Articles in English Grammar

2nd September 2020 CHALLA 6 Comments

What Are Articles In English Grammar?

‘Articles’ chapter is an important component of English Grammar. It is highly useful for the students and the candidates appearing for competitive exams.

Basically, Articles in English Grammar are demonstrative adjectives used to describe nouns. They are used before Common Nouns and Phrases.

There are two types of articles in English Grammar.

Indefinite Article: a or an
Definite Article: the

Indefinite Article is used before non-specific singular countable nouns.

Examples:

I went to a movie. (means any movie, not a specific movie)
I consulted a doctor. (means any doctor, not a specific doctor)
I met an American. (means any American, not a specific American)

Definite Article is used before specific singular or plural countable nouns.

Examples:

I went to the movie which we talked about. (means a specific r movie)
I consulted the doctor you referred to. (means a specific doctor)
I met the American who visited us last year. (means a specific American)

Articles in English

Whether ‘A’ or ‘AN’?

(A is used before a constant sound and AN is used before a vowel sound)

‘A’ can be placed before:

1.The words which begin with a consonant sound:

Examples:

a box	a boy	a year	a humble man
a house	a woman	a pen	a history
a horse	a yard	a hole	a hero

2. The words begin with a vowel in spelling but with a consonant sound:

Examples:

a unicorn (y – sound)	a university (y – sound)	a one rupee note (w – sound)
a user (y – sound)	a utopia (y – sound)	a one-eyed man (w – sound)
a union (y – sound)	a European (y – sound)	a ewe (y – sound)

3. The abbreviations/acronyms with a consonant sound:

Examples:

a B.A. Degree	a C.B.S. mega outlet
a Ph.D. holder	a B to B business
a G.I.F.	a U.F.O. (but an Unidentified Flying Object)

‘An’ can be placed before:

1.The words which begin with a vowel sound:

Examples:

an apple	an actor	an orange	an umbrella
an ass	an Indian	an idiot	an invitation
an ear	an enemy	an eagle	an octopus

2. The words begin with a consonant ‘h’ but silent in pronunciation:

Examples:

an honor, an hour

an honest man

an hotel, (or a hotel)

an heir

an HTML document

an historical novel (‘h’ is unstressed)

or a historical novel

an HB pencil

an honorary degree

3. The consonants when used in acronyms with a vowel sound: (F, X, L, M, N, R, S, X)

Examples:

an MLA, an NGO	an FBI Agent	an XLRI student
an RMP doctor, an SI	an LIC agent	an NBC television show

Articles in English Grammar Worksheet – 1

Use of Indefinite Article:

It is used

1.In the sense of one:

Examples:

I bought a book.
He came with an umbrella.
She gave me a flower.

2. In the sense of a certain:

Examples:

A Mr. Reddy called you. (a certain person named Mr. Reddy)
I met an Adarsh at the Railway Station.

3. Before a profession, post, nationality or religion etc.,

Examples:

a doctor
a lawyer
an Indian
a Hindu etc.,

4. To represent a class:

Examples:

A cow is a useful animal. ( a cow = all cows)
A lion is a ferocious animal. ( a lion = all lions)

5. To make a common noun of a proper noun:

Examples:

He is a Bruce-Lee in the fighting.
Here came a Michael Jackson to participate in the dance.
He is a Valmiki.

6. To indicate price, speed etc., and in numerical expressions:

Examples:

They drove the car a hundred kilometers an hour.
She bought the banana at seventy rupees a dozen.
I saw him a couple of minutes ago.
He made a lot of mistakes.

7. Before a noun which has more than one adjective:

Examples:

He bought a black and white shirt. (one shirt)
Mayabazar is an old and famous movie.

Note: He bought a black and a white shirt. (two shirts)

8. Before adjectives and adverbs:

Examples:

Ashoka is a great king.
He is a very hard worker.
Ramana is an honest businessman.

9. Before the verb, if used as a noun:

Examples:

They go for a walk every day.
The child is having a bath.

10. Before a few health conditions or illnesses like aches, pains, growths, and attacks:

Examples:

a cold
a heart attack
a stroke
an ulcer
a wart / tumor / growth / etc.
a sore throat / sore back/ sore foot / etc.
a headache / toothache / backache / etc.

11. In exclamations:

Examples:

What a pity!
What a clever idea!
What an excellent chance!

12. In the expressions like a few and a little meaning some:

Examples:

There are only a few seats available.
We have a little time to finish this work.
I have a few friends to guide me.

13. After some prepositions especially as, for, on, and at:

Examples:

You have to submit it as a rule.
It is only for a change.
It happened on a large scale.

14 In some phrases:

Examples:

Many a	In a low voice	Take a vacation	To pay somebody a visit
What a	In a whisper	As a matter of fact	To take an interest in
Such a	In a word	To be in a hurry	To have a good time
Many a doctor	Play a joke	To be at a loss	To have a slight fever

Use Of Definite Article:

It is used

1.To indicate a person or thing already referred to:

Examples:

I met the teacher who taught me in my 7th standard.
I am reading the mail sent by you.
The pen in your hand is mine.
Do you know the girl playing in the ground?

2. To indicate a class with nouns in the singular:

Examples:

The cow is a useful animal ( or we may say cows are useful animals)
The monkey is a mischievous animal.
The earthworm is helpful to the farmers.

But: We should not use ‘the’ article before man and woman when used in the wide sense.

Examples:

X Man is a social animal.
X Woman is man’s best companion.

3. Before the adjective to indicate a class:

Examples:

The rich are becoming richer. (rich people)
The blind should not be laughed at. (blind people)
The poor suffer a lot. (poor people)

4. As an adverb with comparatives:

Examples:

The more you eat the less you digest.
The higher you go the cooler you feel.
The more they get the more they want.

5. Before adjectives in the comparative degree when comparing only two things:

Examples:

He is the more talented of the two brothers.
Lavanya is the taller of the two sisters.

6. Before superlative degree:

Examples:

She is the cleverest girl in the class.
Amitab Bachan is the most popular actor.

7. Before the professions:

Examples:

She entered the teaching field by chance.
My friend is interested in the medical profession.
He would like to join the Army.
I am going to register as an advocate in the Bar Council.

8. Before races, political parties, historical events:

Examples:

the Mongoloids
the Jews
the Renaissance
the Quit India Movement
the Bharatiya Janata Party
the Communist Party of India
the Indian National Congress

9. Before ordinal numbers:

Examples:

the first chapter
the second day
the third place
the last chance etc.,

10. Before the names of holy and well-known books:

Examples:

the Ramayana
the Bible
the Quran
the Vedas
the Puranas
the Bhagavad Gita etc.,

But ‘the’ should not be used if the author’s name is mentioned

Examples:

X Homer’s Iliad,
X Valmiki’s Ramayana
X Milton’s Paradise Lost etc.,

11. Before the names of things, unique of their kind:

Examples:

the Sun
the Moon
the Sky
the Earth
the South Pole etc.,

12. Before a proper noun to make it a common noun ( In comparison)

Examples:

Kalidas is the Shakespeare of India.
Bombay is the Manchester of India.

13. Before musical instruments:

Examples:

the flute
the guitar
the violin
the xylophone etc.,

14. Before the directions like north, west, northeast, left, right, as a geographic region.

Examples:

the East
the West
the North
the Northeast etc.,

Note: if the verb follows a preposition article is used:

Examples:

They decided to walk to the south.
They located it in the north.
Take a turn on the right.

But: If these words directly follow the verb, no article is used

Examples:

They decided to walk south.
Turn right and go straight.

15. With Abbreviations/Acronyms:

Examples:

the USA,
the USSR,
the UNO,
the IAS,
the WHO etc.,

16. Before the names of

Examples:

ships	the Titanic,
trains	the Satavahana Express,
newspapers	the Deccan Chronicle, the Hindu
libraries	the British Library
research centres	the Textile Research Institute
monuments, forts, tombs	the Charminar, the Taj Mahal,, the Red Fort, the Humayun’s Tomb
organs of the U.N.O	The UNESCO, the UNICEF
hospitals	the CKM Hospital
cine halls	the Ram theatre
banks	The Bank of India
hotels	the Ratna Hotel
Museums, art galleries	the Salarjung Museum, The National Gallery of Modern Art

17. Before the names of

Examples:

mountain ranges, hills	the Alps, the Himalayas, the Nilgiri Hills
canals	the Suez Canal, the Kakatiya Canal
rivers	the Ganges, the Sutlej, the Nile
seas	the Black Sea, the Arabian Sea
bays	the Bay of Bengal
gulfs	the Persian Gulf
deserts	the Sahara Desert
oceans	the Pacific Ocean
certain countries/territories	the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the Punjab, the Philippines But: No article before singular: X India, X Italy, X Mexico, X Bolivia
group of islands	the Andamans, the British Isles But: No article before single islands X Corfu, X Bermuda, X Sicily
valleys	the Death Valley, the Central Valley
deltas	the Godavari River Delta, the Kaveri River Delta
forests	the Subtropical Pine Forests

18. With certain expressions:

Examples:

to speak the truth	to read in the original	on the other hand
on the one hand	in the morning	in the afternoon
in the evening	during the night	during the day
the day before yesterday	the day after tomorrow	the fall/the summer

But: In other time expressions, no article is used:

Examples:

at night	at noon	at midnight	all-day
all night	all month	every month	every year
last night	last Friday	yesterday	tomorrow

Omission Of The Article:

No article is used:

1. Before proper nouns

Examples:

X Tagore is a great poet. X Nehru was a great leader.
X Delhi is the Capital of India.

Note: but names in the plural form take ‘the’

Examples:

The Ambanis are famous industrialists.
The Bachans are popular in the cine industry.

2. Before material nouns, abstract nouns and uncountable nouns used in a general sense.

Examples:

X Cotton is light. (material noun)
X Gold is a precious metal. (material noun)
X Patience is a great virtue. (abstract noun)
X Honesty is the best policy. (abstract noun)
X Water is important for all living creatures. (uncountable noun)

Note: In a particular sense the is used.

Examples:

The patience of our principal is highly appreciable.
I can’t forget the honesty of the auto driver.
Honest men always speak the truth.

3. Before plural nouns used to denote a class or in a general sense.

Examples:

X Cows are useful animals.
X Books are our true friends.
I like X flowers.

But: In a particular sense, the is used.

Examples:

The cows on this farm give more milk.
I have read all the books the teacher suggested.
The flowers in your garden are really beautiful.

4. Before the names of meals:

Examples:

X Lunch is served at one ‘O’ clock
She invited me to X dinner.

Note: If there is an adjective before breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner, we use indefinite article and in a specific sense we use the definite article.

Examples:

We had a heavy dinner yesterday night.
The dinner at my friend’s house was excellent.

5. Before the names of diseases:

Examples:

He is suffering from X fever.
He is stricken with X consumption.

But: We use the before

Examples:

the measles
the flu
the mumps

6. Before the names of festivals:

Examples:

X Ugadi
X Sankranthi
X Christmas
X Bakrid etc.,

7. Before the names of games and sports:

Examples:

X Hockey
X Cricket
X Tennis
X Chess etc.,

8. Before the names of languages and colours:

Examples:

He does not know X French.
Blue is his favourite X colour.

Note 1: If we use ‘the’ before any language, it refers to the people speaking that language.

Examples:

French (means the French language)
English (means the English language)
Telugu (means the Telugu language)

The French (means French people)
The English (means English people)
The Telugu (means Telugu people)

Note 2: If the word ‘language ‘is used ‘the‘ can be used:

Examples:

the English Language
the Telugu Language

Note 3: When colours are specific, we use the:

Examples:

the blue sky,
the red car,
the white building etc.,

9. Before man and woman when used in the wide sense:

Examples:

X Man is a social animal.
X Woman is man’s best companion.

But: ‘The’ is used before man and woman when used in a limited sense.

Examples:

I helped the man who helped me.
I appreciated the woman who did a great service.

10. Before certain titles and names of things single in kind (abstract ideas):

Examples:

X Heaven
X Hell
X God

But: We say…

Examples:

Indira is a god,
Shiva is a god
the God of Israel
the God of Hinduism
the God of peace etc.,

11. Before the places visited for their primary purpose: college, school, temple, mosque, church, hospital, prison etc.,

Examples:

He goes to X college (to study)
He was sent to X prison (as punishment)
He goes to X church (to pray)
The boy was sent to X school (to study)

Note: ‘The’ is used before these words when we refer to them as a definite place, building, or object (for the secondary purpose)

Examples:

I happened to see my friend at the school.
I met Srinivas at the church.
Rajitha went to the hospital to meet the doctor.

12. Before the names of relations:

Examples:

X Father has come back.
X Uncle came to see us.
X Cook is angry.
X Aunt wants to see you.
X mother
X aunt
X sister etc.,

13. Before the words like School, College, University etc.,

Examples:

X Geetanjali Public School
X Osmania University
X Chicago University etc.,

Note: But we say

Examples:

The School of Languages,
The University of Delhi,
The University of Chicago

14. Before predicative nouns denoting a unique position (held by one person only)

Examples:

Shyam was elected X President of the students’ union.
Mr. Rao became X Principal of Our college.

15. Before the individual names of the following singular (specific) nouns:

Examples:

Countries or territories	India, Canada, Spain, Mexico
Names of states, cities, towns	Telangana, Hyderabad, Warangal
Names of streets	Oxford Street, Gandhi Street
Names of lakes and bays	Lake Superior, Bay of Bengal
Names of mountains	Mount Everest, Mount Kilimanjaro
Names of continents	Africa, Australia, North America
Names of islands	Hawaii, Corfu, Bermuda, Sicily
Names of languages	English, Russian, Spanish, Telugu
Names of academic subjects	Sociology, Anthropology
Names of sports	Hockey, Chess, Badminton

16. In certain phrases consisting of a verb and an object:

Examples:

to catch fire	to set sail	to end word	to lose heart
to give ear	to set foot	to take heart	to lose heart
to take place	to take breath	to leave home	to take offense

17. In certain phrases consisting of a preposition and its object:

Examples:

all-day	all night	all month	at home	at sight
at night	at noon	at midnight	by train	on demand
by day	by night	by name	by mistake	by river
by land	in hand	in debt	in trouble	on horseback
on foot/strike/duty	at dinner	at ease	on earth	at interest

Repetition of The Article:

Let us see how the meaning in a sentence will be changed when we repeat the article. To understand this easily, it is simplified into three points:

Point No.1

a. If there are two adjectives and an article is used before the first one, it indicates that there is a single person or thing.

Examples:

I presented a black and white dog on his birthday. (single dog)
We invited the director and producer of the movie. (single person holding two different positions)
The principal and correspondent attended the meeting. (single person holding two different positions)

b. If there are two adjectives and an article is used before the two adjectives, it indicates that there are two different persons or things.

Examples:

I presented a black and a white dog on his birthday. (two dogs)
We invited the director and the producer of the movie. (two persons)
The principal and the correspondent attended the meeting. (two persons)

But sometimes, articles are repeated before the nouns for emphasis even if they refer to one person.

Examples:

He was the orator and the statesman of his age.

Point No.2

a. When we repeat the article before two adjectives, the noun should be in the singular:

Examples:

I read the first and the second chapter.
He knows the Chinese and the English language.

b. When we repeat the article before the first adjective, the noun should be in the plural:

Examples:

I read the first and second chapters.
He knows the Chinese and English languages.

Point No.3

a. In expressing comparison, if nouns refer to the same person or thing, the article is used before the first noun only.

Examples:

She is a better doctor than writer.
He is a better teacher than dancer.

b. If the nouns refer to different persons or things, the article is used before each noun.

Examples:

She is a better doctor than a writer. (two persons)
He is a better teacher than a dancer. (two persons)

Practise the following worksheets:

Articles in English Grammar Worksheet – 1

Articles in English Grammar Worksheet – 2

Articles in English Grammar Worksheet – 3

Articles in English Grammar Worksheet – 4

Articles in English Grammar Worksheet – 5

Articles in English Grammar Worksheet – 6

Recommended Readings:

« Degrees of Comparison

Articles Worksheets »

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