ラジオ英会話 26/2/2(月)テスト,限定詞
Noun Type, General (Indefinite), Specific (Definite)
Singular Countable, Use a / an (“I need a pen.”), Use the (“Give me the pen.”)
Plural Countable, Use nothing (“I like dogs.”), Use the (“Look at the dogs!”)
Uncountable, Use nothing (“I want water.”), Use the (“The water is cold.”)
- The “Zero Article” (When to use nothing)
In English, we often use no article at all. This usually happens with:
Plural nouns in general: “I love flowers.” (Not “the flowers”).
Proper nouns (Names): “I live in Kyoto.” (Not “the Kyoto”).
Abstract concepts: “We need peace.” (Not “a peace”).
Summary Table
Article. Type, Use Case. Example
A / An. Indefinite. General / One of many. “I want a sandwich.”
The, Definite. Specific / Known to both. “Eat the sandwich on the plate.”
(Zero), None. General plural / Names. “Sandwiches are delicious.”
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Fill in the blanks with a, an, the, or “Ø” (if no article is needed). Some of these are a bit “tricky,” so pay close attention to the sounds and the context!
📝 The Article Challenge
1). I have to finish my homework in ____ hour.
2). I bought ____ new laptop yesterday. ____ laptop is very fast.
3). Would you like to go to ____ Paris next summer?
4). My sister is studying to be ____ architect.
5). He is ____ university student in London.
6). Look at ____ sky! It looks like it’s going to rain.
7). I think ____ cats are better pets than dogs.
8). Could you please pass me ____ salt? (It’s right there next to you).
9). She is ____ honest woman.
10). ____ Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan
How to play: Just type your answers in a list (e.g., 1. a, 2. the…) and send them over. I’ll check them and explain any that might have tripped you up!
Would you like me to give you a hint for number 5 and number 7 before you start?
Here are the hints you asked for, followed by the full answer key and explanations!
💡 The Hints
For #5 (university): Don’t look at the letter; listen to the sound. “University” starts with a “Y” sound (like “you”). In English, “Y” is treated as a consonant sound.
For #7 (cats): Are you talking about specific cats sitting in the room, or all cats in the whole world? If it’s general and plural, you usually need the Zero Article (Ø).
✅ The Answer Key
No.
Answer
Why?
1
an hour
The “h” is silent, so it starts with a vowel sound (our).
2
a / the
First mention is general (a); second mention is specific (the).
3
Ø Paris
We don’t use articles for most cities or countries.
4
an architect
“Architect” starts with a vowel sound.
5
a university
It starts with a consonant “Y” sound.
6
the sky
There is only one sky; it is unique.
7
Ø cats
General plural. You are talking about all cats.
8
the salt
Specific. You mean the salt on the table.
9
an honest
The “h” is silent, so it starts with the vowel sound “o.”
10
Ø Mount Fuji
Individual mountains usually don’t take “the.”
🧠 Why did #5 and #9 trip people up?
The rule isn’t actually about the letters A, E, I, O, U. It is about the sounds.
Silent H: Words like hour, honest, and honor sound like they start with “O,” so we use an.
The “Y” Sound: Words like university, user, and unicorn sound like they start with “Y,” so we use a.
One more tricky one: Mountains
Did you notice #10?
Individual mountains (Mount Fuji, Mount Everest) = No article (Ø).
Mountain ranges (The Alps, The Rockies, The Himalayas) = Use “the”.
How many did you get right? If you want, I can give you 5 more “expert level” questions involving mountain ranges and geographic locations!
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単語・熟語 発音記号 意味
noun type /naʊn taɪp/ 名詞の種類
general /ˈdʒɛnərəl/ 一般的な
specific /spəˈsɪfɪk/ 特定の
indefinite /ɪnˈdɛfɪnɪt/ 不定の
definite /ˈdɛfɪnɪt/ 定まった
singular /ˈsɪŋɡjələr/ 単数の
plural /ˈplʊrəl/ 複数の
countable /ˈkaʊntəbl/ 可算の
uncountable /ʌnˈkaʊntəbl/ 不可算の
zero article /ˈzɪroʊ ˈɑːrtɪkəl/ 冠詞なし
proper noun /ˈprɑːpər naʊn/ 固有名詞
abstract concept /ˈæbstrækt ˈkɑːnsɛpt/ 抽象概念
first mention /fɜːrst ˈmɛnʃən/ 初出
second mention /ˈsɛkənd ˈmɛnʃən/ 再言及
vowel sound /ˈvaʊəl saʊnd/ 母音の音
consonant sound /ˈkɑːnsənənt saʊnd/ 子音の音
silent h /ˈsaɪlənt eɪtʃ/ 発音されない h
treat A as B /triːt/ AをBとして扱う
individual /ˌɪndɪˈvɪdʒuəl/ 個別の
mountain range /ˈmaʊntən reɪndʒ/ 山脈
trip someone up /trɪp ʌp/ つまずかせる
answer key /ˈænsər kiː/ 解答一覧
名詞の種類：一般（不定）と特定（定）
単数可算名詞
一般：a / an
I need a pen.（ペンが1本必要です）
特定：the
Give me the pen.（そのペンをください）
複数可算名詞
一般：冠詞なし
I like dogs.（犬が好きです）
特定：the
Look at the dogs!（その犬たちを見て）
不可算名詞
一般：冠詞なし
I want water.（水が欲しい）
特定：the
The water is cold.（その水は冷たい）
- 「ゼロ冠詞（Ø）」— 冠詞を使わない場合
英語では、冠詞をまったく使わないことがよくあります。主に次の場合です。
一般的な複数名詞
I love flowers.（花が好き）
固有名詞
I live in Kyoto.
抽象概念
We need peace.（平和が必要だ）
まとめ表
a / an：不定・一般
I want a sandwich.
the：定・特定
Eat the sandwich on the plate.
Ø（ゼロ）：一般複数・名前
Sandwiches are delicious.
ヒント
university：文字ではなく音を聞く
→「ユー」＝子音 → a university
cats：特定？それとも一般？
→ 一般複数なら Ø
解答と理由（要約）
1 an hour（h は無音）
a → the（初出 → 特定）
Ø Paris（都市名）
an architect（母音音）
a university（Y 音）
the sky（唯一）
Ø cats（一般複数）
the salt（特定）
an honest（h 無音）
Ø Mount Fuji（単独の山）
山のルール
単独の山：Ø
Mount Fuji
山脈：the
the Alps / the Himalayas