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§ 5. Having established the functional value of articles in opposi-
tional estimation, we can now, in broader systemic contraposition, 
probe the correlation of the meanings of articles with the meanings 
of functional determiners. As a result of this observation, within 
the system of the determiners two separate subsets can be defined, 
one of which is centred around the definite article with its indi-
vidualising semantics (this — these, that — those, my, our, your, 
his, her, its, their), and the other one around the indefinite article 
with its generalising semantics (another, some, any, 

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But unhappily the wife wasn't listening. —But unhappily his wife 
wasn't listening. The whispering voices caught the attention of the 
guards. —Those whispering voices caught their attention. What 
could a woman do in a situation like that? — What could any 
woman do in that sort of situation? At least I saw interest in her 
eyes. —At least I saw some interest in her eyes. Not a word had 
been pronounced about the terms of the document.— No word had 
been pronounced about those terms. 
The demonstration of the organic connection between the articles 
and semi-notional determiners, in its turn, makes it possible to dis-
close the true function of the grammatical use of articles with 
proper nouns. E.g.: 
"This," said Froelich, "is the James Walker who wrote 'The Last of 
the Old Lords'" (M. Bradbury). Cf.: This is the same James 
Walker. I came out to Iraq with a Mrs. Kelsey (A. Christie). Cf.: 
The woman was a certain Mrs. Kelsey. It was like seeing a Vesu-
vius at the height of its eruption. Cf.: The sight looked to us like 
another Vesuvius. "I prophesy a wet August," said Old Moore 
Abinger (M. Dickens). Cf.: Next August will be a wet month, 
unlike some other Augusts in retrospect. 
In the exemplified grammatical uses transpositional features are 
revealed similar to those the article acquires when used with a 
noun characterised by a contrary semantic base. On the other hand, 
the analysis of these cases clearly stamps the traditional proper 
name combinations with embedded articles, both of the onomastic 
set {Alexander the Great, etc.) and the toponymic set {The Hague, 
etc.) as lexicalised collocations that only come into contact with 
the periphery of grammar. 

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