English Grammar - Articles

Articles 

There are three main articles in English grammar, they are: 'A', 'An' and 'The'. They are really demonstrative adjectives.

INDEFINITE ARTICLE:

• "A" and "An" is called the indefinite article, because it usually leaves indefinite the person or thing spoken of.
• They are use with common singular noun.

DEFINITE ARTICLE:

• "The" is called the definite article because it points out the some particular person or thing.

Note: As "A" or "An" are indefinite articles. So it is also consider that there are two main articles in English grammar:

1. "A" or "An"
2. The

Use of the indefinite articles ("A" and "An")

S. No.	A	An
1.	'A' is used only with 'countable nouns'. e.g. a book	'An' is used only with 'countable nouns'. e.g. an orange
2.	'A' is used only with 'singular number'.	'An' is used only with 'singular number'.
3.	'A' is used if the first letter of a word begins with a consonants. (consonant + consonant sound) Such as: a car, a boy, a cow, a ball, a chair, a beautiful scene etc.	'An' is used if the first letter of a word begins with a vowel. (vowel + vowel sound) Such as: an egg, an ice cream, an eagle, an orange, an American company, an English newspaper, an ink pot, an oily thing etc.  If "u" sounds as 'a' an is used i.e. an umbrella (ambrella)
4.	'A' is used with word begin vowel but give consonant sound (because first letter is not pronounced) (Vowel + Consonant sound) Such as: If "u" sounds as 'yu' a is used i.e. a useful things a university a union If the first letter of a word is 'e' but it sounds 'yo' i.e  a European If the first letter of a word is'o' but it sounds as 'w' such as: a one rupee a one eyed man	'An' is used with word begin with consonant but give vowel sound (because first letter is not pronounced) (Consonant + Vowel sound) Such as: an hotel (sound as otel), an honest (sound as onest) person an hour ( sound as our) an honourable (sound as onorable) man. an heir (sound as eir)
5.	The definite article also comes before an occupation
	e.g. He is a journalist	e.g. She is an instructor.
6.	The definite article also comes before some collective nouns
	e.g. a dozen, a class, a set,   a galaxy of stars	e.g. She is an An army of ants

Uses of definite articles ("The")

1. Unique things:
Example:

• the Sun
• the Moon
• the sky
• the Earth
• the sea, etc.

2. Particular persons or things i.e. to make common noun particular:
Example:

• The girl in blue
• The house at the end of the street, etc.
• I went to see the zoo.
• Have you ever sees the Museum?
• The book you ant is out of print. (Which book? the one you want.)
• Let's go to the park. (= the part in this town.)
• The girl cried. (= the girl already talked about)

3. People or things mentioned for the second time:
Example:

• I saw an elephant. The elephant was in the zoo.
• The car hit a tree. The tree fell down.

4. Persons or things understood from the context:
Example:

• in the bathroom
• on the table
• in the garden, etc
• The poor are always with us.

5. Singular nouns representing the whole class:
Example:

• The computer is a useful machine.
• The rose is a beautiful flower.
• The cow is a useful animal.

6. Proper names such as names of rivers /canals / gulfs/ seas/ oceans/ groups of islands/ mountain ranges / deserts etc.
Example:

• Rivers: the Nile, the Indus, the ravi
• Canals: the Suez Canal
• Gulfs: the Arabian gulf, the Persian Gulf
• Seas / Oceans: the Black Sea, the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic ocean
• Groups of island: the Andaman islands, the West Indies
• Mountain ranges: the Everest, the Himalayas, the Andes, etc.
• Desert: the Sahara

7. Names of nationalities, nations, communities, events, political parties, etc.
Example:

• Political party: the All India Muslim League
• Nations / communities: the Muslims
• Nationalities: the Japanese, the Chinese, the Pakistanis, The English
• the Big Bang, etc.

8. Names of newspapers, magazines, holy books, movies, plays, hotels, etc.
Example:

• Newspapers: the Dawn, the Times, the Daily Jang
• Magazine: the Reader's Digest
• Holy books: the Quran, the Bible
• Hotels: the Sheraton Hotel, etc.

9. Before ordinal numbers:
Example:

• the first
• the last, etc.
• The third of June

10. Before the names of musical instruments:
Example:

• the guitar
• the piano, etc.
• He play the flute.

11. Before superlative degrees of adjective:
Example:

• the largest
• the biggest, etc.
• Ahmed is the best boy.
• the highest mountain
• The darkest cloud has a sliver lining.

12. Before double comparatives:
Example:

• The more you read, the more you learn.
• The higher you go, the cooler it is.

13. Before names of trains, ships, etc.
Example:

• Ship: the Titanic
• Train: the Tezgam

14. With some adjectives to make nouns (used in the plural):
Example:

• the rich
• the injured
• the young, etc.
• The great Ceasar

15. Before directions:
Example:

• in the east
• to the west, etc.

16. With the name of a country or province which is descriptive:
Example:

• The United States of America
• The Punjab
• The Irish Republic

17. Before historical events and historical places:
Example:

• The Taj Mahal
• The second world war
• The great war

18. Before familiar names:

• The headmaster extended our holidays.
• He is the president of our country.
• The prime Minister

Points to remember:

Articles are not used with:
(1) Common noun in the plural:

• Dogs bark
• Children are found of play.
• Carpenters make chairs and tables.

(2) Proper noun:

• Abdul is a boy.
• Karachi is a large city.
• I live in Pakistan.

(3) Material noun or Substances:

• Gold is a precious metal.
• The chair is made of iron.
• We make knives of steel.
• Sugar is bad for teeth.

(4) Abstract noun or uncountable noun (used in general sense):

• Honesty is the best policy.
• Health is wealth.
• They live in poverty.
• Wisdom is the gift of Heaven.
• Virtue is its own reward.

Note: The is used with Abstract and uncountable noun (when they used in particular sense)

(5) Articles are omitted before singular common noun which are used in their wider sense. e.g school, college, church, bed, table, hospital, market, prison etc. 

• Man is mortal.
• What kind of dog is this?
• He goes to school daily
• He went home yesterday.
• He goes to church on Sunday.

(6) Articles are omitted in following phrases.

• Phrases consisting of transitive verb followed by  its object, as:
  to catch fire, to take breath, to give battle, to cast anchor, to send word, to give ear, to lay siege, to set sail, to lose heart, to set foot, to leave home, to strike root, to take offence.
  
  
• Phrases consisting of preposition followed by its object, as:
  at rest, in motion, in debt, on foot, at home, at dawn, at night, by night, at daybreak, at sunrise, at noon, on demand, on earth, by train, by name, by day, at home, at fault, in hand, under ground, above ground.

(7) Articles are omitted before names of continents, countries and cities:

• Europe
• Pakistan
• Karachi
• Asia

(8) Before names of individual mountains, individual islands, lakes, hills etc.

• Mountain: Mount Everest

(9) Before name of meals used in general sense:

• What time do you have lunch ?

(10) Before Languages:

• We are studying English.
• They speak Arabic at home.

(11) Before names of relations, like: father, mother, aunt, uncle and also cook and nurse.

• Father has returned.
• Aunts wants you to see her.
• Cook has given notice.

(12) Before predicative nouns denoting a unique position, i.e a position that is normally held at one time by one person only.

• He was elected chairman of the Board.
• She is president of the company.
• He was appointed as headmaster in the school.

Explanation Of Articles With Urdu Translation

PRACTICE EXERCISES

• Practice exercise For SSC Part 1 and 2
• Practice Exercise For HSC Part 1 and 2
• Practice Exercise For Graduation
• General Practice Exercises