Articles

 An articles is a word or a letter which is often used before a noun and tells about the certainty of the noun.

There are two types of articles: 

1. Indefinite articles (A/An) 

2. Definite articles (The) 

Articles can be used before noun, but not all nouns are used with articles. Therefore it becomes necessary to understand the correct usage of article 

1.Indefinite Articles (A / An)

Indefinite articles are used to introduce new concepts (noun phrase) into a discourse.

These articles are called indefinite because there usage implies that the thing, which is being referred to is non specific 

For Ex- He caught a bird(any bird)

Note: Indefinite articles are generally used before "countable singular nouns"  

For Ex- (1) This is an apple 

             (2) This is a car 

             (3) She is a teacher 

Uses of Indefinite Articles

Uses of 'A'

 If the first letter of A countable singular common noun is 'consonant', 'A' is used before it. 

For Ex- (a) Rajiv has bought a new car 

  (b) I have caught A fish

(1) A is used with a singular countable common noun when the noun denotes a complete class of things persons animals etc 

For Ex- A dog has four legs 

In the above sentence A has been used before dog because we are talking about a complete class of dogs

(2) A is used before profession ran title religion nationality etc 

For Ex- A teacher a Japanese a Hindu 

(3) A is used before singular countable nouns and after what and how in exclamatory sentences 

For Ex- (a)what a beautiful painting! 

             (b)what a great match it was! 

(4) A is used before and indefinite collective noun 

For Ex-(a) A team of cricket players

            (b) A bundle of money 

(5) A is used to express the rate 

For Ex-(a) Ten rupees a kilo 

            (b) Fifty words a minute

Note : We can also use per in the place of a in the above expressions ten per kilo, fifty words per minute 

(6) We use a before An adjective when the adjective is followed by a singular noun 

For Ex-(a) Madhuri is a good dancer 

            (b)Lata is a melodious singer 

(7) When a verb is used as a noun we use a before that verb

For Ex- (a) I will take a bath in the morning

             (b) They have gone for a walk 

(8) If A is used before a plural number the 4th coming noun becomes singular 

For Ex-(a) five days match= a five day match

             (b)ten days trip =a ten day trip

(9) If such quite how rather etc are placed before a noun a is used before that noun

 For Ex-(a) I have never driven such a car in my life 

             (b) Ram is quite a brilliant boy 

(10) If words like Noice,lie,Hole, Headache etc are used in singular sense  we use a before them 

For Ex-(a) I have a headache today 

            (b) He never tells a lie 

(11) A is used before some indefinite numbers 

For Ex- A lot of books,A great Many actors, A number of questions

 

Uses of An 

(1) If the first letter of A countable singular noun is vowel then and is used before it 

For Ex-(a) he is an astronaut 

            (b) he ate an apple

(2) We use An before some abbreviations which start with h, l ,m, n, f, r, s, x etc 

For Ex- (a) he is an MLA 

             (b) she works for an NGO 

Note: We can use an in the place of a whenever the indefinite article is followed by a noun which starts with a vowel sound

 

Note: Indefinite articles(A/An) are used on the basis of the initial sound of a noun and not on the first letter of the same because usage of a/an depends on the initial sound of the noun and not on its spelling 

For Ex-(a) An honest man (not a honest man)

            (b)  An hour ago (not a hour ago)

Similarly we wright 

             (a)A union (not an union)

             (b)A European (not an European)

The Omission of Indefinite Articles (A/An)

(1) Indefinite articles are not used with a plural noun 

For Ex- A cars are percked(wrong) 

              Cars are parked (correct) 

(2) Indefinite articles are not used before the name of meals, sports, subjects, language etc 

For Ex-(a) vinod was absent from a dinner(wrong)

                 vinod was absent from dinner (correct)

              (b) I am playing a tennis(wrong)

                  I am playing tennis (correct) 

               (c) she is teaching a English right now (wrong) 

                    she is teaching English right now (correct)

(3) Indefinite articles are not used before material noun 

For Ex-(a) it is a gold(wrong)

                 it is gold (correct) 

            (b) that statue is made up on an iron(wrong) 

                 that statue is made up of iron (correct) 

(4)Indefinite articles are not used to times for the same noun in the same sentence

For Ex-(a) Priya is a singer and a dancer (wrong) 

                 Priya is a singer and dancer (correct)

             (b) India is a great and a beautiful country (wrong)

                   India is a great and beautiful country (correct) 

2.Definite Articles (The)

Definite articles (the) is used when the noun with which it is used is a particular one, which is identifiable to the listener. It may also be used for a noun that has already been mentioned or is uniquely specified. 

For Ex- this is the boy who played cricket 

In the above sentence, the boy has been specified to be the one' who played cricket'.

Note: Unlike indefinite articles The definite article can be placed before both singular and plural nouns 

For Ex-(a) she called the doctor 

             (b) one of the boys is absent 

Uses of Definite Articles 

(1)The definite article the is used before a noun if it is followed by a relative pronoun stressfully 

For Ex- (a) he is the boy who plays guitar

             (b) she is the girl who plays tennis 

             (c) this is the dog which I bought

(2)Definite article (the) is used before the name of commission, rivers,seas, gulf, deserts, direction, canals, historical, cast ,name of titles and posts ,buildings and monuments, religious books ,community ,Holi scriptures, etc 

For Ex- the Ganga ,the Arabian Gulf, the Pacific Ocean ,the Mahabharata , the Bible , the Taj Maha, the sun,thel Brahmin ,the iron man, the father of the nation. 

(3) The is used before and adjective if that adjective is followed by proper noun 

For Ex- yesterday I met the great Sachin Tendulkar 

(4) The is used before common noun whenever it is used as adjective 

For Ex- when sonam saw a hungry girl crying the mother came in her 

(5) The is used whenever two proper nouns are compared 

For Ex- Prabhu Deva is the Michael Jackson of India 

(6) The is always used before "superlative degree"  

For Ex-(a) shyam is the fattest boy of his class 

            (b)Rahul is the best player of his team 

(7) If comparative degree is used for two, or, it is used in parallel, then The definite article( the ) is used before it 

For Ex-(a) the more you sweet in peace the less you bleed in war 

            (b)Rajesh is the taller of the two sons 

(8) We use definite article (the) before ordinal 

For Ex- the latter, the farmer ,the first, the last 

(9) The is used before the word 'space' only when it means 'room' 

For Ex- we all tried to get into his car but the space was not enough 

The Omission of Definite Articles 

(1) Definite articles (the) is not used before the name of language and sports  

For Ex- (a) the Hindi is our national language(wrong) 

                 Hindi is our national language (correct) 

             (b) the hockey is my favourite sport(wrong) 

                  hockey is my favourite sport (correct) 

(2) Definite articles is not used before the name of day, month,parts of day 

For Ex- (a) The Monday is the first day (wrong) 

                   Monday is the first day (correct)

              (b) the December is the last month(wrong) 

                    December is the last month(correct) 

(3) The is not used before the name of meals 

For Ex-(a) the break fast was very delicious (wrong) 

                 breakfast was very delicious (correct)

(4) Definite article (the) is not used before these words life, money, Pride, god ,love, society, parliament ,death and name of subjects 

For Ex-(a) the love is a important as the air we breath(wrong) 

                 love is an important as the air we breath (correct)

             (b) the mathematics is an interesting subject (wrong)   

                  mathematics is an interesting subject (correct) 

✓ But if the words given above are particularised or if the name of the subjects is particularised we use definite article before them 

For Ex-(a) the love of mother is incomparable (correct) 

             (b) the mathematics of Priya are good (correct) 

(5) Definite article should not be used before these places if we go there for the primary purpose Church ,mask ,temple ,school ,college ,university ,jail (as accused) 

For Ex- (a) I went to the temple to worship (wrong) 

                   I went to temple to worship (correct) 

              (b)I went to the temple to attend a marriage (correct) 

In the above sentences we did not use 'The' with temple a long as the purpose of our visit was primary(i.e., to worship) but as soon as the purpose of visit changed from primary to something else(i.e., from worship to marriage). The use of definite article (the) becomes legit 

(6) Definite article does not come before Northern, Southern ,eastern, Western and directions when we use them as adjective

For Ex- (a) he is going towards Northern India 

              (b) Rajasthan is in western India