ARTICLES 

Articles are very important words in English and so is their knowledge. Articles are used before only nouns to limit or definite their uses to the context of the sentence. They impart effectiveness and accuracy to the nouns. Infect articles are used as demonstrative adjectives and determiners before nouns. 

There are two kinds of articles; 

1 Indefinite articles --- a, an 
2 Definite articles Indefinite articles ---the 

RULES OF ARTICLES 

 

Difference between “A and An”

The use of 'a' or 'an' is determined by sound.
a) A is used before a word beginning with a consonant sound : a boy, a student, a child, a dog, a one-eyed man, a university, a B.A. etc.

b) ‘An’ is used before a word beginning with a vowel sound: an elephant, an ass, an egg, an umbrella, an hour, an honest man, an S.D.O., an M.A, an x-ray etc.. 


Use of indefinite articles:

a) To represent a whole class:

  • A cow is a useful animal.
  • A camel has a hump.
  • A cider tree is usually very tall.

b) As a noun compliment including name of professions: 

  • Hari is lazy boy.
  • Ashoka was a great king.

c) In sense of 'one': 

  • I have a hundred rupees.

d) Before a proper noun used as a common noun: 

  • A Yudhister lives in our neighbour (a truthful person).
  • He is a Vikramaditya known for his fairness (a just man)
  • We need an Arjuna in an archery today. (a skilled archer)

e) In the sense of 'per' or 'every'.  

  • He earns 50000 rupees a year.
  • We should brush our teeth two times a day.

f) In exclamations before singular countable nouns:- 

  • What a hot day!
  • What a pretty girl!
  • What a naughty child!
  • What a dark night!
  • How fine a day!

g) Before a person not known to the speaker: 

  • A Mr. Gupta,
  • A Mrs. Sharma 


h) Before the verbs used as nouns: for a swim, for a visit, for a talk, for a drink 

i) Before the words denoting numbers: a hundred, a dozen, a million. 

j) Before certain phrases: 

    have a taste, have a mind, have a pain, take a fancy, make a noise, in a hurry, a pity, feel a shame, tell     a lie etc. 

k) Before the name of the profession: 

  • He is a teacher.
  • She is a nurse.
  • He is a doctor.
  • I am an engineer.

l) If there is a singular countable noun after ‘with’ or ‘without’: 

  • He came with a bag.
  • She ran without an umbrella.

m) If singular countable noun is used at the beginning of the sentence, indefinite article "a/an" is used: 

  • A man gave me a book. 
  • An elephant killed a boy.

n) When the words - so, as, too, how etc. are followed by and adjective or an adverb:

  • He is too intelligent a student.

o) In the following structure:

    many + indefinite article + singular noun ..........

    Many a student is absent today.

NO – ‘A/ AN’ 

i) Before plural nouns like: cows, birds, dogs, animals, boys, story books, etc. 

  • Cows give milk
  • Dogs are animals
  • Birds are flying.
  • Boys like story-books.

(ii) The name of any person, country, state, city, day, month is called proper noun. a/ an is not used before proper noun: 

  • This is Hari Today is Monday
  • We live in India. She came in March
  • Patna is in Bihar. Delhi is a city.

(iii) a/an is not used before uncountable nouns (milk, money, honey, gold, tea, coffee, sugar etc.): 

  • Milk is good for us. Money is honey.
  • We like tea without sugar Gold is yellow.

But we use a……of+ uncountable noun to make it a single item: 

  • A cup of coffee a bottle of ink
  • A glass of water. A bag of rice.

The word ‘knowledge’ is uncountable but when used specially, article is used; 

  • A knowledge of language is always useful.
  • He has good knowledge of maths.

(iv) Paper, wine, glass, cloth, glass and iron are uncountable nouns so a/an is not required before them, 

  • We write on paper. Windows are made of glass
  • I have a yard of cloth. Iron is a metal.

but when used for specific purpose as paper = newspaper, glass = a container made of glass , cloth = dish cloth, iron = a tool with a flat metal base that can be heated and used to make clothes smooth, we use a/an before them: 

  • Have a glass of wine.
  •  It’s a (news) paper.
  • I use an electric iron. 
  •  He has a dish - cloth

USE OF DEFINITE ARTICLE 'THE'

‘The’ is called ‘definite article’ because it is used before a definite person, place or thing; as: 

  • a teacher: means - any teacher
  • an elephant: means -any elephant

But 

  • I saw the teacher: means some particular teacher.

Thus definite article ‘the’ is used where there is specific reference of any noun, singular or plural identified specially.

 

The definite article ‘the’ is used:- 


1. When a noun is repeated in a context. 

  • I saw a fox. The fox was hungry.
  • He has a cow. The cow gives milk.
  • I saw an old man. The old man was ill.
  • A stranger came to a village and the people of the village gave the stranger shelter.

2. Before heavenly bodies: 

  • the moon, the sky, the sun, the stars, the earth, the comet, the south pole, the north pole etc.

3. To describe a noun: 

  • The girl who is standing out of the door is my sister.
  • This is the book that I bought yesterday.
  • This is the house which Mohan bought last year.
  • The man on the platform is my uncle

4. Before the names of directions: 

  • The sun rises in the east and sets in the west

5. To indicate the whole race: 

  • The cow is a sacred animal.
  • The dog is a faithful animal
  • The rose is a sweet flower.
  • The son should be obedient. (यहाँ पर the का प्रयोग गलत है क्योंकि किस person से पहले the का प्रयोग पूरी जाति का बोध नहीं करता)
  • Dogs are faithful
  • The cows are economically useful. (Delete ‘the’)

We do not use ‘the’ before ‘man’ and ‘woman’ to describe the whole race: 

  • Man is mortal
  • A man should be brave -- (used as a single man in the sense of any)
  • Woman is man’s mate.

6. To make an adjective a noun: 

  • The rich should help the poor
  • The old are respected by the young.
  • The young and the old should co-operate with each other.

7. Before religious books: 

  • the Geeta, the Ramayana. The Quran, the Bible, the Mahabharta

8. Before newspaper and magazines: 

  • the Times of India, the Tribune, the Sarita, the India Today, the Pratiyogita Darpan, the Cricket Samrat etc.

9. Before the name of political parties: 

  • the BJP, the Congress, the Lok Dal etc.

10. Before the superlative degree of an adjective: 

  • She is the most intelligent girl in the class.
  • He is the longest boy in the class.

11. When a Noun is used as an adjective: 

  • the poor, the rich, the weak, the white, the black

12. Befoe the names of Historical buildings: 

  • the Taj Mahal, the Red Fort, the Char Minar

13. When an adjective is used after Noun: 

  • Akbar the great
  • Krishna the supreme

14. Before unique ranks: 

  • the Prime Minister, the Present, the Post Master, the Secretary

15. Before the names Historical Events; 

  • the Republic Day, the first battle of Panipat, the Second World War

16. Before the names of rivers :

  • the Ganga, the Krishna, the Godavari, the Mahanadi, the Brahmputra

17. Before the names of mountains (Only plural names): 

  • the Himalayas , the Alps

           But

  • Sicily island, Bermuda Island, Java island, Abu (name of mountain) – All are singular.

18. Before the names seas and oceans: 

  • the Indian Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Red Sea, the pacific Ocean, the Black Sea

19. Before the names of bays & gulfs:

  • The Persian gulf, the Bay of Bangal

20. Before the names of islands (Only plurals): 

  • the Northlands, the West Indies, the Andaman and Nichobar

21. Before the names of newspapers: 

  • The Times of India, the Punjab Kesri, the Tribune

22. Before the names of trains: - 

  • the Ashram Express, the Rajdhani Express, the Punjab Mail

23. Before the names ships: - 

  • the Vikrant Mail

24. Before the names Hotels: – 

  • the Taj Hotel, the Ashoka Hotel

25. Before the names of deserts: – 

  • the Sahara Desert, the Thar Desert

26. Before the names of lakes: 

  • the Dal Lake

27. Before the names of musical instruments (in sentences having verbs like - practice, play or learn etc. ) 

  • He can play the flute/ piano.
  • She is fond of playing the harmonium.

       But 

  • I have a piano.

28. In sentences before the comparative degree where a choice between the two nouns has been referred to: 

  • She is the weaker of the two sisters.
  • Which is the more beautiful of the two sisters?

29. When a sentence begins with a comparative degree, there must be a second comparative degree in the same sentence. In this case both the comparatives take “the”: 

  • The sooner, the better
  • The higher you go, the colder it is.
  • The more he gets, the more he wants.
  • The sooner the work is done, the better.

30. Before the names of Sports, cups and trophies : 

  • India won the World Cup in 1985.
  • A number of teams are taking part in the World Cup.

31. To talk about the physical positions of a person o a thing: 

  • the top of the mountain,
  • the back of the house
  • the centre of the market
  • the front of the house

32. Before the Unit of measurement : 

  • Sugar is sold by the kilo.
  • Cloth is sold by the metre.
  • Eggs are sold by the dozen.

33. Before the names of casts and communities: 

  • The Rajputs are brave people.
  • The Matathas are hard working.

In the same way: 

  • the Hindus, the Muslims, the Sikhs, the Christians

But - 

  • Hinduism, Christianity से पहले ZERO article का प्रयोग होता है -

34. To stress a noun: 

  • He is the man of the match.
  • She is the lady of day.

35. Before ordinal numbers: 

  • the first, the second, the last, the fifth.

36. Before “evening, morning and afternoon, when they are preceded by a preposition: 

  • He met me in the evening/ afternoon.
  • We shall assemble in the morning.

37. When we compare to Proper Nouns, zero article is used with the noun being compared, but with the other noun, we definite article: 

  • Surdas is the Milton of India.
  • Kalidas is the Shakespear of India.
  • Sunil is the Salman Khan of our class.

38. Before ‘Same & whole’ and after ‘all & both’: 

  • This is the same book that you gave me.
  • The whole class was making a noise.
  • All the players arrived in the ground.
  • Both the girls are attractive.

39. In the following idiomatic phrases: 

  • in the wrong 
  • the benefit 
  • of the doubt
  • in the town 
  •  in the air
  • on the contrary 
  • speak the truth

41. Before a common noun which functions in the sentence as an abstract noun. 

  • The mother rises in her (feelings of a mother)
  • The judge in him (sense of justice)
  • The beast in him incited him to kill his friend. (cruelty of a beast)

42. Before an invention: (i ) the telephone (ii) the wireless 
(iii) the television (as an invention) 
(iv) He was watching television. (television is used just as set) 
(v) He was listening to the Radio. 

43. Before “Case in apposition” : 

  • Netaji, the hero of the modern India, ought to be remembered.
  • Rohit, the monitor of our class, is absent today.

44. Before nationality: 

  • the greeks
  • the Indians
  • the Asians

But

  • An Indian
  • A Greek

45. Before dates if preposition is used before month: 

  • The 15th of August
  • The 10th of May

46. Before the organs of government: 

  • The Judiciary
  • The executive
  • The Legislature. 
  •  The legislative

47. Before the names of the parts of body: 

  • He hit me on the (my) back.
  • She caught me by the (my) arm.

48. Before the names of political parties: 

  • the BJP
  • the Labour Party
  • the Janta Party
  • the Congresss

49. Before the names of armed forces: 

  • the army, 
  • the Police,
  • the Air Force

50. Before the names ‘Aeroplanes’: 

  • the Makalu (name of an aeroplane)

50. Before “English, French, Greek, German, Russian, Chinese, Japanese” if these words are used for “people”. If they are used for “language” we never use any article with them. 

  • English is an easy language.
  • The English defeated the French.
  • The Chinese are hard working.
  • The Japanese are patriots.

52. Before the names of dynasty, revolution, ages, wars, empires, and centuries : 

  • The Gupta dynasty
  • The British empire
  • The Red revolution
  • The Middle ages
  • The civil war
  • The Vedic ages
  • The sixth century.

53. Before ‘little’ and ‘few’ : 

  • the little (means ‘some but all’)
  • the few (means ‘some but all’)

54. Before Surname when ‘surname’ refers to whole family: 

  • the Yadavs, the Sharmas, the Guptas

55. When we refers to a thing with gesture: 

  • Will you pass the salt? (the salt on table)
  • She is in the lawn. (the lawn of the house)

56. Before plural nouns when the pronoun is preceded by ‘pronoun + of’ : 

  • Most of the students have gone home.
  • All of the students have gone home.
  • Many of the students have gone home.
  • Five of the students have gone home.
  • A half of the students have gone home.
  • One -third of the students have gone home.
  • A large number of the students have gone home.
  • A majority of the students have gone home.

57. Before “Committee, club, and foundation”: 

  • the Rotary Club,
  • the United Nation
  • the Ford Foundation,
  • the Minerva Club

58. Go to + the + cinema, theatre, opera, pictures, movies, circus, office, station, bus stop: 

  • He goes to the office at 10.
  • Do you often go to the cinema?
  • He went to the circus.
  • He always goes to the theatre.

59. In the following idiomatic phrases: 

  • What is the matter?
  • What is the difficulty?
  • What is the trouble?
  • Speak to the point.
  • Keep to the left/the right.
  • He is in the right/the wrong.
  • I am in the know of it.
  • The air is thick with the rumour.

60. Before INTRENET because iot is also the only one in the universe like ‘moon, earth, stars’ : 

  • The internet said that a coma was basically a sleep disorder.

61. Before ‘Lie’ we use ‘a’ but after ‘truth’ e use ‘the’: 

  • He always tells a lie.
  • He always speaks the truth

62. If the name of a country has the words like- REPUBLIC, KINGDOM, STATES, definite article will be used before the name of that country. 

  • The USA, the United Kingdom, The United States, the West Indies, the Philippines, etc
  • He visited India and United States.
  • They went to Canada and the United Kingdom.
  • Lahore is not in the USA.

63. If the name of a buildings or institutions is made of more than one word and the first word is the name of a PLACE or PERSON, we use zero article before the name of that building or institution. 

  • Delhi Airport 
  • Buddha Garden
  • Victorian Station 
  • London Zoo
  • Jai Singh Palace 
  • Indira Gandhi Airport
  • Jaipur Place

But if the first word is not the name of any person or palce, we use definte article: the Char MInar 

the Royal Palace 
the White House 

the red Square 
the Taj Mahal 
(Though it is only a common rule, there may be som exceptions to this rule.) 
64. In the structure: “The + name +of + noun” 

  • The bank of America is a big bank.
  • The tower of London is a great tower.
  • The water of this well is sweet.

65 When a common name is used for two sisters. 

  • the misses Smith

66. Look at the use of the word “Office” 

  • He is at the office.
  • He is in the office.

The above examples mean that ‘He’ is present at his place of work. 

  • He is in office means to hold an official position.

But this sentence means that ‘He is in power.’ 

67. When the word ‘space’ is used for ‘sky’ we use zero article before it, but when ‘space’ means ‘place’ that can be occupied, we use the definite article before it. 

  • There are lacs of stars in space.
  • He tried to park his car in the park but the space was not sufficient.

68 Before the name of gardens. 

  • the Botanical Garden
  • the zoo.

69 If a noun follows ‘most’ we don’t use any article, but if a noun follows ‘most of’ we use definite article. 

  • Most boys have come.
  • Most people like it.
  • Most birds can fly.

But if ‘Most of’ occurs just before a noun, ‘the’ is used before that noun. 

  • Most of the girls are here.

OMISSION OF ARTICLE/ USE OF ZERO ARTICLE

1. Before a proper noun:

  •   X  Delhi is the capital of   X   India
  •   X  Suresh is my best friend.

2. Before abstract and material noun:

  •   X  water is essential for life.
  •   X   gold is a precious metal.

Important Note: But when the abstract nou and material noun is particularized, we use definite article before them.

  •  The water in this well is polluted. 
  •   The gold in this watch is of superior quality.

3. Before the names of games.

  •   X  football is my favourite game. 
  • We play   X  cricket every day in the evening. 

4. Before the names of languages.

  •   X  Hindi is an easy language. 
  •  X   English is not an easy language.