Page 123 - Advanced English Grammar in Use

T h e a n d a / a n ( 1 ) : ' t h e o n l y o n e '

We use a/an with a singular noun when we describe someone or something or to say what type
of thing someone or something is:
• English has become an international language.
• Sydney is a beautiful city.
But if we say that someone or something is unique - that there is only one, or that it is the only
one of its kind - we use the (or sometimes zero article, i.e. no article), but not a/an:
• English has become the international language of business.
• Sydney is the capital city of New South Wales.
We use a/an to say what a person's job is, was, or will be:
n • She was a company director when she retired.
• Against her parents' wishes, she wants to be a journalist.
However, when we give a person's job title, or their unique position, we use the or zero article,
not a/an. Compare:
• She's been appointed (the) head of the company, and
• I'm a production manager at Fino. (= there may be more than one production manager)
After the position of, the post of, or the role of we use zero article before a job title:
• Dr Simons has taken on the position of Head of Department.

We use the before a superlative adjective (the biggest, the most expensive, etc.) when the
superlative adjective is followed by a noun or defining phrase:
• He is the finest young player around at the moment.
• This painting's the most unusual in the collection.
However, we can often leave out the, particularly in an informal style, when there is no noun or
defining phrase after the superlative adjective.
• A: Why did you decide to stay in this hotel?
B: It was (the) cheapest. / It was the cheapest I could find.
When most before an adjective means 'very' or 'extremely' we can use a (with countable
singulars) or zero article (with plurals and uncountables) - rather than the - when there is no
following noun. Most is used in this way particularly in a rather formal spoken style. In
everyday conversation we generally use a word such as 'very' instead:
• He was a most peculiar-looking man. (= a very peculiar-looking man)
• It was most expensive petrol. (= extremely expensive)

We use the when we know that there is only one of a particular thing. For example:
• the sun the world the North Pole the jet age the international market
the travel industry the arms trade
The same applies to the following things when we refer to them in a general way:
• the weather the climate the human race the atmosphere the sea the public
the environment the sky the ground the wind the future the past
However, if we want to describe a particular instance of these we use a/an. Compare:
• She could hear the wind whistling through the trees outside, and
• There's a cold wind blowing from the north.
• What are your plans for the future? and
• She dreamt of a future where she could spend more time painting.

The and a/an (2) = More on articles