1ANUL 1, INCEPATORI, CURS 8

BASICSIn the English language there are three types of articles: indefinite [a/an], definite [the]

and the so-called zero article, or no article. [n limba englez sunt trei tipuri de articole:nehotrt (a/an), hotrt (the) i aa-numitul articol zero, sau nici un articol]. Lets reviewthem a little bit. (S le revedem puin):

I. The indefinite article (a/an):

1. We use a/an when we mean one, when we want to classify, such as classes,groups, types, jobs, roles, positions, when we dont really know what the other istalking about, when we speak about a persons character or status, and in negativeexpressions. (Folosim a/an cnd vrem s spunem unul, cnd vrem s clasific, cum ar fi nclase. tipuri, meserii, roluri, pozitii in societate, cnd nu tim exact despre ceobiect/persoan vorbete cellalt, cnd vorbim despre caracterul sau statutul social al uneipersoane, i n expresii negative). Some examples ( Cteva exemple):

Ex: Do you want a cup of coffee? (a = one)(Vrei o can de cafea?)

A footballer is a person who plays football. (class)( Un fotbalist/fotbalistul este o persoan care joac fotbal)

I am a journalist (job). (Sunt jurnalist)I am looking forward to being a grandmother. (role)

( De abia atept s fiu/devin bunic)He remained a bachelor all his life. (copular vb verb copulativ, predicat

nominal). ( A rmas burlac toat viaa)Helen is a genius! Paul is a star! (character and status)

( Helen este (un) geniu! Paul este (o) stea/vedet)There was a book on the desk. (we dont know anything about that book)

( Era o carte pe birou nu tim nimic despre acea carte)You mustnt go without a coat. (negative expression)

( Nu trebuie sa pleci fr o hain/un sacou)

2. We use an in front of a, e, I, o, u, h (when it is not pronounced), M (when wepronounce it em. We use a in front of all other letters and sounds, and in front of h (when itis pronounced), u (when it is pronounced yu), e (when it comes from yu), and o (when itis wa). (Folosim an in faa literelor/sunetelor a, e, I, o, u, in faa lui h [cand acesta nu sepronun], M [cnd il pronunm em]. Folosim a pentru celelalte litere/sunete, si pentru h[cnd se pronun], u [cnd este pronunat yu] , e [in aceeai situatie], i o [cnd citim wa].

Ex: an old house ( o cas veche)A mouse (un oarece)A hat ( o plrie)An hour [H-O-U-R] = o or; an MP [em pi] = membru al ParlamentuluiA university [yuniversiti] = o universitateA European country [yuropin] = o ar europeanA one-pound [wan] ( o livr / o lir sterlin)

23. We also have some fixed constructions, such as another (an + other), and a/an +adjective + noun. (De asemenea avem cteva construcii fixe, ca another, adic (an + other)= nc unul, i a/an + adjectiv + substantiv).

Ex: Open another window! (Deschide nc un geam!)Its a good car. (Este o main bun)

4. The plural of a/an is some/any. We may pronounce [ei] instead of , if we wantto express hesitation, and to emphasize the following word. (Pluralul lui a/an estesome/any [nite]. Putem pronuna [ei] n loc de , dac vrem s exprimm ezitare, i spunem accent pe urmtorul cuvnt)

Ex: Its a [ei] reason its not the only reason.( este un motiv nu este singurul motiv)

II. The definite article (the)

1. We pronounce it either [i:] if it is in front of a vowel sound, like in the case of an,or [] if it is in front of a consonant sound, like in the case of a. ( Il pronunm fie [i:],dac este in faa unui sunet vocalic, ca in cazul art nehot an, sau [], daca este in faa unuisunet consonantic, ca in cazul art nehot a).

2. The main difference between the and a/an is the fact that the defines the objectwe are talking about. That is, we know which (one). ( Principala diferen ntre the i a/aneste ca the defineste obiectul despre care vorbim. Adic, tim despre ce/cine vorbim).

Ex: Ive been to the doctor. ( = my doctor).( Am fost la doctor = doctorul meu)

We know which one because (tim care/cine pentru c) : A). we have mentioned itbefore (l-am menionat inainte) [Shes got two children: a boy and a girl. The boy is 14 andthe girl is 8. (Ea are 2 copii: un biat i o fat. Biatul are 14 ani i fata are 8 ani)]. B). we saywhich one (pentru c spunem care/cine) [Whos the girl over there with John? ( Cine e fataaceea de acolo care este cu John?) C). it is clear from the situation ( este clar din context)[Could you close the door? only 1 door is open: (Ai putea s inchizi ua? doar o u, uaaceea, este deschis)]. D) they are the only one (s) around unique objects (Sunt singureleobiecte/persoane din jur obiecte unice) [the sun (soarele), the Government (guvernul), thePolice (poliia), the moon (luna de pe cer), the stars (stelele), the planets (planetele), the earth(planeta Pamant), the world (lumea), the unions (sindicatele), the railways (cile ferate), theJapanese (japonezii) I havent seen the sun for days = Nu am mai vzut soarele de multe zile even if the listener knows nothing about it (teoria se aplic chiar i dac asculttorul nu tienimic despre obiect/persoana): You dont know the Aldersons, do you? there is only oneAlderson family in the speakers social environment (Nu-I cunoti pe Aldersoni, nu-I aa? nu exist dect o singur familie numit Alderson in mediul social al vorbitorului) E).Physical environment (mediul fizic) the world around us and its climate everybody isfamiliar with what we are talking about (lumea din jurul nostru i clima ei toat lumea efamiliarizat cu elementele despre care vorbim). [the town (oraul), the country (ar, sat), thesea (marea), the seaside (litoralul), the mountains (munii), the rain (ploaia), the wind(vntul), the fog (ceaa), the weather (vremea), the night (noaptea), the future (viitorul), theuniverse (universul), the sunshine (lumina soarelui) Do you prefer the town or the country? Preferi oraul sau satul?]

3Other categories that we shoud use with the are superlatives, the well-known, namesof places, collective nous, musical instruments, nationalities and other groups of people,adjectives describing groups of people, and the structure with of.

Ex: Im the oldest in my family. (the same happens with first, next, last, same,only. (Sunt cel mai n vrsta din familia mea. La fel se ntmpl cu termenii primul,urmtorul, ultimul, acelai, unicul)

She married Richard Burton, the actor. ( S-a cstorit cu Richard Burton,actorul)

The + Republic/States/Kingdom/; Hotel/Restaurant/Pub/Cinema/TheatreOceans/Seas/Rivers/Canals/DesertsNorth/South/East/West/Middle of.Countries/Islands/Mountains

Call the police! collective (Chemai poliia! subst colectiv)She can play the piano (Ea tie s cnte la pian)The Spanish love dancing. (Spaniolii iubesc dansul).The old need our help. (Btrnii au nevoie de ajutorul nostru).

III. The zero article

When we use zero article, it means that we actually do not use any article at all!(Cnd folosim articolul zero, inseamn ca de fapt nu folosim nici un articol!). This happenswhen we talking about general statements (plural nouns + uncountables), games and sports,languages and academic subjects, such as history, geography, biology, physics, abstractideas, food and drink, uncountables such as materialsand liquids, buildings, countries,states and cities, streets, geographical features such as regions, lakes, mountainsandislands, transport, proper names, unlimited numbers, when we mean all, nature, society,space and half-general notions. [Aceasta se ntmpl cnd vorbim despre afirmaii generale(subst la plural + subst nenumrabile), jocuri i sporturi, limbi strine si obiecte de studiu, ideiabstracte, mncare i butur, subst nenumrabile ca materiale si lichide, cldiri, nume deri la plural, state, orae, strzi, regiuni, lacuri, vrfuri de muni, insule, mijloace de transport,nume proprii, cantiti nelimitate, cnd sensul este toate, cu natura, societate, spaiu sinoiuni semi-generale]

Exercitii:

1. Underline the correct word or in each sentence:a) Tom has got a/- new leather coat.b) Do you like an/- orange juice?c) Kate teaches at a/- school in Leeds.d) Have you ever been to the/- Italy?e) The/- Chinese have a very difficult language.f) Im tired. Its time to go to the/- bed.g) Could you pass the/- sugar, please?h) We went to Scotland by a/- car.

2. Choose a, an, the or for each space:a) Wheres the milk? I thought you bought some.b) students must not leave their bags here.

4c) Paul went to..prison for stealing two cars.d) Is this chair made of.wood?e) Its much quicker on.foot.f) A large crowd welcomed..President of the USA.g) smoking is not allowed in the dining-room.h) Do you wantsugar in your tea?

ADVANCED.3. Choose the most suitable word underlined. A dash (-) means that no article is needed.

a). Helen doesnt like the/ - cream cakes sold in a/the local bakery.b). The / - basketball is fast becoming a/the popular sport worldwide.c). We could see that the/- Alps were covered in the/- snow.d). Its a/- long time since I met a/- lovely person like you.e). Diana has a/- degree in the/- engineering from the/- University of London.f). At the/- present moment, the/- man seems to have the/an uncertain future.g). The/- problem for the/- todays students is how to survive financially.h). The/- French enjoy spending holidays in the/- countryside.i). Please don not turn on a/the water-heater in a/the bathroom.j). Sue bought a/the Picasso I was telling you about the/- last week.

4). In each space put a/an or the, or leave the space blank.a). Im going to stand for Parliament at ..next election.b). When I left..station, I had to stand inqueue fortaxi for..long

time.c). We tooktrip around London and saw.Tower Bridge.d). ..happiness of the majority depends onhard work from everyone.e). ..most main roads in this part ofcountry follow.line ofroads built

by..Romans.f). Have you gotlatest record by..Gipsy Kings?g). If I had..time, I would like to take up..archery.h). We spent ..pleasant evening havingdrink at..Robin Hood.i). ..Nile flows right through..city.j). summer I spent in..USA was one of.best in my life.

5. In each space put a/an or the, or leave the space blank.a). Go down Kingston Street and turn right into..Mill Road.b). Please let me carry..shopping. Its ..least I can do.c). I dont like.milk in ..coffee.d). She was.first woman to crossAtlantic in..canoe.e). Jim became..furniture salesman after leaving..school.f). At..end of..busy day, ..sleep is..best tonic.g). .James Joyce I knew wasnt..novelist and wasnt .Irish either.h). Well go for..walk if..sun comes out.i). This islast time I do you.favour for.while.j). Im staying in..Hilton so you can leave me.message.

5# DESCRPTION OF A LITERARY CHARACTER:

Daisy Miller (1878) talks about the vizit to Europe, in company with her wealthy,conventional and anodyne mother, of the strikingly and admirably pretty girl fromSchenectady, one of Jamesfinest and most charming portraints of the American girl. She isused by him to explore the attitudes and reactions to the rapidly changing world of the laterpart of the 19th century, when transatlantic travel for middle-class American tourists was firstbecoming a possibility. Daisy Millers freshness, innocence, audacity, candour, spontaneityand navety are cleverly contrasted with the complexity, stiffness and moral deviousness ofnot just the old staid European order, but of the well-established American community livingthere who have contrived to become more European than the Europeans. []

The young lady meanwhile had drawn near. She was dressed in white muslin, with ahundred frills and flounces, and knots of pale-coloured ribbon. She was bare-headed; but shebalanced in her hand a large parasol, with a deep border of embroidery; and she wasstrikingly, admirably pretty.

#Try to retell the story in your own words and think about a literary character or a VIPwhich you hate or admire and try to describe him/her. (incercati sa spuneti povestea cupropriile cuvinte si ganditi-va la un personaj literar sau un VIP pe care il urati sau admirati siincercati sa-l descrieti). (oral)

INSIDE JOURNALISM (3)

Work Placements

Its not what you know, its who you know. Yes, we hear this little phrase everywhere,especially from parents and teachers encouraging us to make contacts. In journalism, it reallyis a bit of both. Just because the editor of the local radio station is your uncles brother-in-laws wife does not mean you can hassle her for a job. But, as very few journalism jobs areadvertised, it pays to get yourself known. Letters of application pour into newsroomseveryday and if you are lucky they get filed or are used to wedge up a rocky table. The peoplewho get taken on are the ones who are persistent and whose name has become familiar andtrustworthy to staff. As a start, see if you can get at least a chance to look round thenewspaper / magazine / radio /TV office. While there, chat to staff and ask for their advice onhow to go about getting a placement and where would be best to try. See the following sectionon applications for advice on making contact.

If you do get a work placement, remember that journalists can despise workexperience people. They may be nice to you, give you some fillers to write and take you outon a job, but secretly they wish you werent there. Well at least thats the case if you sitsullenly at your desk staring into mid-air, reluctantly make a cup of tea only when asked andnever say a word. If however, you answer the telephone, offer to sort out the cuttings file,offer story ideas and generally behave like a friendly and intelligent person you will do fine.A lacklustre work experience candidate can be a milestone to the smooth operation of anewsroom and as they arent in short supply of candidates because schools and colleges farmthem out for a fortnight with stunning regularity, make sure that you make the most of it.Theres always someone to replace you. A good work experience person always makes apositive impact and is remembered and may even get a reference. If the newsroom is busy andyou are genuinly being ignored despite your enthusiasm and endless coffee-making, that iswhat you can do to while away the hours and impress your colleagues.

61. Offer to write fillers which are one or two paragraph stories important in their own rightand also used to fill gaps between stories on newspaper pages. These are time-consumingwhen you have main leads to do so get the reporters to sort through their in-trays. Theymay have some pictures that need captioning as well.

2. Offer to do a vox pop. This is where you go into the street and ask a random selection ofmembers of the public their views of a particular issue, from pollution to football. Theseare time-consuming to journalists but add flavour to a newspaper or radio bulletin andwould be well-received. They also give you the chance to illustrate and practice yourinterviewing and writing skills.

3. Ask if you can shadow a member of staff such as a sub-editor. They may take you towhere the paper is printed and show you the production process in action or teach you alittle of the rudiments of subbing which looks great on your CV. Or go out with aphotographer and see what they get up to. As a journalist, there is more and more call foryou to be multi-skilled. You certainly need to be able to communicate with people in otherdepartments than your own.

4. Ask if any advertising features need writing. On a weekly paper, advertisements willsometimes be accompanied by editorial. Reporters often dont like doing these becausethey feel producing material of a commercial nature compromises their journalisticobjectivity so your help will be welcomed.

Afterwards, keep in touch on a regular basis, letting them know what you are doing andseeing if you can assist with any particular project.

The News Producer at Sky News advises that work placement candidates dont make apest of themselves because everyone is so busy. Dont be pushy, she warns, because thecommonly held belief that foot-in-the-door types land journalism jobs is not true. You aremore likely to be invited back if you are polite, calm and competent.