Common errors in the use of the indefinite articles made by the students in grade eleven at my loc high school

HANOI PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY N
o
2
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FACULTY




TRAN THI MAI




COMMON ERRORS IN THE USE OF THE INDEFINITE
ARTICLES MADE BY THE STUDENTS IN
GRADE ELEVEN AT MY LOC HIGH SCHOOL


(GRADUATION PAPER SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT
OF THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF ARTS IN ENGLISH)



Supervisor: PHI THI THO, B.A






HANOI-2014

i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to take this chance to express my greatest gratitude to Mrs.
Phi Thi Tho, B.A., my supervisor for her invaluable support and careful
guidance as well as encouragement, suggestions and advice throughout the
process of writing this thesis.
Besides, I would like to thank to the librarians of Hanoi Pedagogical
University Number 2 who have helped me in the preparation and writing this
thesis.
I would like to express my thanks to my all beloved lectures that
always motivated and suggested me to finish my thesis soon. Furthermore, I
would like to thank all my friends who never stop encouraging me to finish
my thesis.
In addition, I want to express my special thanks to students in class
11at My Loc High School because of their support in the survey.
Last but not least, I own a debt of gratitude to my beloved family, for
their whole - hearted encouragement and endless support.

ii

ABSTRACT

The indefinite articles “a/an” is a basic category in English grammar. It
is considered as a part of speech (adjective) as it modifies a noun. However,
not everybody can use the indefinite articles “a/an” in a correct way. In
addition, the uses of the indefinite articles have not been dealt with in full
and sometimes cause confusion to learners of English.
As a result, students of English often make errors when they use the
indefinite articles. Hence, it is necessary to investigate the uses of the
indefinite articles so that students can avoid making errors in using the
indefinite articles and propose solutions to the problem.
Based on material analysis, results of conducting a survey and error
analysis, the types of errors and causes have been found. Solutions to the
problem have been suggested.












iii

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP
Title: Common errors in the use of the indefinite articles made by
the students in grade eleven at My Loc High School
(Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for degree of Bachelor of
Arts in English)

I certify that no part in this thesis has been copied from any other
person‟s work without acknowledgement and that the thesis is originally
written by me under the instructions from my supervisor.
Date submitted:
Student

Tran Thi Mai
Supervisor

Phi Thi Tho









iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgement i

Abstract ii
Statement of authorship iii
Table of contents iv
PART ONE
INTRODUCTION
I. Rationale 1
II. Research presupposition 1
III. Research objectives 2
IV. Research scope 2
V. Research tasks 2
VI. Research methods 2
VII. Significance of the research work 3
VIII. Design of the research work 3
PART TWO
DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER ONE: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
I.1 Literature review in brief 4
I.2 The articles 5
I.2.1 Definition 5
I.2.2 Classification 5
I.2.2.1 Definite article 5
I.2.2.2 Indefinite articles 5
I.3 The indefinite articles “a, an” 5
I.3.1 Definition 5
I.3.2 Functions 6
I.3.2.1 As an adjective 6
I.3.2.2 As a quantifier 6
I.3.2.3 As a determiner 6
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I.3.3 Uses 7
I.3.3.1 Using the indefinite articles with singular countable nouns and
abstract nouns 7
I.3.3.1.1 To describe people and things with “a/an” + noun 7
I.3.3.1.2 To represent for a class or thing as whole 8
I.3.3.2 Using the indefinite articles in numbers, quantity and others . 8
I.3.3.3 Using the indefinite articles in some fixed expression 8
I.3.3.4 Some other uses 9
I.3.3.4.1 Using in exclamations 9
I.3.3.4.2 Using a or an with some illnesses 9
I.3.3.4.3 Using in the structure: To be so/as/too (a or an) + adjective
+ singular noun 9
I.3.3.4.4 Using after quite, such, many 10
CHAPTER TWO
METHODOLOGY
II.1 Survey 11
II.1.1 Purpose of the survey 11
II.1.2 Population of the survey 12
II.1.3 Type of the survey 12
II.1.4 Construction of the survey 12
II.1.5 Preparation of the survey 12
II.1.5.1 Test items 12
II.1.5.2 Arrangement of the test items 13
II.1.6 Administration of the try-out 13
II.1.6.1 Preparation of the try-out 13
II.1.6.2 Try-out 13
II.1.7 Method of data analysis 14

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CHAPTER THREE
THE RESULT
III.1 Results of the survey 15
III.2 Common errors and analysis 16
III.2.1 Errors in the use of the indefinite articles “a/an” and the definite “the” 16
III.2.2 Errors in the use of the indefinite articles and uncountable noun 17
III.2.3 Errors in the use of indefinite articles and zero article 18
III.2.4 Errors in the use of indefinite articles “a” and “an” 18
III.2.5 Errors in the use of indefinite articles and fixed expression 19
III.2.6 Errors in the use of indefinite articles in describing people and things 19
III.3 Suggested solutions and suggested exercise 20
III.3.1 Suggested solutions 20
III.3.2 Suggested exercises 21
PART THREE
CONCLUSION
Conclusion 25
Limitations and suggestions for further study 26
References 28
Survey questionnaire 29
Suggested exercises 34




1

PART ONE
INTRODUCTION

I. Rationale
Many people choose English to learn as the second language.
However, English is not easy to learn and learners sometimes have
difficulties in learning it. English grammar is supposed to be complex and
causes embarrassment to students. The indefinite articles is one of the
language categories that student have to learn. Although the indefinite
articles are not too difficult as the other categories, it makes students
confused between the definite article “the”, the zero and the indefinite
articles. Due to its various uses, it is assumed that there are many errors
which may be made. In facts, many students confess that the indefinite
articles are one of the biggest problems of English grammar and they often
make errors in the use of the indefinite articles.
In the future, I am going to be a teacher so I would like to make
contribution to the English teaching in Vietnam. For the reason above, this
study is conducted, which focuses on errors in the use of the indefinite
articles among students of My Loc High School. Thus, the results of the
survey helps me find errors that students make so that I can find reasons and
solutions to make students understand well and exactly about the indefinite
articles.
II. Research presupposition
Some questions are raised:
1. What kinds of errors in the use of the indefinite articles are made by the
students in grade 11 at My Loc High School in the academic year of 2013/2014?
2. What are the causes of the errors in the use of the indefinite articles by
the students in grade 11 at My Loc High School in the academic year of
2013/2014?
3. What are the effective ways to minimize the errors made by the
students in grade 11 at My Loc High School in the academic year of 2013/2014?
2

III. Research objectives
The study is aimed at the following goals:
1. To find out the main errors in the use of the indefinite articles made by
the students in grade 11 at My Loc High School in the academic year of
2013/2014.
2. To find out the causes of the errors in the use of the indefinite articles
by the students in grade 11 at My Loc High School in the academic year of
2013/2014.
3. To offer some suggestions to minimize the errors made by the students
in grade 11 at My Loc High School in the academic year of 2013/2014 through a
survey.
IV. Research scope
The general research area of this study is grammar.
The phenomenon is focused on the errors in using the indefinite
articles made by the students in grade 11 at My Loc High School in the
academic year of 2013/2014.
The population involved in the study is 100 students at My Loc High
School in the academic year of 2013/2014.
V. Research tasks
The study involves the following tasks:
1. Studying the definition of the indefinite articles in English
2. Studying the functions and uses of the indefinite articles in English
3. Conducting a survey to find out error types and causes of the uses of
the indefinite articles in English
4. Suggesting some solutions to minimize the students‟ errors
VI. Research methods
To achieve the objectives of the study, the following methods have
been applied:
1. Collecting, reading and analyzing documents listed in the references
2. Consulting the supervisor, experienced teachers and students

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3. Synthesizing theoretical materials on English grammar
4. Conducting test survey and analyzing the results
VII. Significance of the research work.
Learning English is not easy to everyone and making errors is
unavoidable. Errors are sometimes predictable and sometimes unpredictable.
It is, therefore, necessary for teachers to have better solutions to help students
overcome the difficulties in the use of the indefinite articles “a, an”. This
study is hoped provide the following:
1. Input for learners of English in order to have better understanding
about the indefinite articles in English, especially at high school level
2. Input for learners in order to minimize their errors in using the
indefinite articles
3. Input for teachers of English with information on errors types and
solutions to the problem so that they can find good methods and techniques
of teaching the indefinite articles
VIII. Design of research work
The research work has three main parts: Introduction, Development
and Conclusion. The part Development has three chapters.
Chapter one is “Theoretical Background” consists of two sections.
Section one presents literature review in brief and section two deals with the
indefinite articles in English in definition, functions, usage.
Chapter two is “Methodology about the indefinite articles “A, An””. It
describes the research methods.
Chapter three is “The Result” It is composed of three sections. Section
one is the results of the survey. The second deals with error types and
analysis error causes. The last one is solutions to the problems and suggested
exercises on the indefinite articles “a, an”.

4

PART TWO
DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER ONE
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
I.1 Literature review in brief.
The indefinite articles is a small part in English Grammar. It has been
researched by grammarians like Thomson and Martinet (1989), Alexander
(1988), Hewings (1999), Baugh (1993) and so on. They each have their own
ways to describe the indefinite articles. It is visible that their contributions
are so great. Generally, they often focus their attention on the definition,
functions, classification and the uses of the indefinite articles.
In the book Longman English Grammar, Alexander (1988) studied the
uses of the indefinite articles and distinguished between the indefinite articles
and “one”.
Swan (1984) in the book Basic English Usage paid much attention to
some cases in which we do not use the indefinite articles. He also focused on
the differences between the indefinite articles and the definite article.
In the book Oxford Practice Grammar, Eastwood (1992) gave the uses
of the indefinite articles. Moreover, he showed some exceptions in using the
indefinite articles and differences between the indefinite articles and “some”
and “one”.
Hewings (1999) in the book Cambridge English Advanced Grammar
in Use discussed the definition as well as the classification of and the uses of
the indefinite articles.
In short, much research has been done on the indefinite articles but

some of them pointed out errors in the uses of the indefinite articles. In fact,
there are far more errors that learners of English often make when they use
the indefinite articles. Therefore, it is essential to have a comprehensive
study of common errors in the use of indefinite article.
5

I.2 The articles
I.2.1 Definition
According to Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, article is
a word used before a noun to show whether the noun refers to a particular
example of something or to a general example of something. In English,
“the” is called the definite article and “a” and “an” are called the indefinite
articles.
Andrusiak I. V. defines in the book The Use of Article in English: “The
article belongs to a syntactic class of words called determiners. Determiners
are words we use before a noun to show whether the noun is specific or
general, singular or plural, etc. determiners also include possessive like my,
demonstrative like this and quantifiers like all”.
I.2.2 Classification
English article, according to Thomson, A. J. & Martinet, A.V. (1989)
in the book A Practical English Grammar, are classified into two types: the
indefinite articles “a/an” and the definite article “the”. However, Hewings,
M. (1999) show that zero article “Ø” is one type of the article. English
articles, therefore, include “the”, “a/an” and “Ø”.
The indefinite articles is used with a singular countable noun, we use
zero article with uncountable and plural nous and the indefinite articles is
used with singular and plural count nouns and non-count nouns.
I.3 The indefinite articles
I.3.1 Definition
A and an are known as indefinite article because they are normally

used to mean one.
Bob has a book on his desk.
I’m hungry. I would like an apple.
(Azar, 1995: 185)
Alexander (1990) in Longman English Grammar for Intermediate
notices: A and an have exactly the same meaning. We use a in front of
6

consonant sounds (a man, a year) and an in front of vowel sounds (an
umbrella, an eye, an hour).
Thomson and Martinet (1989) in A Practical English Grammar
describe: the form a is used before a word beginning with a consonant, or a
vowel with a consonant sound: a university, a European, a man; the form an
is used before words beginning with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) or words beginning
with a mute h or individual letter spoken with a vowel sound: an uncle, an
hour, an egg, an MP, an SOS (p.9).
I.3.2 Functions
I.3.2.1 As an adjective
In the book Longman Dictionary of Grammar and Usage, Kam Chuan
Aik mentions that “the words a, an and the are articles. As a part of speech,
articles are considered adjectives because they modify nouns”. Therefore, the
articles have the same function as adjectives. For example:
There is a boy in class.
An angry person
I.3.2.2 As a quantifier
The plural of a/an is some or any when we refer to “quantity”.
Moreover, some and any are most frequently used as quantifiers; the
indefinite articles have function as quantifier. For instance:
There’s a sandwich on the plate.
There are some sandwiches on plate.

I.3.2.3 As a determiner
Common kinds of determiners include definite and indefinite articles,
demonstratives (like this and that), possessive determiners (like my and
their), and quantifiers (like many, few and several). Hence, the indefinite
articles “a, an” can function as the determiner.
The girl is a student.


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I.3.3 Uses
According to Hewings (1999: 112), in English Advanced Grammar in
Use, we use a before words that begin with a consonant sound. Some words
start with a vowel letter but begin with a consonant sound, so we use a before
these words, too: a one-parent family, a book; we use an before words that
begin with a vowel sound include words that begin with a silent letter “h”: an
orange, an Italian, an honest child, an FBI agent.
I.3.3.1 The use of indefinite article with singular countable nouns and
abstract nouns
We use the indefinite articles before a singular noun which is countable
(i.e. of which there is more than one) when it is mentioned for the first time
and represents no particular person or thing. For examples:
They live in a flat.
He bought an ice-cream.
Some abstract nouns can be used in a particular sense with a/an, but in
the singular only:
A help: My children are a great help to me
A relief: It was a relief to sit down
A knowledge of: He had a good knowledge of mathematics
A dislike/dread/hatred/horror/love + of is also possible: A love of

music
A mercy/pity/shame/wonder can be used with that-clause introduced
by it: It’s a pity you weren’t here
A fear/fears, a hope/hopes, a suspicion/suspicions: These can be
used with that-clauses introduced by there. For example:
There is a fear/There are fears that he has been murdered.
I.3.3.1.1 To describe people and things with “a/an” + noun
 We use some words as adjectives or nouns when we want to describe
people. When we use them as countable nouns, we always put a/an in front of
them, e.g.
8

- Nationality: She‟s American. (adjective) or: She‟s an American. (noun)
- Religion: She‟s Anglican. (adjective) or: She‟s an Anglican
- Politics: He‟s Conservative. (adjective) or: He‟s a Conservative (noun)
 We use some words only as countable nouns (people and things) and
we always put a/an in front of them. For example: He‟s a doctor (Not “He’s
doctor”); we can also use adjective + noun: She‟s a good girl (Not “She’s good
girl).
 We can use a/an in front of proper nouns (names spelt with a capital
letter) for:
- Members of a family: He‟s a Forsyte. (= a member of the Forsyte family)
- Literature and art: It‟s a Dickens novel, It‟s a Brecht play
I.3.3.1.2 To represent for a class or thing as whole
The indefinite articles is used before singular countable noun which is
used as an example of a class of things:
A car must be insured = All cars/Any car must be insured.
A child needs love = All children need/Any child needs love.
I.3.3.2 Using indefinite article in numbers, quantity and others
The indefinite articles can be used with certain numbers: a hundred; before

half when half follows a whole number: 1 ½ kilos = one and a half kilos or a
kilo and a half, but ½ kg = half a kilo (no a before half), though a + half + noun
is sometimes possible: a half-holiday; with 1/3, ¼, 1/5 etc. a is usual: a third, a
quarter etc., but one is also possible: one third, one quarter…
In certain expression of quantity, a and an can be used:
A lot of a dozen a great deal of a couple
We use a or an in expressions of price, speed, ratio, etc.:
5p a kilo four times a day six kilometers an hour
(Here a/an = per)
I.3.3.3 Using indefinite article in some fixed expressions
The indefinite articles can be used in some fixed expressions which in
other languages often have no article:
9

We were in a (great) hurry.
She takes an interest in his work.
It is a pity that she has just gone out.
In the generic use we may say that a means any or, perhaps rather, that
one (cat) is taken as representative of the whole class:
A cat is not so vigilant as a dog.
As happy as a clam
As deaf as a post
I.3.3.4 Some other uses
I.3.3.4.1 Using in exclamations
We use a/an in exclamations after what, with singular countable nouns:
What a lovely dress!
What an ugly girl!
I.3.3.4.2 Using with some illnesses
We always use a/an with these illnesses: a cold, a headache, a sore
throat. However, we can use or omit a/an with these:

catch (a) cold, have (a/an) backache/earache/stomach-ache/toothache
I.3.3.4.3 Using in the structure: so/as/too/such + adjective + a/an + singular
noun
We can use the indefinite articles in the structures:
So
+ adjective + a/an + singular noun
As
Too
Such
For example: It’s such a long way to the beach
She is so pretty a girl!
She is as pretty a girl as her sister.
This is too heavy a suitcase to carry.
Vick got such a nice welcome that she almost cried.

10

I.3.3.4.4 Using after quite, such, many, before very, fairly, really
After quite, such, and many we can use a phrase with a/an:
Many a man thinks so
It is quite an old house
I have had such a busy day!
A/an go before very, fairly, really:
I made a really stupid mistake.
It is a fairly long walk.

11

CHAPTER TWO
METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the methodology about the indefinite articles. It
deals with the survey questionnaire, which was designed to map out some
common errors made by the eleventh-grade students at My Loc High School.
II.1 Survey
As it was mentioned in chapter one, the study does not only help
students of English have a deep insight into the indefinite articles but also
find out errors in the use of the indefinite articles “a and an”. Due to
framework of a thesis, to map out all mistakes made by students at high

educational level is impossible. Therefore, this thesis is only focus on
common errors in the use of the indefinite articles made by the students of
English in grade 11 at My Loc High School. To find out the errors made by
those students, a survey questionnaire was conducted.
Survey questionnaire is chosen because it is believed to be simple way
to gather data from a large number of respondents. Additionally, it is
relatively easy to summarize and report as all the informants answer the same
question. Last but not least, one of the most important to choose this tool is
that the students taking part in the survey have opportunity to express their
opinions and needs without worries either to be embarrassed or to be
punished.
II.1.1 Purpose of the survey
The overall objectives of the survey questionnaire are to test students‟
understanding of the indefinite articles and find out common errors in the use
of the indefinite articles “a and an” made by the eleventh-grade students at
My Loc High School in the academic year of 2013-2014.
II.1.2 Population of the survey
The number of student participating in the survey questionnaire is one
hundred students in grade 11 at My Loc High School. English is one of the
12

compulsory subjects. They have been learning English for five to seven
years. Naturally, they have been taught some of the indefinite articles uses.
Some of them are really good at grammar but some of them are bad at
grammar in general and the indefinite articles in particular.
II.1.3 Type of the survey
The questionnaire is the form of a test, which has the following types
of exercises: filling in the blanks and choosing the correct answers. In short,
there are 60 sentences in the questionnaire. The time limit is 45 minutes.
II.1.4 Construction of the survey

The material used in the test was taken from grammar books and
practice books concerned with the indefinite articles such as: Oxford Practice
Grammar, Cambridge English advanced Grammar in Use, etc… The survey
consists of sixty sentences that require students using knowledge about the
indefinite articles to choose the correct answer. The questionnaire consists of
three exercises:
1. Exercise 1: Put in the abbreviation with “a or an”
This exercise consists of 10 sentences
2. Exercise 2: Circle the best answer A, B, C, D to complete each sentence
This exercise consists of 40 sentences
3. Exercise 3: In each space put “a, an, the” or leave the space blank.
This exercise consists of 10 blanks
II.1.5 Preparation of the survey
II.1.5.1 Test items
There are many possible errors in the use of the indefinite articles that
a survey cannot find out. Thus, it is necessary to predict possible errors and
include them in the survey. In this survey, possible errors were classified into
following categories.
1. Errors in the use of the indefinite articles “a, an” and the definite article
“the”.
2. Errors in the use of the indefinite articles and uncountable noun.
13

3. Errors in the use of the indefinite articles and zero article.
4. Errors in the use of the indefinite articles “a” and “an”.
5. Errors in the use of the indefinite articles and fixed expression.
6. Errors in the use of the indefinite articles in describe someone‟s
profession.
II.1.5.2 Arrangement of the test items
The questions were arranged into the following numbers:

1. The questions on the use of the indefinite articles “a, an” and the
definite article “the” are in numbers 12, 16, 21,25, 37, 54, 55, 56, 57 and 60.
2. The questions on the use of the indefinite articles and uncountable noun
are in numbers 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 31, 34, 44 and 49.
3. The questions on the use of the indefinite articles and zero article are in
numbers 13, 18, 22, 24, 36, 41, 51, 52, 53 and 58.
4. The questions on the use of the indefinite article “a” and “an” are in
numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.
5. The questions on the use of the indefinite articles and fixed expression
are in numbers 11, 15, 19, 27, 28, 30, 39, 43, 46 and 50.
6. The questions on the use of the indefinite articles in describe someone‟s
profession are in numbers 32, 33, 35, 38, 40, 42, 45, 47, 48 and 59.
II.1.6 Administration of the try-out
II.1.6.1 Preparation of the try-out
The teachers in charge of the two classes, the students of which were
intended to do the survey questionnaire, were asked for permission before the
try-out was carried out.
II.1.6.2 Try-out
Try-out was conducted on March, 2014. One hundred students were
politely asked to do the questionnaire as well as possible in compliance with
their own ability. They were instructed carefully before answering the
questionnaire. Importantly, they were reminded that the result of the
questionnaire was to serve the research and it had no influence on their study
14

results. Hence, they made their real effort to do questionnaire without
copying from the others. The allocated time for sixty questions was forty-
five minutes.
II.1.7 Method of data analysis
After collecting the data from survey questionnaires, the average

percentage of error at each level is calculated and then the error levels are
ranked from the highest to the lowest. Based on this arrangement, the highest
is considered as the major error in the use of the indefinite articles. Students
who made the most errors were identified in the last step.

15

CHAPTER THREE
THE RESULT
This chapter presents the results of the survey. It includes three
sections. Section III.1 presents the results of the survey. Section III.2 deals
with common errors and analysis error causes. Section III.3 is solutions to
the problems and suggested exercises on the indefinite articles “a, an”.
III.1 Results of the survey
In the first part of the survey, the students were asked to give their self-
assessment of their English levels and their understandings. A great number
of them (65 %) said that their English was not really good. Twenty per cent
of them said that they were rather good at English. Eight per cent said that
they were good at English. Four per cent stated that they were excellent.
Only three per cent confessed that they are bad at this subject. It can be seen
from the results of the survey that the students could know what the
indefinite articles “a and an” and the definite article „the” are. However, most
of them remained make some errors in using the indefinite articles.
Based on the survey analysis, the errors made by the students at grade
11 in My Loc High School were noted as follows.
Table 1
Error
Errors in the use of the indefinite articles
%
1

Errors in the use of the indefinite articles and the definite article
69
2
Errors in the use of the indefinite articles and fixed expression
59
3
Errors in the use of the indefinite articles and the zero article
53
4
Errors in the use of the indefinite articles and uncountable noun
46
5
Errors in the use of the indefinite articles “a” and “an”
42
6
Errors in the use of the indefinite articles in describe people and
things
39
16

The specific percentage of these errors is given in the following chart:

The bar chart indicates the common errors in the uses of the indefinite
articles “a/an” made by the eleventh-grade students at My Loc High School.
It can be seen from the chart, the highest percentage of errors is the one
in the use of the indefinite articles and the definite articles, which accounted
for 69%. The lowest percentage of errors is one in the use of the indefinite
articles in describing people and things, only 39%. Hence, the percentage of
students who made errors in the use of the indefinite and the definite article
nearly doubled the percentage of students who made errors in the use of the

indefinite articles in describing people and things. The errors in the use of the
indefinite articles and fixed expression, zero article, uncountable noun,
between “a” and “an” are 59%, 53%, 46% and 42% respectively.
Overall, the results obviously showed that there are many errors in the
use of the indefinite articles “a and an” that the students in grade 11 at My
Loc High School encountered.
III.2 Common errors and analysis
III.2.1 Errors in the use of the indefinite articles “a” and “an” and the
definite article “the”
The errors in the use of the indefinite articles “a” and “an” and the
definite article “the” among the eleventh-grade students at My Loc High
69.22
41.55
59.44
53.33
46.22
17

School are the most common. The errors of this type account for 69%.
Looking at the following example:
Circle the correct answer:
(a/the/) couple of minutes later, I heard (a/the) noise, and (a/the) man
wearing (a/the) grey leather jacket ran past me.
Wrong answer: a/the/the
Correct answer: a/a/a
The cause is that the students do not master the grammatical rules
when they used the articles. They have difficult in defining which case the
indefinite articles “a/an” are used and which case the definite article is used.
The indefinite articles are used before a singular countable noun mentioned
for the first time. The definite article “the” is used for something that has

been mentioned again.
However, we can use “the” before singular countable noun to make
general statements about animals and about inventions and discoveries and
also use “the” with musical instruments. Therefore, it makes the students
confused. For example:
The fly is a common insect.
Who invented the camera?
Natasha can play the piano.
III.2.2 Errors in the use of the indefinite articles and uncountable nouns
46% of the errors involve using the indefinite articles and uncountable
nouns. Looking at the following example:
Circle the correct answer:
I have information about bees.
A. a B. an C. some D. one
Wrong answer: B. an
Correct answer: C. some
This type is mainly caused by the mistakenness about the use of the
indefinite articles with countable and uncountable noun. The indefinite
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articles are only used with the singular countable noun. We do not use the
indefinite articles with plural and uncountable noun.
However, many of the uncountable nouns can be used in a particular
sense and are then countable and can take “a/an” in the singular and some
uncountable nouns are often preceded by some, any, no, a little etc. or by
nouns as bit, peace, slice + of. For instance:
He had an exciting experience/ some exciting experiences last week.
A peace/ bit of information (also an item of information)
A bit of news, a sheet of paper
III.2.3 Errors in the use of the indefinite articles and zero article

It can be seen from the analysis that the errors related to the use of the
indefinite articles and zero article stand at 53%. For instance:
Filling the articles “a”, “an”, “the” or no article in the blank
We have breakfast at eight.
Wrong answer: a
Correct answer: Ø
The students often make this error because of their limited knowledge
about using the indefinite articles before name of meals. We usually use zero
article when we talk about meals. However, if we want to describe a
particular meal, then we use an article and when we talk about a formal
dinner or lunch for a special occasion, we use “a dinner” or “a lunch”. For
example:
We did not get up until 10 o’clock and had a late breakfast.
We are having a dinner to welcome the new manager.
III.2.4 Errors in the use of the indefinite articles “a” and “an”
The percentage of error in the use of the indefinite “a” and “an” among
the eleventh-grade students at My Loc High School is 42%. For example:
Filling “a” or “an” in the blank
There is NCP car park a bit further down the road.
Wrong answer: a