oxford_guide_to_english_grammar

19 THE ARTICLES: A/AN AND THE PAGE 202
Also the countryside, the doctor, the establishment, the media, the (news)paper, the
police, the press, the seaside, the working class(es).
NOTE
Television and radio as institutions do not take an article.
Donna has got a job in television/in radio.
But compare watch television/see it on television and listen to the radio/hear it on the radio.
When we talk about the physical things, we use the articles in the normal way.
There was a television/a radio on the shelf.
Harry turned on the radio/the television.
6 A/an can mean either a specific one or any one.
I'm looking for a pen. It's a blue one. (a specific pen)
I'm looking for a pen. Have you got one? (any pen)
A hovercraft was halted in rough seas yesterday. (a specific hovercraft)
The quickest way is to take a hovercraft. (any one)
7 Here is an overview of the basic uses of the articles.
a/an
Not mentioned before
Do you want to see a video?
(We don't say which video.)
Not unique
We watched a film about wildlife.
(There are other films about wildlife.)
the
Mentioned before
Do you want to see the video?
(= the video we are talking about)
Unique in context
Are you enjoying the play?
(spoken in a theatre)
Phrase or clause defines which
I watched the film you videoed.
(You videoed one film.)
161 Alan to describe and classify
1 A singular noun phrase which describes something has a/an, even though it is
clear which one is meant.
This is a big house, isn't it? Last Saturday was a lovely day.
You are an idiot, you know. It's a long way to Newcastle.
2 We also use a/an to classify, to say what something is.
What kind of bird is that? ~ A blackbird, isn't it?
The Sears Tower is a building in Chicago.
This includes a person's job, nationality or belief.
My sister is a doctor. NOT My sister is doctor.
The author of the report is a Scot.
I thought you were a socialist.
Mr Liam O'Donnell, a Catholic, was injured in the incident.
NOTE
We can also use an adjective of nationality (e.g. American, Scottish) as complement.
The author of the report is an American/is American.
My grandfather was a Scot/was Scottish. NOT He was Scot.
For nationality words, • 288.