Use of Articles

Use of Articles

1) The Indefinite Articles :

          A and an are called the indefinite articles. They are used only  before the singular verbs.

Uses of article ‘a’:-

1) The article ‘a’ is used any countable singular noun.

e.g. a dog, a lion, a cat, a boy.

2) The singular noun which has the pronunciation like consonant, it takes the article ‘a’.

e.g.  a book, a boy, a cow, a hill, a unit, a universe, a one –legged doll.

3) The singular noun which shows the profession.

e.g. a farmer, a tailor, a doctor, an engineer

4) Before the singular noun which shows group.

e.g. an elephant is a clever animal.

A coconut tree is very useful.

5) Before the number words or number group words

          e.g. a dozen, a century, a couple, a hundred rupees.

6) With vowel letters, having pronunciation like consonant.

          e.g. a university, a unit, a utility, a European, a unicorn, a useful article, a one rupee note, a one man show.

Uses of article ‘an’

1) The article ‘an’ is used any countable singular noun.

e.g. an apple, an elephant, an orange, an ox.

2) The singular noun which has the pronunciation like vowel, it takes the article ‘an’. (Or With words beginning with vowel sounds.)

e.g. an egg, an elephant, an ink-bottle, an apple, an orange, an umbrella, an ass, an action, an ox, an idiot, an ultimatum, an egg.

3) The singular noun which begins with the consonant but has the pronunciation like vowel; it takes the article ‘an’. (Or words beginning with silent ‘h’.)

e.g. an hour, an honest man, an honour, an heir, an hotel, an historical novel, an M.A., an S.S.C., an M.P.

2) The Indefinite Article - the :

Uses of article ‘the’

1) To denote a particular person or thing or one already mentioned.

e.g.   a) The chain you gave me is lost.

          b) I bring a bag. The bag is really heavy.

          c) We call a boy. The boy gives us information.

2) When a singular noun represents a whole class.

e.g.   a) The king cobra is extremely poisonous.

          b) The cow is a very useful animal.

          c) The earthworm helps the farmers.

3) With superlatives.

          e.g.   a) He is the best student in our class.

          b) This is the densest forest I have ever seen.

4) With names of rivers, seas, gulfs, group of islands, mountains and newspapers etc.

e.g. The Ganges, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Persian gulf, the British Isles, the Alps, The Times of India, The Indian Express etc.

5) Before a proper noun only when it is qualified by an adjective.

e.g. The Immortal Shakespeare, The great Caesar, The great Maratha.

6) Before names of certain books.

          e.g. The Ramayana, the Vedas, the Puranas, the Mahabharata.

7) Before the ordinals

          e.g. The first, the second, the third etc.

8) To denote the side

e.g. The left, the right.

9)Before the word ‘same’.

          e.g. The same book is here., the same student etc.

10) To give stress to the common name

e.g. This is the place where I want to get off.

          This is the man who brings the news.

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See more resources:

How to Frame a wh- question

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