Unit
44
A / an and one A
We use a before nouns and noun phrases that begin with a consonant sound. Reminder ➜ I6– 7 If the noun or noun phrase starts with a vowel letter but begins with a consonant sound, we also use a: a university (/ə ju:n …/) a European (/ə jʊər …/) a one-parent family (/ə wʌn …/) We use an before words that begin with a vowel sound, including a silent letter ‘h’: an orange an Italian an umbrella an hour an honour and abbreviations said as individual letters that begin with A, E, F, H, I, L, M, N, O, R, S or X: an MP (/ən em piː/) an FBI agent (/ən ef biː aɪ …/) an IOU (/ən aɪ əʊ juː /) But compare abbreviations said as words: a NATO general (/ə neɪtəʊ … /) a FIFA official (/ə fiːfə … /) but an OPEC meeting (/ən əʊpek … /) Note that we say: a history (book) but an (or a) historical (novel)
B
We use a / an (not one) to talk about a particular but unspecified person, thing or event: I really need a cup of coffee. You never see a police officer in this part of town, do you? We also use a / an, not one, in number and quantity expressions such as: three times a year half an hour a quarter of an hour a day or so (= ‘about a day’) 50 cents a (= each) litre (note we can also say ‘50 cents for one litre’) a week or two (= between one and two weeks; note we can also say ‘one or two weeks’) a few a little a huge number of … We use a rather than one in the pattern a … of … with possessives, as in: She’s a colleague of mine. That’s a friend of Gabriel’s.
C
Before a singular countable noun one and a / an both refer to one thing: We’ll be in Australia for one year. (or … a year.) Wait here for one minute, and I’ll be with you. (or … a minute …) Using one gives a little more emphasis to the length of time, quantity, amount, etc.: He weighs one hundred and twenty kilos! Would you believe it! (using one emphasises the weight more than using a) However, we use one rather than a / an if we want to emphasise that we are talking about only one thing or person rather than two or more: Do you want one sandwich or two? Are you staying only one night? I just took one look at her and she started crying. We use one, not a / an, in the pattern one … other / another:: Close one eye, and then the other. Bees carry pollen from one plant to another. We also use one in phrases such as one day, one evening, one spring, etc. to mean a particular, but unspecified, day, evening, spring, etc.: Hope to see you again one day. One evening,, while he was working late at the office …
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Unit
Exercises 44.1
44
Write a or an in the spaces. A 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
unpaid bill DIY shop MP3 player Euro MiG fighter plane Olympic medal AGM
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
U-turn heirloom NASA space launch UN decision SOS message F grade hero
44.2 If necessary, correct a / an or one in these sentences, or write ✓. In which sentences are a / an and one both possible? B & C
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
I usually go to the gym four times one week. There’s more than one way to solve the problem. I phoned the council to complain, but just got passed on from a person to another. The rate of pay is really good here. You can earn over £20 one hour. Maybe we could go skiing one winter. The apples are 90 cents one kilo. Are you hungry? Would you like one piece of cake? The rules say that there is only one vote per member. You can get seven hours of recording on one disc. A: What would Moritz like for his birthday? B: Why don’t you ask Leah? She’s one good friend of his and will have some ideas. There’s one pen on the floor. Is it yours? The library books are due back in one month. Do you want some of my chips? There are too many here for a person. I’m going to London for one day or two. Either I’ll work late tonight or I’ll come in early tomorrow, but the report’s got to be finished by lunchtime a way or another. It will take more than one morning to finish the decorating.
44.3 Which is more appropriate, a / an or one? If both a / an and one are possible, write them both. B&C
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
If you wait second I’ll get my coat and come too. I want to see the river last time before I leave. The President is visiting the city day in November. It was announced that the plane would be approximately hour late. I could hear the sound of helicopter in the distance. I’d just like to say thing before I go. Misaki’s baby is year old already. Dinner should be ready in hour or so. Hugo came over evening last week. I’ve painted wall already and I’ll do the other tomorrow. I’d like to make point here, Carlos, if I may. large number of people had gathered in the square.
➜ Additional exercise 10 (page 246)
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Key to Exercises Unit 44
45.3
44.1 1 an 2 a 3 an 4 a 5 a (‘MiG’ is said /mɪg/) 6 an 7 an 8 a 9 an 10 a 11 a 12 an 13 an 14 a
44.2 1 one a 2 ✓ 3 a one 4 one an 5 ✓ 6 one a 7 one a (‘one’ would imply ‘one and no more’; ‘a’ is more likely if this is a more general invitation to ‘have some cake’) 8 ✓ (‘one’ implies ‘one and only one’) 9 ✓ (both ‘one’ and ‘a’ are possible) 10 one a 11 one a (‘one’ would emphasise the number and seems less likely than ‘a’ in this context) 12 ✓ (both ‘one’ and ‘a’ are possible) 13 a one 14 one a 15 a one 16 ✓ (both ‘one’ and ‘a’ are possible)
44.3 1 one / a 2 one 3 one 4 one / an 5 a 6 one
7 one / a 8 an 9 one 10 one 11 one / a 12 A
Unit 45 45.1 1 2 3 4
a the world b a world a a bright future b the future a the past b a past a a deserted beach b the beach (‘a beach’ is also possible here, meaning a particular but unspecified beach)
45.2 1 a customer 2 the individual / an individual (similar meaning) 3 the car 4 The television 5 the smoker
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2 pleasure 3 a sound 4 grammar 5 iron 6 Sound
4 7 a real pleasure 8 a grammar 9 an iron 10 conversation
Unit 46
5 6
46.1 1 an author 2 the a / – minister 3 a Mac 4 Not the George Clooney 5 a Van Gogh 6 ✓ 7 the Nielsens 8 the a / – Usain Bolt
46.2 1 a / the / – (‘a’ suggests that there are a number of marketing advisers; ‘the’ or ‘–’ indicate that there is only one) 2 the / – 3 the / – 4 the / – (in journalism) 5 – 6 – ; – 7 – 8 A / –
46.3 1 the 2 (the) 3 (the) 4 the
5 (the) 6 (the) 7 the 8 the
46.4 1 this / a 2 – 3 – (‘this’ would be unlikely here as the paint is not the topic of what comes next) 4 the / – 5 a / – 6 a 7 the 8 a / this (‘this’ introduces the woman as the focus of the next part of the story) 9 the / – 10 the / –
Unit 47 47.1 1 a Children (a general reference; specific children are not referred to) b the children (a specific reference, probably to my/our children) 2 a the agriculture (a reference to the agriculture in a specific area) b agriculture (a general reference) 3 a islands (reference to islands generally) b The islands (reference to a specific group of islands)
7 8
a the holidays (specific reference; the holidays that are coming soon) b Holidays (a general reference to holidays in this part of the world) a rain (a general reference) b the rain (reference to a specific, understood period of rain) a the money (reference to a specific, understood sum of money) b money (an observation on the effect of money generally) a Parents (= a general reference) b The parents (a specific reference to particular parents) a the fire (reference to a specific fire) b fire (a general reference)
47.2 1 – (‘all afternoon’ is more likely than ‘all the afternoon’) 2 a 3 the 4 the 5 the 6 – 7 the 8 – 9 the / – (‘the winter’ might imply ‘the coming winter’. However, both ‘winter’ and ‘the winter’ might be a generalisation meaning ‘any winter’) 10 a
47.3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
an email by car / by air the air the post / an email by post / by email the car by email by air
Unit 48 48.1 1 some books 2 some 3 some 4 ✓ 5 Some sports 6 ✓ 7 some 8 Some children
48.2 Suggested answers are given 2 Some 30% of all city buses have been found to be unsafe. 3 An unexploded bomb has been found some five miles from the centre of Newham. 4 Some 25% of electricity will come from wind energy by 2025. 5 Some 200 jobs are to be lost at the Encon steelworks.