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Diagramming Lesson 2
Definite and Indefinite Articles
Definite Article - "the" is a definite article. It modifies a noun, meaning it give additional information about that noun.
Indefinite Articles - "a" and "an" are indefinite articles. They also modify nouns.
Definite vs. Indefinite - Definite refers to a specific noun. Out of a group of that noun, it specifies which one is being discussed. Indefinite does not specify the noun in this way.
Example: "The flag" implies that a specific flag is being referenced. When American soldiers salute "the flag," they are saluting a specific flag.
Many people put "a flag" outside their homes. This is indefinite because people display different types of flags: sports teams, seasonal flags, national flags, etc. The sentence does not specify which type of flag is being displayed.
Additional Practice Sentences
1) The dog yelped.
2) The girls were eating.
3) An iguana slept.
4) The food is being served.
5) A clown cried.
6) The zombies shuffled.
7) A ball was caught.
8) A computer crashed.
9) The grandmother smiled.
10) An igloo was built.
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