ARTICLES
Mạo từ là từ phụ đứng trước danh từ để bổ sung về tính xác
định hay chưa xác định của từ. Mạo từ có 2 loại:
1. Mạo từ chưa xác định: a và an.(trước dt số ít)
2. Mạo từ xác định: the ( trước dt số ít & số
nhiều, đếm được & không đếm được).
I. Mạo từ chưa xác định (Indefinite article): “a, an”
1. Người & sự vật được nhắc đến lần đầu trong câu chuyện.
- I have a flat and a house./ Can I have a chicken sandwich?
2. Nói về nghề nghiệp.

- I am a teacher. My husband is an engineer.

3. Cụm từ số lượng.
- a few, a little, an hour, once a week, a pair of, a couple...
4. Cảm thán: What a lovely day! What a pity!

1

II. Mạo từ xác định( Definite article): “The”
1. Người / vật được nhắc đến lần 2, 3,...
-The house is big , but the flat is small.

-The sandwich is very delicious.
-Yesterday I saw a film. The film was about a girl and a soldier.
The soldier loved the girl, but the girl loved a teacher. So the
soldier shot the teacher.
2. Trước các từ: biển, sông, khách sạn, quán rượu, nhà hát,
bảo tàng, báo

-The Atlantic, the Pacific ocean, the British Museum, the Times

3. Người / vật duy nhất.
-The sun, the Queen, the Government.

4. The+ tên người ở số nhiều-> gia đình.
-The Browns hit me.(Mr, Mrs Brown and children)

2

5. The + tính từ-> lớp người.
- The old, the young, the big, the small.
- The good, the bad, the ugly./ Phim: “ The rich sob”
6. The + nhạc cụ
- I can play the piano. (I have a guitar)
7. The + tính từ so sánh nhất.
- He's the richest man in the world.
8. The + tính từ so sánh hơn
- The bigger the better.
- The more we earn, the more we spend.
-The more we get together, the happier we'll be.
9. The + số từ thứ tự
- The first, second, third….,last, only….

3

*Chú ý một số cụm từ cố định:
-In the mountain, in the country, in the centre of..., in the
morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, the World today,
the BBC, the cinema, the theatre, the same, the rush hour, …
the capital of...
- Where's the.......?It's in the.......
It's on the.......
It's under........

4

III. No article

1. Trứơc danh từ chung, dt trừu tượng
I like potato.

Milk is good for you.

Ex: Life is complicated.

2. Trước tên nước, thành phố, đường phố, ngôn ngữ, tạp
chí, bữa ăn, sân bay, nhà ga, núi, các môn thể thao.
Vietnam is a mountainous country.( nhưng The USA - nước lớn)
I had lunch with Mai.( I had a big lunch)

3. Một số nơi chỗ & phương tiện giao thông
at home in/to bed at/to work at/to school/university
by bus by plane by car
by train on foot.
Eg: She goes to work by bus.

4. Câu cảm thán: What+ dt không đếm được
What beautiful weather!

What loud music!

5

5 . Cách dùng the với tên riêng của một số nơi chốn và địa danh
a. The không được dùng trước tên
của:- Châu lục: Africa, Asia,
Europe,…
- Quốc gia: Japan,
England,
- Tiểu ..bang: Texas,

Florida, ..
- Thành phố, thị trấn: Cairo, New
York
- Đảo, hồ, núi, đồi, đường phố, công viên, quảng trường, nhà ga, phi trường,
các hành tinh, công ty
b. The được dùng trước tên riêng
của:
- Các quốc gia có từ Republic, Kingdom, State, Union, hoặc tên quốc gia ở hình
thức số nhiều: the Netherlands, the Philippines, …
- Vùng, miền: the west, the
north
- Biển, đại dương: the Black Sea, the Pacific
Ocean
- Sông, kênh đào: the river Nile, the Suez Canal
- Sa mạc, rặng núi: the Sahara, the
Himalayas
- Quần đảo, nhóm hồ: the British Isles, the Greta
6
Lakes
Note: the north (of France)   but northern France

PRACTICE

1. In pair find one mistake in each sentence.
1. He's
√
postman,
so
he
has
breakfast
at
4
a.m.
a

x love is more important than money.
2. The

nghề
nói chung

nơi chỗ
x school by bus.
3. I come to the
a
lần đầu
x
4. I'm reading one good book at the moment.
the
vị trí xác định
5. “Where's Jack? In axkitchen.
the
6. I live in√centre of town, near the hospital. vị trí xác định
a
x lovely house in the country.
7. My parents bought the
lần đầu

x bread because I don't like it.
8. I don't eat the

nói chung
7

2. Complete the sentences with a/an/the or nothing
The boy is
1. I have two children,___
a boy and ___
a girl. ___
twenty two and the
___ girl is nineteen.
a soldier in the
0
2. Mike is ___
___ Army, and Chloe is at___
university.
0 work by___
0 train. She's ___
an
3. My wife goes to___
a job. I stay at ___
0 home and
accountant. I don't have___
the children.
look after___
a lovely day! Why don't we go for___
a pinic in
4. What___
the park?
___
0 lunch? “ Just___
a sandwich.
5. “ What did you have for___
8

Exercise 1
1. I would live to live by _____ sea
a. the
b. a
b. an
d. 
2. Harry is a sailor. He spends most of his life at______ see.
a. a
b. an
c. the
d. 
3. There are billions of stars in ______ space.
a. a
b. an
c. 
d. the
4. He tried to park his car but______ space wasn't big enough.
a. the
b. a
c. an
d. 
5. We often watch______ television
a. the
b. a
c. an
d. 
6. Can you turn off______ television, please?
a. the
b. a
c. an
d. 
7. We had______ dinner in a restaurant.
a.
b. an
c. 
d. the
8. We had______ meal in a restaurant.
a. a
b. an
c. the
d. 
9. Thank you. That was______ very nice lunch.
a. a
b. an
c. the
d. 
10. Where can______ people buy everything they need?
a. the
b. a
c. an
d. no article is needed

11. Her parents are now working in ______ Europe.
a. the
b. a
c. an
d. no article is needed
12. He majors______ in English.
a. a
b. an
c. the
d. no article is needed
13. Mark Twain, ______ American writer, wrote "Life on the Mississippi River".
a. an
b. a
c. the
d. no article
14. Paris is splendid by ______ night.
a. a
b. an
c. the
d. no article
15. We might be able to catch______ last train if we hurried.
a. a
b. an
c. the
d. no article
16. ______ used razor blade is______ useless thing.
a. The/ the
b. A/ a
c. An/ an
d. no article
17. We live at______ third house from the church.
a. the
b. a
c. an
d. no article
18. My aunt has______ interesting novel.
a. the
b. a
c. an
d. no article
19. It was______ best film I had ever read.
a. the
b. an
c. a
d. no article
20. A video lab is______ useful means for language learning.
a. the
b. an
c. a
d. no article

Exercise 2
1. Mrs. Lan went to ______ school to meet her son's teacher.
a. 
b. a
c. an
d. the
2. The workmen went to ______ church to repair the roof.
a. 
b. the
c. a
d. an
3. Carol went to ______ prison to meet her brother.
a. the
b. a
c. an
d. 
4.This morning I bought a newspaper and a magazine______ newspaper is in my bag
but I don't know where______ magazine.
a. a/ a
b. a/ the
c. the / the
d. the / a
5. My parents have ______ cat and ______ dog. The dog never bites the cat.
a. a/ a
b. a / the
c. the/ the
d. the/ a
6. We live in______ big house in ______ middle of the village.
a. a/ a
b. a / the
c. the/ the
d. the/ a
7. I'm looking for ____ job. Did Mary get_____ job she applied for?
a. a/the
b. the /a
c. a/ a
d. the/ the
8. Did______ police find ______ person who stole your bicycle?
a. a/a
b. the / the
c. a / the
d. the / a
9. We went out for ______ meal last night ______ restaurant we went was excellent.
a. a/a
b. the/ the
c. a / the
d. the / a
10. As I was walking along the street, I saw ______$10 note on ______ pavement.
a. a/a
b. the/the
c. a/the
d. the/a

11. The Soviet Union was______ first country to sent a man into ______ space.
a. the/the
b. / 
c. /the
d. the/
12. Did you watch "Titanic" on ______ television or at______ cinema?
a. the/the
b.  /
c. /the
d. the/
13. After______ lunch, we went for a walk by ______ sea.
a. the/ the
b. / 
c. /the
d. the/ 
14. Peru is______ country in south America______ capital is Lima
a. a/a
b. a / the
c. the/ the
d. the/a
15. I never listen to ______ radio. In fact I haven't got______ radio.
a. a/a
b. a/ the
c. the/ the
d. the/ a
16. It was a beautiful day______ sun shone brightly in ______ sky.
a. a/a
b. a/ the
c. the/ the
d. the / a
17. It is said the Robin hood robbed______ rich and gave the money to ______ poor.
a. a/a
b. a/ the
c. the/the
d. the/a
18. Life is not so easy for______ unemployed.
a. the
b. a
c. an
d. 
19. Many people were killed in the accident. The bodies of ______ dead were taken away.
a. the
b. a
c. an
d. 
20. Lan has been a nurse all her life. She has spent her life caring for ______ sick.
a. the
b. a
c. an
d. 