Every time you use a noun in English, you need todecide two things: (1) whether an is articlenecessary and (2) which article is appropriate. If English is your native language, these decisions will be automatic. Otherwise, however, you will need to consider what type of noun you are using(countable or Keep in mind that idioms do not follow ordinary usage rules but include thepresence or absence of an article as part of theirform. For article usage in idioms, check a specializeddictionary. Copyright ©2001 The McGraw-Hill Companies. Any use is subject to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. McGraw-Hill Higher Education is one of the many fine businesses of 
## Usage Rules for Articles ##
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