Article, my Farticle

An empty food bowl is what I woke up to find.

A smug sister sat beside the bowl.

The worst cousin in the world sat on the other side of the bowl.

0 Girl cats are annoying.

I hate 0 sisters and 0 cousins.

Blah blah blah blah. That's what Mother said after I pointed out the greediness on display this - and every - morning in our house. She doesn't care that I am starving to death.

Instead of giving me a can of moist food to eat by myself, Mother said I needed to focus my thoughts on positive things. Think happy thoughts. Okay. I'll think about how I will string up my sister and cousin by their tails. Maybe I'll use the clippers and shave them bald. I wonder if there's any arsenic in this house...

Articles are words that precede nouns. There are three types of articles (my farticles).

1. Indefinite: A/An

2. Definite: The

3. Zero: 0

INDEFINITE - Use A/AN before a noun that is non-specific.

Use A when the next word starts with a consonant, or before words starting in u and eu when they sound like you.

• A smug sister sat beside the bowl.

• I have a sweet mother.

Use An when the next word starts with a vowel (a,e,i,o,u) or with a mute h.

• An empty food bowl is what I woke up to find.

• I live with an honest cousin who admits she doesn't like me.

DEFINITE - Use THE to specify which exact item. The reader will know what item you are talking about.

• Give me the food bowl.

• Give me the bag of treats you are holding.

• The patio door needs to be closed to keep the cats inside.

• The tuxedo is the most selfish of the three cats.

ZERO

In some circumstances, we can use Zero articles with plural or non-count nouns. (More on non-count nouns in another blog post. I get 0 treats for every post I write.)

Plural Nouns are more than two of a particular item.

• 0 Treats are yummy and good for my tummy.

• 0 Sisters and 0 cousins should not get to eat 0 treats.

• Mother says reading 0 books makes you smarter.

• Reading is not what 0 cats do.

• I enjoy eating 0 treats.

• I like to chase 0 mice.

Non-Count Nouns are items that have too many individual pieces to be counted, such as rice, ink, money, coffee, homework, weather. These items don't have a plural form.

Here's the test Mother made me take on Definite, Indefinite, and Zero Articles. I missed two because I was hangry when I took the test. I'm still angry. You might score better.

https://www.liveworksheets.com/nm1356520ar

It's treat time!

Until I write again...

MiLO