The article as a meaning-forming operator in the English language Contents: Introduction

Summary for Chapter I
Modern English grammars normally refer articles to determiners, words preceding nouns. They are often defined as: «a problem area in English for students even at advanced level, especially for those whose own language has a very different article system»[11; 272] «Article is a determining unit of specific nature accompanying the noun in communicative collocation»[1; 74]
« The articles of English serve the functions of determining or pointing out the particularized or generalized nature or aspect of the meaning of the nouns or words they modify »[2; 45]
The term determination, as used here, means the actualization of the functions (semantic, grammatical, informational, and pragmatic) of the noun.
Semantic determination of the noun
Countable nouns
Semantically, the noun presents a dialectical unity of genus (class) and individual. In the text, it may be actualized as a representative of the class or a subclass as a whole or as an individual member of the class or a subclass.
Consider the following sentences:
1. The dog is an animal.
2. A dog is an animal.
3. Any dog is an animal.
4. Dogs are animals.
5. All dogs are animals.
6. I see a dog.
7. The dog is under the table.
These sentences illustrate different types of semantic determination (or restriction): in sentences (1-5) the noun dog refers to the subclass as a whole; in sentences (6 and 7) the noun dog refers to an individual member of the subclass. As for the `subclass' function, the sentences demonstrate different subtypes of determination: in sentence (1) the subclass is presented as an undifferentiated (indiscrete) unit, which reminds us of mass nouns (abstract or material); in sentences (2 and 3) the subclass is represented through a typical individual member; in sentences (4 and 5) the subclass is represented through individual members. As the said sentences describe a generalized situation, the nouns in them do not refer to a specific member or specific members of the subclass; they only denote a specific subclass.