What are Articles?

Articles are words that define a noun as specific or unspecific. Consider the
following examples:

Example: After the long day, the cup of tea tasted particularly good.

By using the article the, we’ve shown that it was one specific day that was long
and one specific cup of tea that tasted good.

Example: After a long day, a cup of tea tastes particularly good.

By using the article a, we’ve created a general statement, implying that any
cup of tea would taste good after any long day.

English has two types of articles: definite and indefinite. Let’s discuss them
now in more detail.

The Definite Article

The definite article is the word the. It limits the meaning of a noun to one
particular thing. For example, your friend might ask, “Are you going
to the party this weekend?” The definite article tells you that your friend is
referring to a specific party that both of you know about. The definite
article can be used with singular, plural, or uncountable nouns. Below
are some examples of the definite article the used in context:

Example: Please give me the hammer.

Example: Please give me the red hammer; the blue one is too small.

Example: Please give me the nail.

Example: Please give me the large nail; it’s the only one strong enough to hold this
painting.

Example: Please give me the hammer and the nail.

The Indefinite Article

The indefinite article takes two forms. It’s the word a when it precedes a word
that begins with a consonant. It’s the word an when it precedes a word that
begins with a vowel. The indefinite article indicates that a noun refers to a
general idea rather than a particular thing. For example, you might ask your
friend, “Should I bring a gift to the party?” Your friend will understand that you
are not asking about a specific type of gift or a specific item. “I am going to
bring an apple pie,” your friend tells you. Again, the indefinite article indicates
that she is not talking about a specific apple pie. Your friend probably doesn’t
even have any pie yet. The indefinite article only appears with singular nouns.
Consider the following examples of indefinite articles used in context:

Example: Please hand me a book; any book will do.

Example: Please hand me an autobiography; any autobiography will do.

Exceptions: Choosing A or An
There are a few exceptions to the general rule of using a before words that start
with consonants and an before words that begin with vowels. The first letter of
the word honour, for example, is a consonant, but it’s unpronounced. In spite of
its spelling, the word honour begins with a vowel sound. Therefore, we use an.
Consider the example sentence below for an illustration of this concept.

Incorrect: My mother is a honest woman.

Correct: My mother is an honest woman.

Similarly, when the first letter of a word is a vowel but is pronounced with a
consonant sound, use a, as in the sample sentence below:

Incorrect: She is an United States senator.

Correct: She is a United States senator.

This holds true with acronyms and initialisms, too: an LCD display, a UK-based

company, an HR department, a URL.
Article Before an Adjective
Sometimes an article modifies a noun that is also modified by an adjective. The
usual word order is article + adjective + noun. If the article is indefinite,
choose a or an based on the word that immediately follows it. Consider the
following examples for reference:

Correct: Eliza will bring a small gift to Sophie’s party.

Correct: I heard an interesting story yesterday.

Indefinite Articles with Uncountable Nouns

Uncountable nouns are nouns that are either difficult or impossible to count.
Uncountable nouns include intangible things (e.g., information, air), liquids
(e.g., milk, wine), and things that are too large or numerous to count (e.g.,
equipment, sand, wood). Because these things can’t be counted, you should
never use a or an with them—remember, the indefinite article is only for
singular nouns. Uncountable nouns can be modified by words like some,
however. Consider the examples below for reference:

Incorrect: Please give me a water.

Water is an uncountable noun and should not be used with the indefinite article.

Correct: Please give me some water.

However, if you describe the water in terms of countable units (like bottles),
you can use the indefinite article.

Correct: Please give me a bottle of water.

Incorrect: Please give me an ice.

Correct: Please give me an ice cube.

Correct: Please give me some ice.

Note that depending on the context, some nouns can be countable or uncountable
(e.g., hair, noise, time):

Correct: We need a light in this room.

Correct: We need some light in this room.

Using Articles with Pronouns

Possessive pronouns can help identify whether you’re talking about specific or
nonspecific items. As we’ve seen, articles also indicate specificity. But if you
use both a possessive pronoun and an article at the same time, readers will
become confused. Possessive pronouns are words like his, my, our, its,
her, and their. Articles should not be used with pronouns. Consider the
examples below.

Incorrect: Why are you reading the my book?

The and my should not be used together since they are both meant to modify the
same noun. Instead, you should use one or the other, depending on the intended
meaning:

Correct: Why are you reading the book?

Correct: Why are you reading my book?

Using Indefinite Article: a & an

Rule 1:
A common noun in the singular number always requires an article before it.
But a plural common noun does not require an article always. A plural common
noun can have the article ‘the’ if we want to particularise that noun.
Example:
o I saw a snake. (Refers to a random snake)
o I saw snakes in a zoo. (No article is required)
o I have seen the snake again. (Refers to the snake I have already seen
earlier)
 o I have seen the snakes again before leaving the zoo. (Refers to the
particular snakes of the zoo which I saw earlier.)

Rule 2:
The choice between the two indefinite articles – a & an – is determined by
sound. Words beginning with consonant sounds precede ‘a’ and words
beginning with vowel sounds precede ‘an’. There are some special cases also.
For instance,
o a university, a union, a useful book, etc.
o a one-dollar note, a one-man army, etc.
o an MA, a BA, an LLB, a BSC, etc.

Rule 3:
A or an - sometimes makes a Proper Noun a Common Noun. Proper nouns
generally do not take any articles, but when a proper noun needs to be used as a
common noun, you must bring a or an - for it.  
Example: 
o He thinks he is a Shakespeare. (Here, ‘Shakespeare’ does not refer to
the actual person but someone like him.)
o He seems to be an Australian. (‘Australia’ is a proper noun but
‘Australian’ is a common noun because there is only one Australia
but a million of Australians.)

Rule 4:
Sometimes indefinite articles are used to refer the number ‘one’/’each’/’per’.
Example:
o I earned a thousand dollar in that job. (One thousand dollar)
o I have a car. (One car)
o It goes 50 miles an hour. (Per Hour)

Rule 5:
Indefinite articles often precede descriptive adjectives.
Example:
o He is a good boy.
o What a nice car!

Rule 6:
‘A’ sometimes comes before determiners, for example, a few, a little, a lot of, a
most, etc. but in the case of many, a or an - comes after.
Example:
o I have a few friends coming over.
o There is a little milk in the jar.
o Many a fan welcomed.
Using Definite Article: the

Rule 1:
‘The’ is used to indicate a particular person(s) or thing(s) in the case of common
nouns. Proper nouns generally do not take an article.
Example:
o The man is running. (A particular man)
o I saw the boy stealing.
o Where is the pen I gave you last year?
o I gave him a ball, but he lost the ball. (‘a ball’ became ‘the ball’ in the
second clause because that ball was not a random ball anymore.)

Rule 2:
Sometimes ‘the’ is used to generalize a group/whole class.
Example:
o The dog is a faithful animal. (Refers to the whole species of dog.)
o The English are industrious. (Refers to the people of England as a nation)
o The honest are respected. (The+adjectives = plural noun)
o The poor are not always dishonest. (The+adjectives = plural noun)

Rule 3:
To particularise a non-count noun ‘the’ is required before it.
Example:
o The water of the Arctic ocean is freezing.
o Please return the money I lent you last year.

Rule 4:
‘The’ is mandatory before a thing which is only one of a kind in the universe.
Example:
o The moon is shining tonight.
o The earth is moving around the sun.

Use of ‘the’ before geographical places:

Rule 5:
Using ‘the’ with geographical nouns generally depends on the size and plurality
of the things those nouns refer to. ‘The’ is generally used everywhere except
some cases. So, it’s better to know those exceptions first.

‘The’ must not precede:

o Names of continents: Asia, Europe, Australia, Africa, South
America, North America, Antarctica.
 o Names of countries: Australia, Bolivia, England, France, Spain, etc.
o Names of states, cities, or towns: Los Angeles, Alaska, Sydney,
London,
o Names of streets: George street, Albion Street, New town street,
o Names of singular lakes and bays: Lake Carey, Lake Eyre, Lake
Hillier, Shark Bay,
o Names of single mountains: Mount Everest, Mount Solitary, Mount
Bindo, Mount Fuji, etc.
o Names of single islands: Easter Island, Bare Island, Bird Island,
Fatima Island,
o Names of languages:  Spanish, Russian,
English,   (When ‘the’ precedes these nouns, they refer to the
population of those languages.)
o Names of sports: cricket, football, basketball,
o Names of discipline/subject of studies: biology, history, computer
science,mathematics,   

Note:
‘The’ is a widely used article in English. Except for the list mentioned above
and proper nouns, ‘the’ is used before almost all the nouns which mean
something definite/particular. The above list has some opposite factors also.
Those factors are explained in the following list:     

‘The’ must precede:
o Names of oceans, gulfs, seas, and rivers: the Pacific, the Atlantic, the
Coral Sea, the Timor Sea, the Persian Gulf,the  Nile, the Murray
River, the Darling River, etc.
o Names of countries with united states or islands: the United States of
America (the USA), the UK, the UAE, the Philippines, etc.
o Names of great lakes: the Great Lakes, the African Great Lakes
o Names of mountain ranges: the Himalayas, the Alps, the Andes, etc.
o Names of a group of Islands: the West Indies, the Andamans, etc.
Omission of the Article
Now there are certain nouns which we do not prefix with any article. This
omission of the article is done before abstract nouns, certain uncountable nouns,
and proper nouns in some cases. So, with such cases, while the article is implied,
it is not written. Hence, we call such implication a ‘zero article’. Let us take a look
at a few cases where omission of the article is done.

Before Abstract/Uncountable Nouns

If the sentence consists of an abstract noun or a noun which cannot be counted,
we do not use an article. Let us see a few examples of this

 We were full of wisdom in his older years. (Wisdom is an abstract

noun here. Notice how we do not say ‘the wisdom’)
 She does not add sugar to her coffee. (Sugar is an uncountable noun.
So, it will not be the/a sugar)

Before Plural Nouns

In most cases, we will not use any noun before a plural noun. But if these nouns
were talked in a particular sense, we will use “the” never “a/an”. But when talking
about common plural nouns, the articles will be omitted. Some examples are as
following

 Some women are waiting for you by the door. (Women being plural,
the articles are omitted)

 One of the women has come to see you (Here we will use ‘the’,
because a particular woman is being talked about)

 Both his dogs are adorable. (Dogs is plural and so the omission of the
article)
Before Proper Nouns
We omit the articles that come before names. It can be the names (proper nouns)
of people, places, countries, things etc. The articles in such cases will be omitted.
Let us look at some examples.

 It was Alex whole ate the candy (Not ‘the Alex’)

 It was his wish to visit London one time in his life. (Not the/a London)
 India is the largest democracy in the world. (Not the India)
 French is a tough language to master
 Dinner will be served shortly
 I was never very good at maths

Before Nouns used in the Broadest Sense

When common nouns are used in a very broad sense then we can omit the articles
before them. Some examples of this are as follows.

 Man is a social animal. (Man is a common noun, but here it is used in

the commonest sense)
 Metal is very important for progress. (Metal is a common noun, but
the use of it does in the sentence merits omission of the article)

Before the names of meals

We do not use articles before the names of meals.

 Mother is cooking lunch.
 Dinner is ready.

We use a when there is an adjective before breakfast, lunch, dinner etc. We

use the when we are talking about a particular meal.

 I had a late dinner yesterday.

 The lunch we had at the restaurant was very good.
Before languages

We do not use articles before the names of languages.

 Can you speak English? (NOT Can you speak the English?)

 They speak French at home.

Before school, college, university, church, hospital, prison etc.

 His dad is still in hospital.

 We learned English at school.
 He is at university.

The is used before these words when the reference is to the building or object
rather than to the normal activity that goes on there.

 I met her at the church. (Here the reference is to the building and not
to the activity that is going on there.)
 I went to the hospital to see my friend.

We do not use articles in front of the name of the subjects, such as Maths,
Biology, economics, etc.
 I hate the fact that Mathematics is his favorite subject.
 Economics as a subject is very interesting.
 I was asked to opt for computers by my teachers.

We omit articles when words like Nature, Science, Death, Life, etc are used in
the General Sense.
 Nature has its own rules and it follows them effortlessly.
 The saint explained that death is inevitable.
 Science does not have all the answers to nature’s mysteries. 

We do not use articles in front of seasons, festivals, names of days, and months.
  She will reach the town on Sunday.
 Summer is the best season for swimming. 
 Christmas is celebrated in December.

When words like school, college, church, hospital, prison, temple, etc are used
for their primary purpose -
 Rudra goes to university daily.
 She goes to school in the morning. 
 We all go to Church on Sunday.
 Criminals are sent to prison in Albuquerque. 

Sometimes we form certain phrases which are just a preposition and noun. Such
as, at school, in bed, at noon, etc.                 
 He is in bed. 
 We checked the building top to bottom.
 The principal stayed back at school.   
 Listening to the travel plans, I was automatically on board.     

When a common noun is written in pairs, we omit articles from it.

 Both brother and sister are exceptional students. 
  The husband and wife were allowed to take part in the play.

Bibliography
1. https://www.grammarly.com/blog/articles/

2. https://www.learngrammar.net/english-grammar/rules-of-using-articles

3. https://www.toppr.com/guides/english/articles/omission-of-the-article/

4. https://www.englishgrammar.org/omission-articles/

5. https://www.vedantu.com/english/omission-of-article