в Денвер после посещения Лос-Анджелеса.
City names normally occur without an article.
The United States is different because its name belongs to a category that conventionally takes the.
Соединенные Штаты отличаются тем, что их название относится к категории, которая традиционно употребляется с the.
This is an exception to the general pattern for country names.
Do not use an article before the names of languages or academic subjects.
Examples include English, French, mathematics and biology.
I speak English.
Я говорю по-английски.
English is a language name and does not take an article.
She is learning Spanish.
Она учит испанский язык.
Spanish occurs without an article as a language name.
He studies mathematics.
Он изучает математику.
Mathematics is an academic subject used without an article.
My daughter is taking biology this semester.
Моя дочь изучает биологию в этом семестре.
Biology is used without an article as the name of a subject.
I studied history in college.
Я изучал историю в колледже.
History as an academic subject normally takes no article.
She writes about American literature.
Она пишет об американской литературе.
Literature can be used without an article when referring to the subject generally.
He switched from economics to computer science in his second year.
На втором курсе он перешел с экономики на информатику.
Academic subject names normally occur without an article.
She enjoys chemistry but plans to major in environmental science.
Ей нравится химия, но она планирует специализироваться на экологических науках.
Both academic subjects are used without articles.
Do not use an article when referring to meals in a general sense.
Examples include breakfast, lunch and dinner. An article may be used when referring to a particular meal.
We had breakfast at seven.
Мы позавтракали в семь.
Breakfast is used without an article when referring to the meal generally.
Lunch is usually around noon.
Обед обычно около полудня.
Lunch is used without an article in a general sense.
We usually eat dinner at home.
Мы обычно ужинаем дома.
Dinner is a meal name and normally needs no article in this context.
Did you have breakfast this morning?
Ты сегодня утром завтракал?
Breakfast is used without an article when referring to the normal meal.
After lunch, I went back to work.
После обеда я вернулся к работе.
Lunch is used generally as the meal period.
We had dinner with our neighbors last night.
Вчера вечером мы ужинали с соседями.
Dinner can remain zero article even when the occasion is specific.
The dinner we had at the steakhouse was excellent.
Ужин, который мы съели в стейк-хаусе, был превосходным.
The is required because a particular dinner is identified by the relative clause.
We invited our friends to a dinner celebrating their anniversary.
Мы пригласили друзей на ужин в честь их годовщины.
A particular organized dinner can be treated as a countable event.
Do not use an article before the names of sports and games.
Examples include football, tennis, chess and volleyball.
I play tennis every weekend.
Я играю в теннис каждые выходные.
Names of sports normally take no article.
She plays basketball after school.
Она играет в баскетбол после школы.
Basketball is used without an article as a sport.
They play chess together.
Они играют в шахматы вместе.
Chess is normally used without an article.
My son started playing volleyball this year.
Мой сын начал играть в волейбол в этом году.
Volleyball occurs without an article as the name of a sport.
She learned to play golf while living in Arizona.
Она научилась играть в гольф, когда жила в Аризоне.
Golf is a sport name and normally takes no article.
The kids play soccer in the park after school.
Дети играют в футбол в парке после школы.
Soccer is used without an article as a sport.
He took up boxing after graduating from college.
Он начал заниматься боксом после окончания колледжа.
Boxing is the name of a sport and takes no article.
She prefers swimming to running because it puts less stress on her knees.
Она предпочитает плавание бегу, потому что оно меньше нагружает колени.
Swimming and running are used as activity/sport names without articles.
Do not use an article before the names of days, months or most holidays.
Examples include Monday, July and Christmas.
I have a dentist appointment on Monday.
У меня прием у стоматолога в понедельник.
Days of the week normally occur without an article.
My birthday is in July.
Мой день рождения в июле.
Month names normally occur without an article.
We usually visit our grandparents on Thanksgiving.
Мы обычно навещаем бабушку и дедушку на День благодарения.
Thanksgiving is used without an article as the name of a holiday.
The store will reopen on Tuesday.
Магазин снова откроется во вторник.
Tuesday takes no article.
We are traveling in December.
Мы путешествуем в декабре.
December is used without an article.
The kids are excited about Halloween.
Дети в восторге от Хэллоуина.
Halloween normally occurs without an article.
We usually close the office on Christmas Day.
Обычно мы закрываем офис в Рождество.
Christmas Day is a proper holiday name and does not take an article.
By September, the new students are usually comfortable with the campus.
К сентябрю новые студенты обычно уже освоились в кампусе.
September occurs without an article even when used in a time expression.
Do not use an article before certain institutions when referring to their primary purpose.
Examples include go to school, be in prison, go to church, be at university, go to bed and be in hospital (British English).
The kids go to school every weekday.
Дети ходят в школу каждый будний день.
School is used without an article when referring to its primary educational purpose.
Her brother is in prison.
Ее брат находится в тюрьме.
Prison can be used without an article when referring to its institutional purpose.
They go to church on Sundays.
Они ходят в церковь по воскресеньям.
Church can occur without an article when referring to the institution or activity of worship.
I need to go to bed early tonight.
Мне нужно сегодня лечь спать пораньше.
Bed is used without an article in the fixed expression go to bed.
She is at school right now.
Она сейчас в школе.
School has no article because she is there as a student.
He went to college in Ohio.
Он учился в колледже в Огайо.
College is used without an article when referring to education as an institution or activity.
She went to the school to pick up her daughter.
Она пошла в школу забрать дочь.
The school refers to the physical building rather than the primary purpose of attending school.
The teacher stayed at the school after classes ended to prepare the next day’s lessons.
Учитель остался в школе после занятий, чтобы подготовить уроки на следующий день.
The school refers to the specific building or institution, not the activity of being a student.
Do not use an article in certain fixed expressions referring to transport.
Examples include by bus, by train, by car, by air and on foot.
I usually go to work by bus.
Обычно я езжу на работу на автобусе.
By bus is a fixed transport expression with no article.
We traveled by train.
Мы ехали поездом.
By train is used without an article when describing the means of transport.
She drove to the store by car.
Она поехала в магазин на машине.
By car is a fixed expression.
They flew by air from New York to Denver.
Они летели из Нью-Йорка в Денвер самолетом.
By air describes the general means of transport.
We went there on foot.
Мы пошли туда пешком.
On foot is a fixed expression without an article.
She gets to campus by bike when the weather is nice.
Когда погода хорошая, она добирается до кампуса на велосипеде.
By bike is a common zero-article transport expression.
They traveled across the state by bus because it was cheaper than renting a car.
Они путешествовали по штату на автобусе, потому что это было дешевле, чем брать машину напрокат.
The means of transport is expressed with by + noun without an article.
The package was sent by air to reduce the delivery time.
Посылку отправили по воздуху, чтобы сократить срок доставки.
By air is used without an article in a transport expression.
Do not use an article before titles when they are followed by a name or used as a form of address.
Examples include President Lincoln, Doctor Smith and Good morning, Professor.
President Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States.
Президент Линкольн был 16-м президентом Соединенных Штатов.
A title followed directly by a name normally takes no article.
Doctor Smith will see you now.
Доктор Смит сейчас вас примет.
Doctor is used directly before a name as a form of address or title.
Good morning, Professor Davis.
Доброе утро, профессор Дэвис.
Professor is used without an article when addressing someone directly before their name.
Senator Harris spoke at the meeting.
Сенатор Харрис выступила на собрании.
A title before a person’s name normally takes no article.
Governor Lee announced the new policy.
Губернатор Ли объявил о новой политике.
Governor is used without the before the name.
Professor Adams teaches chemistry at the university.
Профессор Адамс преподает химию в университете.
The title appears directly before the person’s name.
Attorney General Smith addressed reporters after the hearing.
Генеральный прокурор Смит выступил перед журналистами после слушания.
A formal title used directly with a name normally has no article.
The president met with reporters after the speech.
Президент встретился с журналистами после выступления.
An article is needed when the title is used as a common noun rather than directly before a name.
Many common English expressions use the zero article.
Examples include at home, at work, at night, by chance, by mistake and from time to time.
I am at home right now.
Я сейчас дома.
At home is a fixed expression with no article.
She is still at work.
Она все еще на работе.
At work is used without an article in its normal fixed sense.
I do not like driving at night.
Я не люблю водить ночью.
At night is a common zero-article time expression.
We met by chance at a coffee shop.
Мы случайно встретились в кофейне.
By chance is a fixed expression without an article.
I deleted the file by mistake.
Я случайно удалил файл.
By mistake is a fixed expression without an article.
We check the system from time to time.
Мы время от времени проверяем систему.
From time to time is a fixed expression with zero article.
He was in charge of the project from day one.
Он руководил проектом с первого дня.
From day one is a fixed expression without an article.
The company has changed dramatically since day one of the reorganization.
Компания значительно изменилась с первого дня реорганизации.
Day one is normally zero article in the fixed expression.
Use a/an or the when the noun refers to a specific person, thing or occasion.
The absence of an article expresses a general meaning. When the reference becomes specific, another article is usually required.
I like dogs.
Я люблю собак.
Dogs has a general meaning, so zero article is appropriate.
I like the dogs next door.
Мне нравятся собаки соседей.
The is required because the phrase identifies specific dogs.
She drinks coffee every morning.
Она пьет кофе каждое утро.
Coffee has a general meaning and takes zero article.
She drank the coffee I made.
Она выпила кофе, который я приготовил.
The is required because the relative clause identifies the specific coffee.
He wants to buy a car.
Он хочет купить машину.
A is needed because car is singular and countable and refers to one non-specific item.
We went to the restaurant we discussed yesterday.
Мы пошли в ресторан, который обсуждали вчера.
The is required because the relative clause identifies the specific restaurant.
Students need enough sleep.
Студентам нужно достаточно сна.
Zero article is appropriate for a general plural noun.
The students in my class need more time.
Студентам в моем классе нужно больше времени.
The is required because the phrase identifies a specific group of students.