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Articles in English Grammar

FAQ:

• What are articles used for?
  How do you write a good article?
  How many types of articles are there in English?
  How many articles are there?
  What does an article do?
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Articles

There are two kinds of articles:

Definite:              the

Indefinite:          a, an

Indefinite in the following cases: A & An

We use ‘an’ with words that begin with a Vowel sound.
an egg, an apple, an orange

We use ‘an’ with words that begin with a Consonant sound.
an honest person, an hour,

We use ‘a’ with words that begin with a Consonant sound.
a book, a car, a horse, a house

We use ‘a’ with words that begin with a Vowel sound.
a unit, a university,

 

 

Indefinite in the following cases: A

 

• With certain numbers: Before half

when half follows a whole number:

1 ½ kilo = one and a half kilo or a kilo and half

But ½ kg = half a kilo (no a before half),

though a + half + noun is sometimes possible:

• When the person, place or thing is unknown to the reader or the speaker, as placed before Mr/Mrs/Miss + surname:
• a Mr. Sharma     a Mrs. Sharma
• When you mean “one”: a glass, a cup of tea, a boy
• When you want to identify or define a person, place, or thing (singular): a cow is a useful animal

Indefinite in the following cases: A

• Before a singular countable noun which is used as an example of a class of things:

A bus must be insured = All buses

• In exclamations before singular, countable nouns:

Such a long queue!         What a pretty girl!

• But plurals do not take articles:

Such  long queues!          What pretty girls!

• With a noun complement- Names of professions:

He’ll be a singer.

• In certain expressions of quantity:

A lot of, a couple of,  a great deal of, a great many, a dozen  (but one dozen is also possible).

Let’s call a friend, and go on a picnic.

My wife and I bought a new house last year.  It has a small yard, so we planted some flowers.

I came here a year ago.

She’s a doctor.

Indore is a city in M.P.

It’s a coffee grinder.

 

Omission of a/an

• Before uncountable nouns: uncountable nouns are always singular and are not used with a, an

I want some advise or help.

• Before names of meals, except when these are preceded by an adjective

She gave us a good lunch.

• Article is also used when it is a special meal given to

celebrate something or in someone’s honour.

We were invited to a dinner given to welcome the

new chief.

• But note that in The rent is Rs. 500 a week.

 

Some words commonly occur with the (0) article, especially in certain phrases with prepositions:

breakfast, lunch, dinner, go to bed, school, class, college, come by train, bus, plane, car

The word coffee is a generic noun. It is a symbol for coffee in general.

Do you like coffee?
Would you like some coffee?
The coffee is very strong.

 

The definite article –the

• Specific person, place, or thing.
• All common nouns- no count, singular count, and plural count.
• When we mention a noun for the second time.
• The reader knows the person, place, or thing.
  Time periods (in the morning, in the afternoon,) ( the past, the beginning, the spring, the 20th century)
• Parts of the body in a prepositional phrase. (on the leg)
• Social and economic classes and some other special groups.( the middle class, the clergy)
• Adjectives that mean a group of people who are (the rich, the homeless)

 

The definite article –the

• All proper nouns that contain an –of phrase.( The United States of America, The University of Texas)
• Geographic names that contain the word kingdom, republic, or union
• Bodies of water (except lakes and bays)
• Regions (the Middle East, the South)
• Points of the globe (the equator, the north pole)
• Deserts and forests ( the Sahara desert, the Black Forest)
• Buildings, bridges, named roads, tunnels, towers, monuments
• Hotels, theaters, libraries, museums
• Historical periods

Articles in English Grammar

The definite article –the

• Names of organizations, departments, and political parties
• Musical Instruments listen to the radio play the piano
• Names of historical documents
• Names of newspapers
• Plural family names (used to refer to all members of a family.)
• Adjectives naming nationalities that mean “the people from this country”
• Titles that refer to a unique person (the Pope, the President)
• Electronic sources
• Ships and trains (the Titanic)

 

The definite article –the

• Use –the in these phrases: go to the bank, the store, the post office, the bathroom. Go to the theater, the movies
  go to the doctor, the dentist, the hospital call the police,

Omission of –the

• Nature, (Where it means the spirit creating and motivating the world of plants and animals) etc. is used without the:

If we interfere with nature, play with fire, play with water……………..

Omission of –the

• Before names of the places except as shown above, or before names of people.
• Before abstract nouns except when they are used in a particular sense;

Men fear death ( no Article)

The death of the Minister left his party without a leader.

• After a noun in the possessive case, or a possessive adjective: the girl’s father = the father of the girl.

It is my (red) dress =       The (red) dress is mine.

• Others

on campus, off campus, on foot, by bus, by train, go home, go to work, go to school  go to church, play football

Omission of –the

• Before names of meals:

The Wedding breakfast was held in my father’s office.

I had breakfast at 9 in the morning.

• Before names of games:

The football game was good;      He plays football / golf.

• Before parts of the body and articles of clothing, as these normally prefer a possessive adjective:

Raise your right hand;                    He took off his coat.

Note: But notice that sentences of the type:

He seized the man’s collar or He seized the man by the collar.

• The teacher patted his shoulder or The teacher patted him on the shoulder.

 

Another is indefinite

• Another + a singular noun indicates that it is one of several. Another is sometimes used to mean a different one.

Another important change is in the colour.
Can you give me another one?

Other with plural nouns

• The other + singular nouns indicates that there is only one remaining.
• The other + plural noun indicates all the remaining ones.

 

Articles in English Grammar

Directions: Correct the following sentences.

1. I have never gone to a such place.
2. A such accident never occurred before.
3. It gave us such rude shock.
4. I have never seen such attractive a picture.
5. He has given me a so beautiful prize.
6. We never believed he could do so a cruel deed.
7. It was so exciting match.
8. He gave them lot of books.
9. He earns about thousand rupees per month.
10. Rajdhani Express runs at a speed of 200 kilometers hour.
11. I go on my tours twice week.
12. Wheat sells at four rupees kilogram.
13. I saw him little while ago.
14. There are only few books left.
15. We found him little upset.
16. He has caught severe cold.
17. He is rather in hurry.
18. Please don’t make noise.
19. I have mind to purchase a scooter.
20. She has beautiful toy.
21. I take egg every morning with breakfast.
22. Elephant has a long trunk.
23. Hungry lion would attack.
24. Eagle is bird of prey.
25. My teacher is a poet and a novelist.
26. A poet and novelist write differently.
27. He is honest and a dependable man.
28. There can be no friendship between a clever and selfish

man.

29. An advice you gave me has brought me great success.
30. I have never seen a house where I spent my childhood.
31. Sun rises in the east.
32. There are dark clouds in sky
33. The man cannot do without work.
34. Himalayas are spread all along the north of India.
35. Man has climbed to the top of the Mount Everest.

 

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