The use of 'a/an', etc. with reference to illnesses/conditions

The use of the indefinite and zero articles with illnesses can be defined in four categories:

1 Expressions where the use of the indefinite article is compulsory: e.g a cold, a headache, a sore throat a weak heart a broken leg I've got a headache/a cold

2 Expressions where the use of the indefinite article is optional: e.g. catch (a) cold, have (a) backache/stomach-ache/toothache, (an) earache I've had (a) toothache all night

3 With illnesses which are plural in form (e.g measles, mumps shingles) no article is used [compare > 2.31]: My children are in bed with mumps

4 With illnesses which are defined as 'uncountable' (e.g. flu, gout hepatitis, etc.) no article is used: / was in bed with flu for ten days

The will also combine with e g. flu, measles and mumps-He's got the flu/the measles/the mumps

The definite article: 'the'

3.16 Form of the'

The never varies in form whether it refers to people or things, singular or plural singular:

(he man He s the man I was telling you about

the woman She's the woman I was telling you about

the book That s the book I was telling you about

plural:

the men They re the men I was telling you about

the women They re the women I was telling you about

the books They're the books I was telling you about

3.17 The pronunciation of 'the'

The is pronounced / бэ / before consonant sounds: the day, the key,

the house, the way

The is pronounced /6i/ before vowel sounds (i.e. words normally

preceded by an): the end, the hour, the inside, the outside, the ear, the

eye, the umbrella

When we wish to draw attention to the noun that follows, we use the

pronunciation /6i:/= 'the one and only' or 'the main one':

Do you mean the Richard Burton, the actor?

If you get into difficulties, Monica is the person to ask.

Mykonos has become the place for holidays in the Aegean.

3 Articles

Some common abbreviations are preceded by the, pronounced: / бэ / the BBC (the British Broadcasting Corporation) or / 6i/ the EEC (the European Economic Community). Compare B.A. [> 3.7]: we tend to use full stops with titles, but not with institutions, etc.

3.18 Basic uses of 'the'

When using the, we must always bear in mind two basic facts:

1 The normally has a definite reference (i.e. the person or thing referred to is assumed to be known to the speaker or reader).

2 The can combine with singular countable, plural countable, and uncountable nouns (which are always singular).

These two facts underlie all uses of the. Some of the most important of these uses are discussed in the sections that follow.