Articles (A, An & The) Rules with Examples in English Grammar
Saturday, April 25, 2020 |
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English Grammar >> Determiners >> Articles
Articles : A, An and The are called articles. Articles are words that define a noun as specific or unspecific.
Learn here all about articles - How to use articles? What are the uses of articles? What is zero article? Article quiz, examples for students and teachers.
There are two types of articles :
(a) Indefinite articles – a, an
(b) Definite article – the
The indefinite article indicates that a noun refers to a general idea rather than a particular thing. It is used only with singular noun which is countable.
The indefinite article ‘a’ is used when it precedes a word that begins with a consonant sound; as,
A book, a rat, a table, a man, a European.
The indefinite article ‘an’ is used when it precedes a word that begins with a vowel sound; as,
An apple, an autobiography, an honest man.
Use of Indefinite Article
(a) Before a singular countable noun mentioned for the first time; as,
I see a bird on that tree.
(b) Before a singular countable noun as an example of the class of things or species; as,
A pine tree grows very tall.
(c) In the numerical sense of the word ‘one’; as,
He gave me a book.
(d) As ‘per’ in expressions of price, speed, etc.; as,
She sells milk fifty rupees a kilo.
He drives at sixty miles an hour.
(e) The names of professions and occupations take the indefinite article; as,
I am a teacher.
He grew up to be a politician.
(f) Before Mr./Mrs./Miss or surname to indicate a man/woman/boy/girl of that name; as,
A Mr. Kapoor came to see you when you were away. (a man called Mr. Kapoor)
(g) Use of ‘a’ before few and little;
A few means a small number.
A little means a little amount.
Note : The words ‘few’ and ‘little’ without article have an almost negative meaning.
I have little money.
But Mohan has a little money in his pocket.
(h) To attribute the qualities of a person (usually someone famous) to another person; as,
He is a Shakespeare.
She is a Lakshmi Bai.
The word ‘the’ is called the definite article. The definite article indicates that a noun refers to a particular thing. It can be used with singular, plural or uncountable nouns.
Use of Definite Article
(a) Before nouns of which there is only one or considered as one; as,
The earth, the sky, the weather, the North Pole, the sun, the moon etc.
(b) Before a noun mentioned a second time; as,
My son bought a cat. The cat is very cute.
(c) Before the superlative degree of adjectives; as,
He is the best teacher I have known.
(d) Before singular nouns and adjectives to represent a class of things; as,
The donkey is lazy.
The rich should not exploit the poor.
(e) Before the plural names of countries; as,
The United States of America, The West Indies
(f) Before nouns like hospital, school, temple etc. to denote secondary purpose; as,
Last Sunday, I went to the hospital to meet my friend.
(g) Before nouns like languages (English, French, Greek etc.) when they stand for people instead of language; as,
The English ruled India for a long time.
(h) Before the categories of following nouns; as,
Mountain ranges – The Himalayas, The Alps etc.
Rivers – The Ganges, The Thames etc.
Islands – The Andamans, The West Indies etc.
Holy Books – The Geeta, The Quran, The Bible etc.
Newspapers – The Times of India, The Tribune etc.
Magazines – The Reader’s Digest, The Competition Success Review etc.
Buildings – The Parliament, The White House
Trains, Ships, Planes – The Shatabadi Express, The Vikrant, The Indian Airlines etc.
Oceans – The Indian Ocean, The Pacific etc.
Do not use any article -
(a) before the names of countries, person, months, days and specific places; as,
India, Bhagat Singh, June, Friday, Delhi.
(b) before the names of languages; as,
Hindi is a difficult language.
(c) before material nouns; as,
Gold is very costly.
(d) before abstract nouns; as,
(truth, honesty, love, absence, wisdom, poverty, knowledge etc.)
Truth prevails.
Knowledge is power.
Honesty is the best policy.
Wisdom is the gift of heaven.
(e) before plural nouns; as,
Cats like mice.
I love books.
(f) before the names of games and foods; as,
They play football.
I am late for dinner.
(g) before collective nouns; as,
Parliament is in session.
Society will not permit it.
(h) before the names of relatives; as,
(father, mother, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, cook, nurse etc.)
Father is coming today.
(i) before the names of diseases, festivals, seasons; as,
Cholera has broken out.
He is coming on Diwali.
(j) before common nouns (buildings) used for primary purpose; as,
(school, hospital, prison, market, temple, church, court etc.)
I am going to market.
The market is closed. (here market is not used for primary purpose.)
(k) before distributive/possessive adjective + noun; as,
I love every student.
This is my house.
(l) before proper noun + apostrophe’s + noun; as,
This is Ram’s house.
This is an old man’s house. (here is old man is a common noun)
(m) before no/not any + noun; as,
There is no boy in the class.
There is not any chance.
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Articles : A, An and The are called articles. Articles are words that define a noun as specific or unspecific.
Types of Articles
There are two types of articles :
(a) Indefinite articles – a, an
(b) Definite article – the
The Indefinite Article (A, An)
The indefinite article indicates that a noun refers to a general idea rather than a particular thing. It is used only with singular noun which is countable.
The indefinite article ‘a’ is used when it precedes a word that begins with a consonant sound; as,
A book, a rat, a table, a man, a European.
The indefinite article ‘an’ is used when it precedes a word that begins with a vowel sound; as,
An apple, an autobiography, an honest man.
Use of Indefinite Article
(a) Before a singular countable noun mentioned for the first time; as,
I see a bird on that tree.
(b) Before a singular countable noun as an example of the class of things or species; as,
A pine tree grows very tall.
(c) In the numerical sense of the word ‘one’; as,
He gave me a book.
(d) As ‘per’ in expressions of price, speed, etc.; as,
She sells milk fifty rupees a kilo.
He drives at sixty miles an hour.
(e) The names of professions and occupations take the indefinite article; as,
I am a teacher.
He grew up to be a politician.
(f) Before Mr./Mrs./Miss or surname to indicate a man/woman/boy/girl of that name; as,
A Mr. Kapoor came to see you when you were away. (a man called Mr. Kapoor)
(g) Use of ‘a’ before few and little;
A few means a small number.
A little means a little amount.
Note : The words ‘few’ and ‘little’ without article have an almost negative meaning.
I have little money.
But Mohan has a little money in his pocket.
(h) To attribute the qualities of a person (usually someone famous) to another person; as,
He is a Shakespeare.
She is a Lakshmi Bai.
The Definite Article (The)
The word ‘the’ is called the definite article. The definite article indicates that a noun refers to a particular thing. It can be used with singular, plural or uncountable nouns.
Use of Definite Article
(a) Before nouns of which there is only one or considered as one; as,
The earth, the sky, the weather, the North Pole, the sun, the moon etc.
(b) Before a noun mentioned a second time; as,
My son bought a cat. The cat is very cute.
(c) Before the superlative degree of adjectives; as,
He is the best teacher I have known.
(d) Before singular nouns and adjectives to represent a class of things; as,
The donkey is lazy.
The rich should not exploit the poor.
(e) Before the plural names of countries; as,
The United States of America, The West Indies
(f) Before nouns like hospital, school, temple etc. to denote secondary purpose; as,
Last Sunday, I went to the hospital to meet my friend.
(g) Before nouns like languages (English, French, Greek etc.) when they stand for people instead of language; as,
The English ruled India for a long time.
(h) Before the categories of following nouns; as,
Mountain ranges – The Himalayas, The Alps etc.
Rivers – The Ganges, The Thames etc.
Islands – The Andamans, The West Indies etc.
Holy Books – The Geeta, The Quran, The Bible etc.
Newspapers – The Times of India, The Tribune etc.
Magazines – The Reader’s Digest, The Competition Success Review etc.
Buildings – The Parliament, The White House
Trains, Ships, Planes – The Shatabadi Express, The Vikrant, The Indian Airlines etc.
Oceans – The Indian Ocean, The Pacific etc.
Omission of Articles (No Article / Zero Article)
Do not use any article -
(a) before the names of countries, person, months, days and specific places; as,
India, Bhagat Singh, June, Friday, Delhi.
(b) before the names of languages; as,
Hindi is a difficult language.
(c) before material nouns; as,
Gold is very costly.
(d) before abstract nouns; as,
(truth, honesty, love, absence, wisdom, poverty, knowledge etc.)
Truth prevails.
Knowledge is power.
Honesty is the best policy.
Wisdom is the gift of heaven.
(e) before plural nouns; as,
Cats like mice.
I love books.
(f) before the names of games and foods; as,
They play football.
I am late for dinner.
(g) before collective nouns; as,
Parliament is in session.
Society will not permit it.
(h) before the names of relatives; as,
(father, mother, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, cook, nurse etc.)
Father is coming today.
(i) before the names of diseases, festivals, seasons; as,
Cholera has broken out.
He is coming on Diwali.
(j) before common nouns (buildings) used for primary purpose; as,
(school, hospital, prison, market, temple, church, court etc.)
I am going to market.
The market is closed. (here market is not used for primary purpose.)
(k) before distributive/possessive adjective + noun; as,
I love every student.
This is my house.
(l) before proper noun + apostrophe’s + noun; as,
This is Ram’s house.
This is an old man’s house. (here is old man is a common noun)
(m) before no/not any + noun; as,
There is no boy in the class.
There is not any chance.
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