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?
What is a article examples?
How long is an article supposed to be?
How do you end an article?
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
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.
- I have never gone to a such place.
- A such accident never occurred before.
- It gave us such rude shock.
- I have never seen such attractive a picture.
- He has given me a so beautiful prize.
- We never believed he could do so a cruel deed.
- It was so exciting match.
- He gave them lot of books.
- He earns about thousand rupees per month.
- Rajdhani Express runs at a speed of 200 kilometers hour.
- I go on my tours twice week.
- Wheat sells at four rupees kilogram.
- I saw him little while ago.
- There are only few books left.
- We found him little upset.
- He has caught severe cold.
- He is rather in hurry.
- Please don’t make noise.
- I have mind to purchase a scooter.
- She has beautiful toy.
- I take egg every morning with breakfast.
- Elephant has a long trunk.
- Hungry lion would attack.
- Eagle is bird of prey.
- My teacher is a poet and a novelist.
- A poet and novelist write differently.
- He is honest and a dependable man.
- There can be no friendship between a clever and selfish
man.
- An advice you gave me has brought me great success.
- I have never seen a house where I spent my childhood.
- Sun rises in the east.
- There are dark clouds in sky
- The man cannot do without work.
- Himalayas are spread all along the north of India.
- Man has climbed to the top of the Mount Everest.
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