ARTICLES in English Language
In the English language, there are three articles. A, an and the are called articles.
Articles are used before names of people, places, animals and things. Or we can say that generally articles are used before nouns. Articles define whether the noun is definite or indefinite.
Indefinite articles
‘a’ and ‘an’ are known as indefinite articles.
For example– a frock, a garden, a sandwich, a pencil box, an island, an onion.
Definite articles
‘the’ is known as a definite article.
‘The’- We use the with things that are one of a kind.
For example– the Taj Mahal, the Lotus Temple, the Sun, the Moon.
Using Articles A/AN
In the English language, the use of A and An depend on the sound of letters.
‘a’- We use a with a singular noun that begins with a consonant sound. (Remember that the letters b,c,d,f,g,h,j,k,l,m,n,p,q,r,s,t,,v,w,x,y and z are called consonants).
For example– a frock, a garden, a sandwich, a pencil box
‘an’- We use an with a singular noun that begins with a vowel sound. (Remember that the letters a,e,i,o and u are called vowels).
For example- an ape, an island, an onion, an umbrella
WE use A/AN while we are talking about things in general, person’s (adjective, jobs), in fractions and numbers, and measurements.
Examples:
- He is a doctor.
- He is an architect.
- This is an interesting story.
- He owns an apartment.
- Once a month.
- Two times a year.
- 40 miles in an hour
- Thrice a day.
A/An is not used before countable or uncountable nouns.
| Plural Noun | Uncountable Noun |
| I like horror movies. | I love music. |
| Do you have children? | He likes sugar. |
Table to remember the usage of A/AN:
| Words that start with | Examples | |
| a | a consonant sound, for example, b,c,d,f,g,h,j,k,l,m,n,p,q,r,s,t,,v,w,x,y and z | a book, a pen |
| u or eu and they sound like y | a European, a university | |
| an | a vowel sound, for example, a,e,i,o,u | an apple, an inkpot, |
| when h is silent | an honest person, an hour late |
Rules how to use a/an
| Usage of a/an | Example |
| used for objects that are not specific | Mary needs a phone. |
| used when we introduce an object for the first time | We went to a park last week. The park was very big. |
| used as a synonym for one | Twelve inches make a feet. |
| In some cases used before adjectives | My friend has a pet dog. |
| used when we have to tell what a person or thing is. | Lion is a wild animal. |
| used before the names of the profession. | Mary is a doctor. |
| used before determiners. | There is a little tea in the teapot. |
| abbreviations that begin with a vowel sound | Joe is an MBBS student. |
| Words or numbers which sound like they begin with a consonant sound as ‘y’ or ‘w’ even if the first letter is a vowel there ‘a’ is used. | a unicorn, a euro |
| Words or numbers which sound as they start with a vowel sound even if the first letter is consonant there ‘an’ is used. | an hour, an ‘8’ |
Using Article THE
Article “THE” can be used with consonants and vowels. However, the usage depends on the situation.
For example- the book, the god, the apple.
It is used with shops, locations, countries with plural name or with republic or kingdom, times of the day, names of the newspaper, musical instruments, the media, names of museums, cinemas, theaters, hotels, names of ocean, seas, rivers, mountain ranges, and jobs.
Rules how to use the
| Usage of the | Examples |
| used before specific countable and uncountable nouns. | The monkeys are jumping on the merchant. |
| Before the superlative degrees of adjectives | Rose is the best dancer in the city. |
| used with things that the speaker and the listener already know about. | Let’s color the drawing you have made. |
| used before the names of newspapers. | Avni usually reads The Hindustan Times. |
| used before names of the union of countries or states and islands. | he is living in the United States of America. |
| used before the directions. | The Sun rises in the east. |
| used before the dates | Anaya was born on the first of December |
| used before groups of the people. | The rich often make fun of the poor. |
| used before some nationalities or families. | The Dutch are very polite. |
| used before the proper noun like names of rivers, names of Gulfs, names of mountain ranges, | The Himalayas include over fifty mountains. |
Exceptions while using articles
Exception 1:
A/AN articles are used when we mention something for the first time, after that we use “THE” with the noun.
For example- I went to a remote village. The village was located in the mountains.
Exception 2:
‘The’ is not used with plural nouns or uncountable nouns if we talk about things or people in general.
For example- Milk is good for children’s growth.
Exception 3:
We do not use any article a/an/the with home, work, and bed.
For example, I am in bed.
Exception 4:
Article “THE” is used with nationalities that end with -ch/-sh/-ese.
For example- The Dutch, The French, The Irish, The Chinese, The Danish
But not with Indian, Nepali, American.
No Article
| times, days and month | at midday, on Tuesday, in Morning |
| meals | breakfast, dinner, lunch |
| sports | cricket, football, badminton |
| transport and communication | by train, by bus, by email, by post, by phone |
| languages | Spanish, French, English |
| school subjects | physics, Art, social studies, mathematics |
| magazines | Newsweek |
| roads | Mall road, park street |
| squares | Townsquare |
| parks | Rose Garden |
| airports | Toronto Airport |
| stations | James Bus station |
| countries | India, China, Germany |
| cities | Asia, Africa, North America |
| mountains | Mount Everest |
| lakes | Lake Ontario |
| names | John, Martha |
| titles | Professor, Doctor, Uncle |
