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88 冠词the和a，an是最重要，也是最复杂的形容词。以man一个词为例，就有man，a man，men，the men和the man几种选择，其中牵涉到是否用冠词及用哪个冠词的问题。除了用不用冠词的问题，还有名词可数与否的问题。
冠词总是放在名词前面，若这个名词有形容词修饰，冠词通常放在形容词前面，若形容词前还有副词，则冠词需放在副词前面，如：
This is a car— a good car— a very good car．
He can answer the question— the difficult question— the most difficult ques-tion．
但若形容词为such，many或what，冠词a应放在它后面，如：
I never met such a man．
He has lived here many a year．
What a beautiful park it is！
如果形容词为all，both，half，double或twice，冠词the必须放在它后面。
All the guests have come．
Both the brothers study Spanish．
I bought it at halfthe price（ double the price）．但是：He has waited halfan hour（or a half hour）．
如果所用副词为so，how，as，too，quite，rather或no less，冠词a就放在副词所修饰的形容词后面及被修饰名词的前面。
It is so （or too ） big a dog．
How big a dog it is！
It is as big a dog as yours．
It is no less big a dog than yours．（＝It is as big a dog as yours．）
It is quite （or rather ） big a dog（or a quite big or a rather big dog）．
如果a后面紧跟的词以元音（不指元音字母）开头，例如apple，egg，uncle，idle fellow，old man或hour［auə］，M．A．［em ei］，8［eit］，L beam［el bi:m］，H frame［eitʃfreim］，就要用an代替a。如果后面的词以辅音开头，即使是元音字母，也只能用a，不能用an，如useful［'ju:sful］，Euro-pean［ˌjuərə'piən］，one［wʌn］。另外，用a还是an取决于紧跟它的词，而不取决于形容词后的名词。如在an old teacher中，用an是由紧跟它的old决定的，而不是由名词teacher决定的；在an awfully hot climate中，用an是由于紧跟它的副词awfully以元音开头，而不由climate决定。
89 1．冠词a有泛指作用，可和单数可数名词连用，隐约地表示“任何一个（即随便哪一个）”。
A dog is intelligent．
I like a child ．
A bigfamily is hard to support．
90 2．复数可数名词也有泛指作用，隐约地表示“所有的”。
Dogs are intelligent．
I like children ．
Bigfamilies are hard to support．
91 3．冠词the可与单数可数名词连用，表示一类东西，而不指哪一个。
The dog is intelligent．
I play the piano ．
The palm grows in many countries．
Tomatoes are good for the liver ．
以上3种用法是很相近的。
92 4．A还有“一个”或“某个”的意思，可以和单数可数名词连用。
A dog is coming．
I see a child ．
I have to maintain afamily ．
He is a teacher ．
They call him afool ．
93 5．复数名词如表示“几个”或“某几个”，前面需加some这类词（由此也可以将其看作是一种冠词）。
Some children are playing there．
I met somefriends on the street．
There are some large schools in New York．
I bought some novels ．
I have some pictures ．
在某些特殊情况下，some必须省略。
94 6．The有特指的作用，可用在单数可数名词前，表示“那个”，这时所指的那个人或东西是很清楚的。
I bought a house yesterday afternoon． The house is across the river．（指新买的房子）
I want to see the boss ．（你知道the boss指谁）
What is the price of this pencil？
Open the window ，please．（当然是指这个房间的窗子）
The government does not allow gambling．
The enemy was defeated．
The moon is rising．
95 7．The也可和复数可数名词连用，表示“那些”，这时所指的那些人或东西也是很清楚的。
I bought several houses yesterday． The houses are across the river．
I met some nice people at the party．It seems I had seen the gentlemen somewhere．
Open the windows ，please．
Where are the children ？
96 8．The也有表示集体的作用，用在复数可数名词前，表示“所有（那些）……”。
They are the teachers of our school．
The cities of this country are dirty．
Have you ever seen the Seven Wonders ？
The members of the club are Indians．
97 9．不可数名词既不能加a，又不能用于复数形式。
He has a money ．（错）
Thailand produces much rices ．（错）
You need an advice ．（错）
Informations are important in war．（错）
98 10．不加冠词的不可数名词泛指这类东西，隐约地表示“任何数量的……”“任何程度的……”。
I am fond of milk ．
Air is important to animals．
Honesty is the best policy．
John hates darkness ．
99 11．如果表示有限数量或某种程度，不可数名词前可加some，表示“一些……”“一定程度的……”。
I offered him some tea ．
Some sugar is to be sprinkled over the cake．
He has got some experience from the job．
Some consideration of the matter is necessary．
在某些特殊情况下，如93节所列情况，some必须省略：
I offered him tea because he liked it ．（注意力在其他方面）
This is tea ．（补语）
100 12．表示特指的the可以用在不可数名词前面限定其意义，表示“这”或“那”。
I offered him the tea which I made．
The sugar produced here is excellent．
He has obtained the experience of an expert．
The bread has been eaten up．（你知道指哪块面包）
Please pass me the salt ．
101 13．下面这类专有名词不加a，也不加the，也不能用于复数形式。
continent—Asia
province—Guangdong
county—Henrico County
island—Rhode Island
mount—Mount Everest
lake—Lake Geneva
park—Hyde Park
square—Times Square
domestic animal—Bobo
day—Monday
festival—Labour
country—Japan
state—California
harbour—Pearl Harbour
hill—Bacon Hill
cape—Cape Comorin
bridge—Westminster Bridge
street—Fifth Avenue
person—William Shakespeare
deity—Jupiter
planet—Jupiter
month—February
102 14．下面各类专有名词前需加the。
republic—the French Republic
state—the Irish Free State
empire—the British Empire
kingdom—the United Kingdom
peninsula—the Indian Peninsula
ocean—the Pacific（Ocean）
sea—the Japanese Sea
canal—the Suez（Canal）
pole—the North Pole
railway—the Trans-Siberian Railway
river—the Mekong（River）
plateau—the Tibetan Plateau
basin—the Yangzi Basin
valley—the Rhine Valley
desert—the Gobi Desert
“普通名词＋of＋专有名词”这类词组前均需加the。
the Cape of Good Hope
the Strait of Gibraltar
the City of New York
the House of Representatives
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
the Society of Natural History
103 15．复数专有名词前都加the。
the Himalayas
the Rocky Mountains
the United States
the Great Lakes
the Stuarts
the Philippines
104 上面讲的是冠词的一般用法，一些特殊用法将在专门谈冠词的单元中处理。在形容词这部分还有3项内容，即量词与数词、比较级及指示词。由于它们牵涉到代词和副词，因此放在一起专门讨论。