Section 1- ArticlesUncountable nouns: If a noun is uncountable, it cannot be used in a plural form or with a corresponding verb in the plural form in writing and it cannot be used with numbers in front of it (it cannot be counted). These nounsneverhave an indefinite article (a or an) before them.Difficult uncountable nouns: Progress (no plural/no indefinite article) Travel Software (both C and U) Compatibility Architecture (both C and U) Storage Spam Circuitry Resolution (both C and U) capacityIf an uncountable noun is referring to something in general, it must not have an article in front of it. If it is referring to something specific, it must be preceded by the definite article (the).Definite or indefinite articles. Is the noun general or specific in its meaning in the context? Is it definite or indefinite? If a noun isgeneralin meaning, it is common to use a plural form with no article. Ex: Giraffesare types of mammals that have evolved extremely long necks to enable them to reach the greenery at the top of trees. In many cases, it is also possible to use both 'a' or 'the' and a singular form to express the same meaning. As it is more common to use a plural form to refer to nouns in general, it is recommended that you use this form. You are less likely to make mistakes.In simple terms, the indefinite article 'a or an' is used when a noun is not defined or specified. This means that it is not possible for the reader to understand exactly which thing the writer is referring to. It usually describes something that is 'one of many' or that is being introduced for the first time. The definite article 'the', on the other hand, is used when a noun is defined in the general context. This means the reader can understand exactly which thing the writer is referring to.Situations when a countable noun may be used in a definite sense or be known to the reader: The noun has previously been mentioned. It is unique in some sense - only one exists, e.g.the Internet, the moon. It is defined within the sentence, usually using a relative pronoun in a relative clause e.g.the business contract which was signed last month. It is defined by use of the phrasethexofy, e.g.the beginning of spring. It is part of a superlative structure e.g.the most challenging task. It has not been mentioned before explicitly, but the reader can understand exactly what it is through a previous statement. It is a famous organisation (only one).

Some mistakes in my writing task (English for Academic Studies): to prevent from doing sth (he prevented me from sleeping) to remember: lembrar-se X to remind: lembrar algum de algo noisy >> adjective X noise >> noun

The indefinite article is used when a person or concept is mentioned for the first time and subsequent references to the noun, once it has been identified, use the definite article. When an adjective is used as a noun to represent a a group of people or examples of a type, the definite article is always used. No article is used when making a general statement using an uncountable noun but the definite article is used when making a specific point about an uncountable noun.A general statement can be made which refers to all examples of a kind of countable noun using an indefinite article and the singular form of the countable noun, e.g. A PC card is an insertable piece of hardware for notebooks. It is also possible to make this kind of statement using the plural form with no article, e.g. PC cards are insertable pieces of hardware for notebooks (notice that in this case, other countable nouns in the sentence are generally put in the plural form too).Both countable nouns in their plural form and uncountable nouns require the definite article in front of them when being used in a specific context, e.g. Eighty percent of the customers who were interviewed responded positively; The company's turnover this year has been exceptional.The definite article is needed in front of the superlative form, 'first', 'second' etc, and 'next'.The definite article can be used with a singular noun to make a general statement about that group. The statement refers to the whole class and not to the individuals in the class e.g. The fast food outlet has become an established part of urban life. Here the use of the indefinite article would not be possible because the statement refers to all the members of the group rather than the group itself so the following sentence would be wrong: A fast food outlet has become an established part of urban life.Patterns of noun phrases1. Noun(singular) + Noun(singular or plural)An adjective and a noun can often be used instead of two nouns (e.g. increased competition instead of an increase in competition). Using an adjective and a noun is often a safer way of forming a noun phrase if you are not sure how to combine two nouns.The noun + noun structure only tends to be used if the two nouns form a common combination which represents a recognised concept in English. The second noun is the main (or head) noun and the first noun is the modifier (e.g. computer viruses, the e-commerce sector).The first noun is normally in the singular form even if it represents a plural concept.2. Noun + 's (or s') + Noun (singular or plural)The possessive 's (s') structure is often used when the first noun in the group refers to an organisation (e.g. the company's executive director), person (e.g. Darwin's theory of evolution), animal (e.g. the marmot's fur), or country (e.g. Britain's financial capital ). It is also used when the first noun is a time expression (e.g. last year's economic forecast, the day's trading ).3. Noun (singular or plural) + preposition + Noun (singular or plural)When the possessive structure ('s) or the noun+noun structure cannot be used, nouns are generally linked using a preposition (e.g. forms of identification, an increase in computer crime). This more formal structure is also sometimes preferred in academic writing.