The Magic Article System J

Attention!!! Does not work for places or times L

3 categories:

1)              Unique: THE

Naturally unique: The sun, the internet, the dean, the Pope

4 Ways a thing becomes unique:

A)    Ordinal numbers: the first, the fifth, etc.

B)    Superlatives: the best, the fastest, the most stupid

C)    The last, the only, the next, the right, the wrong, the main, the whole

D)  Defined with OF or a relative pronoun (vztazne zajmeno)


OF: The price of petrol, the result of a test, the meaning of this passage

Relative Pronoun: The dog that/which bit me, the place where the masseur attacked me, the time when
we were scared.


2)               One of many in the world: A/AN


This category includes containers and expressions of quantity:

         A tube of toothpaste

         A box of chocolates

         A flock of sheep

         A majority of Czechs

         A lot of students

         A series of films

A bunch of bananas


ATTENTION!!! The second time you mention a thing, it is already specific/unique, so use THE


3)               Uncountable things: NO ARTICLE

Emotions (happiness, love, hatred)

Things in particles (rice, sugar, sand, dust)

Liquids (water, coffee)

Gases (oxygen, helium)


Most nouns formed from verbs

       Swim – swimming

       Collaborate – collaboration




For Plurals:

First time mentioned: NO ARTICLE

Second time/ defined with OF or a RELATIVE PRONOUN: use THE