一、冠词概述
冠词是虚词，它不能单独使用。只能附在一个名词上说明这个名词。冠词分为不定冠a(an)词和定冠词the。不定冠词一般表示泛指；定冠词一般表示特指。

二、不定冠词a(an)的用法
A. 不定冠词a(an)用于单数可数名词前。a用于辅音字母开始的词前；an用于元音字母开始的词前。如：a girl     an English book
B. 不定冠词用来表示类别，指某一类人或某一类事物中的一个(泛指)。如：
   His father is a doctor.I work in a middle school in Beijing.
C. 不定冠词用于单数可数名词前，可以表示其全类(泛指)。如：
   An English teacher teaches the students how to learn English.

三、定冠词the的用法
①　表示上文提到过的人或事物。
如：He bought an English-Chinese dictionary this morning. The dictionary is very good.
②　用于单数可数名词前，表示整体或类别。
如：The panda is a rare animal.
此句等于：A panda is a rare animal. = Pandas are rare animals.
③　用来表示世界上独一无二的事物。
如：the sun, the moon, the sky, the earth, the world
④　用于表示阶级、党派的名词前。
如：the Chinese Communist Party, the working class the proletariat 无产阶级
⑤　常用于含有普通名词或形容词的专有名词前。
A. 用于许多江海，山脉，群岛等名词前：
　 The Yellow River    The East Sea   the Himalayas    the Pacific Ocean
B. 用于由普通名词构成的国名：
　 The People's Republic of China       the United States
C. 用于机关、团体、朝代、时代、报刊杂志等名词前：
　 the United Nations   the State Council   the Tang dynasty   the People's Daily
the Summer Palace   the Peace Hotel    the British Museum
⑥　用于表示方位的名词前。
如：the east   the southwest   the middle    the Far East     on the left
⑦　用于乐器名词前，但汉语拼音的乐器前不用冠词。
如：play the piano     play the violin　        play erhu
⑧　用于复数的姓氏前，表示两夫妇或全家，在此情况下，这类名词作复数对待。
如：When we got there, the Lius were waiting for us.
　The Smiths watch TV every day.
⑨　用于某些形容词或过去分词前，表示一类人或事物。
如：the poor      the rich       the living       the young  
        　the wounded      the oppressed        the beautiful
⑩　用在形容词的最高级前或序数词前。
如：Shanghai is the biggest city in china.
        After the game, the first thing they wanted to do was to take a hot bath.

四、零冠词用法
①　表示某一类人或事物的复数名词前，不用冠词。
Now people are living a happy life.    Trees are planted everywhere.
②　不含普通名词的专有名词，表示泛指的物质名词和抽象名词前，不用冠词。
We are studying English.       He is leaving for America this year.
    It is pleasant to walk in soft snow.   Love is always stronger than hatred.
③　名词前有指示代词、物主代词、不定代词或名词所有格修饰，不用冠词。
I like this picture better.          Is that your book?
    Take their chairs away!          I do not have any money on me.
    As time went on, Einstein's theory proved to be correct.
④　季节、月份、星期等名词前，一般不用冠词。
She likes spring while I like summer.  We have no classes on Saturday.
    The Long March started in October 1934.
⑤　表示只有一人担任的职务、头衔的名词前，不用冠词。
We have elected him our monitor.   
⑥　三餐饭的名词前，一般不用冠词。
When do you have lunch?      After supper we usually take a walk.
⑦　节假日等名词前，不用冠词。
Children all wear their best clothes on National Day.
    People give gifts to each other on Christmas Day.
    注意：在eve后有of短语则要加定冠词：
          on the eve of National Day      on the eve of New Year’s Day
⑧　球类和棋类运动的名词前，不用冠词。
play basketball         play chess
⑨　作表语用表示程度的形容词最高级前，不用冠词。
Your help was most timely.          This method is most effective.
注意：如果有比较范围，形容词最高级前必须加定冠词：
Of all methods, this is the most effective.
⑩　在某些固定词组里，名词前不用冠词。
on footby train/ boat / plane…in factas a matter of fact
  　  in classin churchin dangerin hospitalin town
　    in bedat homeat schoolat daybreakat sunrise
    　at duskat sunsetat nightat noongo to school
　    go to classgo to bedfrom morning till nightfrom victory to victory
    　from door to door

五、注意事项
①　当man作人类讲时，用零冠词。   Man will conquer nature.　
②　某些抽象名词具体化时是可数名词，其前可加a。surprise, fire, joy,
He is a success as a teacher.      Long Jing is a famous tea in China.
③　a用于姓氏前表示某个只知道名字而不不熟悉的人。
A Mr Liu is waiting to see you outside.
④　在某些句型中可加a
    It is a pity that you have missed the chance.
    It is a shame / a pleasure / a honour for sb. to do sth.
⑤　word 作消息讲时，用零冠词。 Word came that he would go abroad.