1. Articles Unit 1: Lesson 4

2. Types of Articles There are 2 types of Articles: Definite and Indefinite

3. Indefinite Articles - Usage We have already introduced Indefinite Articles: un, une, des These articles give no definition to the noun they modify, they simply indicate that it is “a” noun, “an” noun, “one” noun, or “some” nouns.

4. 3 Indefinite Articles There are 3 Indefinite Articles: article definitionused with: un“a”, “an”, “one”masculine, singular noun une“a”, “an”, “one”feminine, singular noun des“some”all plural nouns, regardless of gender (m/f)

5. Indefinite Articles - Examples Masculine Singular: a bird  un oiseau an uncle  un oncle one pencil  un crayon Feminine Singular: a mouse  une souris an ant  une fourmi one map  une carte

6. Indefinite Articles - Examples Masculine Plural: some* birds  des oiseaux some* friends  des oncles some* pencils  des crayons Feminine Plural some* mice  des souris some* ants  des fourmis some* maps  des cartes

7. *note In English, the word “some” is often “understood” – it is taken for granted and omitted from speech, but is present in the formal form of our language. For example: We might say: “Those are birds.” In that sentence, the word “some” is “understood” or omitted (left out) from the original formal phrasing: “Those are some birds.” In French, you must always be sure to go back and include the article “some”.

8. Definite Articles - Usage Definite Articles are articles which give definition to the noun they modify. The noun is not simply “a” noun anymore, but it becomes “the” noun(s) about which we were speaking, “the” noun(s) with those particular characteristics, “the” noun(s) which we were using, “the” noun(s) which belong to someone.

9. 3 Definite Articles There are 3 Definite Articles: article definitionused with: le*“the”masculine, singular noun la*“the”feminine, singular noun les“the”all plural nouns, regardless of gender (m/f) “le” and “la” become “l’ ” before a noun that begins with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u, & y) or with an “h”

10. Definite Articles - Examples Masculine Singular (le): the bird  l’oiseau* the uncle  l’oncle* the pencil  le crayon Feminine Singular (la): the mouse  la souris the ant  la fourmi the map  la carte the friend (f)  l’amie*

11. *note Notice how the articles “le” and “la” change to an “l’ ” before a noun that begins with a vowel or an “h”: Masculine Singular (le): l’hippopotamel’anel’ours l’agneauxl’amil’oiseau Feminine Singular (la): l’histoirel’ecolel’amie

12. Definite Articles - Examples Masculine Plural (les): the birds  les oiseaux the friends  les oncles the pencils  les crayons Feminine Plural (les): the mice  les souris the ants  les fourmis the maps  les cartes