1. There are two kinds of articles:
A. Indefinite Articles
B. Definite Articles

2. A. INDEFINITE ARTICLES : a, an, and some, are used for
Examples 1
a + singular noun with cont
to make generalization
a boy, a girl, a book , a user, a European 2
an + singular noun with vowel
an apple, an umbrella,
an assignment 3
some + plural count noun
some students, some umbrellas 4
- some + non-count noun
some fruit, some sugar, some rice 5
- before modified noun
a new taxi, an unfinished task, a dirty ticket 6
- to indicate membership
a professor, a trainer , a student

3. B. DEFINITE ARTICLES the
is used before singular and plural nouns if the noun is specific. -- it is in the situation which thing or person we mean: the light, the floor, the door, the window, the bank, the post office, the police, the airport.
Please close the window. ( the window near the speaker)
The newspaper courier was late this morning.
We got to the airport just in time for our flight.

4. Continued Rules Examples 1 2 3
It is used with non-countable nouns which are made more specific in a clause or phrase.
The Indonesian he speaks is often heard in Jakarta. 2
It is used when a noun refers to something unique or special
the white house
the theory of Oedipus complex. 3
It is not used with non-countable nouns
1. Drug is forbidden object.
2. African has black color skin.
3. English is international
language

5. Article THE is not used before:
names of country (Indonesia, Singapore, Japan) except the Netherlands and the US
- names of cities, town or states (Surabaya, Malang, Texas)
- names of streets (A. Yani street, Pemuda street)
- names of lake and bays ( Lake Toba, Lake Poso) except with a group of lakes like the Great Lakes.
- names of mountains ( Mount Merapi, Mount Krakatau) except with ranges of mountains like the Jayawijaya, the Andes
- names of continents ( Europe, Australia)
- names of islands (Easter Islands, Seribu Islands) except with island chains like the Canary Islands.

6. Article THE is used before:
names of rivers, oceans and seas: the Mississippi, the Batanghari.
- points on the globe: the Equator
- geographical areas : the Middle East, the West, the ASEAN
- deserts, forest, gulfs, and peninsulas; the Sahara, the Goby,
both singular and plural count nouns and with non-count nouns: Thank you for the fruit.
- nouns when you know or assume that your listener is familiar with and thinking about the same specific thing or person you are talking about:
The sun is bright today;Please open the door; Wen is in the kitchen.
- the second mention of an indefinite noun: She drove a car.She drove the car.

7. The uses of articles: A and AN are used if the noun can be counted.
THE must be used when the noun cannot be counted.
A or AN is used to introduce a noun when it is mentioned for the first time in a piece of writing.
THE is used afterward each time you state the same noun.
Always use an article for a singular count noun (a, an, the, that, this, or a possessive pronoun)

8. Article (the, a, an) is not used :
names of languages and nationalities: Japanese, Indonesian, American.
names of sports: badminton, soccer, hockey, cricket.
names of academic subjects: history, calculus, English.
terms in general.