Practice with Articles

using Columbus and Myth in America (University of Virginia, Spring 1996)

Look at the common nouns in this paragraph:

America's national memory is filled with icons and symbols, avatars of deeply held, yet imperfectly understood, beliefs. The role of history in the iconography of the United States is pervasive, yet the facts behind the fiction are somehow lost in an amorphous haze of patriotism and perceived national identity. Christopher Columbus, as a hero and symbol of the first order in America, is an important figure in this of American myth. His status, not unlike most American icons, is representative not of his own accomplishments, but the self-perception of the society which raised him to his pedestal in the American gallery of heroism.

Ignoring the adjectives and other similar modifiers, we can arrange these nouns (and all common nouns) in FIVE LISTS, based on what we can see, that will help us understand their use in a particular context. Can you explain the criteria for making these five lists? Can you label the lists?:

Can you add the common nouns from this paragraph to the lists?:

Childhood and youth.
This gallery was not in place at the birth of the political nation. America, as a young republic, found itself immediately in the middle of an identity crisis. Having effected a violent separation from England and its cultural and political icons, America was left without history -- or heroes. Michael Kammen, in his Mystic Chords of Memory explains that "repudiation of the past left Americans of the young republic without a firm foundation on which to base a shared sense of their social selves." A new national story was needed, yet the Revolutionary leaders, obvious choices for mythical transformation, were loath to be raised to their pedestals. "Even though every nation needs a mythic explanation of its own creation, that process was paradoxically elaborated by the reluctance of Revolutionary statesmen to have their story told prematurely." (Kammen, 27) To be raised above others would be undemocratic, they believed. The human need to explain origins, to create self-identity through national identity, was thwarted by this reluctance. A vacuum was created, and was slowly filled with the image of Christopher Columbus.

Now, complete the following exercise: (Here is what your charts from the first two paragraphs should look like.)

SPECIFIC GENERIC

indefinite
noncount
count, plural
count, singular
(impossible) 		1. ............
2. ...........s
3. a .........
4. a .........s 		very common ("all")
common, informal (concrete)
" "
--
complex technical/literary (abstract)
(impossible)
limited, human groups

definite		 count, singular
or noncount
count, plural 		5. the ........

6. the .......s


I. Choose the best form for each noun. More than one is often possible. Is there any difference in meaning?

It is not hard to understand of Columbus as for and of George III. Columbus had found of from .

II. Complete each noun phrase. Decide if there should be an a, an, one, or the , a form of this, or a possessive before the noun, and whether the noun should be singular or plural. Compare your choices with the author's.

He was who challenged , as contemplated of ...as of , there was now free from , for . In Columbus, without found from , one seemingly free of from with . gave America and in , and of Columbus magnified in .

If was inspired by Columbus, consider of : Columbus was of in -- seeking out , . However, of Columbus was not as straightforward as that of . The United States, certainly by the 1830s, was in the throes of with the new. America was seen as of , the new more important than the "ancient" of . , for most of , "gave to . remained very much in -- rarely of ." Americans had for , even of ." What was important was that were bold, adventurous, and represented : who better than Columbus to represent? Americans still needed ; the facts behind were of .

Again, as in , Columbus was of which created and re-created him. Kammen reminds us that " in fact reconstruct rather than faithfully record them" and do so "with of clearly in ." of was one of , and " to achieving of were numerous: as well as with of one another and themselves" as well as . Columbus was for of , cutting across , providing for , , created in of .

NOUNS in the FIRST TWO PARAGRAPHS:

INDEFINITE NOUN PHRASES
count singular
a(n) ___
(one, each, every, (n)either)		 count plural
___s 		noncount
____
a hero
(a) symbol
an amorphous haze
an important figure 		icons
symbols
avatars
deeply held .. beliefs
most American icons		 history
patriotism
perceived national identity
American myth
heroism
a young republic
an identity crisis
(a violent separation)
a firm foundation
a shared sense
(a new national story)
a mythic explanation
A vacuum
(every nation)		 heroes
obvious choices
Revolutionary statesmen
(others)
origins		 place
history
repudiation
mythical transformation
(self-identity)
national identity
DEFINITE NOUN PHRASES
count singular/noncount
the, this.., my .._____		 count plural
the, this ..., my .. ____s
The role
the iconography
the fiction
the first order
the self-perception
the society
the American gallery
this pantheon
His status
his pedestal
America's national memory		 the facts
his own accomplishments
(this gallery)
(the birth)
(the political nation)
the middle
(his Mystic Chords of Memory)
the past
the young republic
its own creation
that process
(the reluctance)
their story
(the human need)
this reluctance
(the image)		 its cultural and political icons
their social selves
the Revolutionary leaders
their pedestals

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Ann Salzmann
Intensive English Institute
University of Illinois