Articles

Articles
a
an
the
• What is an article?
 It is an adjective.
 It comes before a noun and modifies it.
 They are of two types :
• 1. a, an - Indefinite article (Singular countable nouns)
• 2. the - Definite article (countable and uncountable nouns)
• Eg:
• a boy, a car, an apple, an elephant
• The green apple. The civil engineer
The Definite Article “THE”
"Definite" means "clear and particular.”
The definite article tells us that the noun is specific. The speaker
talks about a particular or known thing.
Examples:
He has a son and a daughter. The daughter is a doctor.
The books I bought are good ones."
"The" can be used before both singular and plural nouns.

For example
 I enjoyed participating in the volleyball

competition
The above sentence refers to a particular or

specific competition.
 I enjoyed watching the show

The sentence refers to a particular or
specific show.
The Singular noun which represents a whole
class
 The lion
 The rich
 The people
Before titles of books

 The Ramayana
 The Bible
 The Gita
Before ships, aeroplanes, well known buildings,
and newspapers.
 The Taj mahal, The Indian Airlines
 The Hindu
Before names of important events

 The French revolution
 The Great war

To refer to Great kings
 Alexander the Great
 George the fifth
Before parts of the Body

 The head
 The leg
 The brain
Before nation, community or a class
 The English
 The Jains
Before directions
 The north
 The south
Before numerical adjectives

 The first, the fifth
• Indefinite articles: ‘a’ or ‘an’
 Refers to a non-specific noun.

 The children are playing a game outdoors.
• (it refers any game)
 The artist is painting a picture.

• (it refers to any picture)
When to use ‘a’
Before words that begin with consonant letters
 a cat
 a pencil
 a bag
 a table
 a car
 a building
 a country
 a teacher
• Use ‘a’ when…..
“u” makes the same sound as you.
 a uniform
 a universal
 a used plate -
 a European
 a unit
 a university
 a united
• Use ‘a’ when …..
“o” makes the same sound as “w”
 a one-eyed monster
 a one rupee note
 a one day programme

When to use ‘an’
Before words that begin with Vowel
letters.
 an apple
 an elephant
 an ice cream
 an orange
 an umbrella
-
To use ‘an’ before silent ‘h’
 an honest man
 an honourable person
 an hour
 an hourly work
• Before individual letters spoken with a vowel
sound.
• an M.A, an M.P, an S.P
M sounds as em and S as es
• But before B.A, P.M, G.M – a is used

Omission of Article
The articles are not used:
1. Before proper, material and abstract nouns used in a
general sense:
• London, France, Tom, gold, rice, honesty, virtue
• Paris is the capital of France. (NOT The Paris is …)
• Gold is a precious metal. (NOT The gold is a …)
• Honesty is the best policy.
• But we say, the United States, the United Arab

Emirates etc.
2. Before a common noun used in its commonest
sense:
• Man is mortal.
• Iron is a useful metal.
3. Before common nouns when they go in pairs:

• Both husband and wife received serious
injuries.
4. In certain phrases made up of a preposition +
noun:
• Examples are:
• on foot, at school, from top to bottom, at
home, in bed, by train, by car, in debt, in
hand, on earth, at noon, on board, at best, at
worst etc.
• He is in debt. (NOT He is in the debt.)

• He is at school. (NOT He is at the school.)
• He spent the whole day in bed.
5. Before the names of continents, countries,
capes, cities, towns, days, months, arts,
languages, sciences, some diseases etc.
• January, March, physics, English, Tokyo,

Beijing, Delhi, Tuesday, Friday, Asia,
America etc.
• December is a cold month.

• English is spoken all over the world.
6. Before plural nouns used to denote a class:
• Apples are red.
• Camels are useful animals.

Articles

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Articles

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Articles

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Articles

"Definite" means "clear and particular.”

He has a son and a daughter. The daughter is a doctor.

The books I bought are good ones."

"The" can be used before both singular and plural nouns.

 I enjoyed participating in the volleyball

The above sentence refers to a particular or

 I enjoyed watching the show

Before titles of books

Before names of important events

 The Great war

 George the fifth

Before parts of the Body

Before numerical adjectives

 Refers to a non-specific noun.

 The artist is painting a picture.

 a one rupee note

 a one day programme

• an M.A, an M.P, an S.P

• But before B.A, P.M, G.M – a is used

• London, France, Tom, gold, rice, honesty, virtue

• Paris is the capital of France. (NOT The Paris is …)

• Gold is a precious metal. (NOT The gold is a …)

• Honesty is the best policy.

• But we say, the United States, the United Arab

3. Before common nouns when they go in pairs:

• He is in debt. (NOT He is in the debt.)

• January, March, physics, English, Tokyo,

• December is a cold month.

• Apples are red.

• Camels are useful animals.

You might also like