Articles- General English

Articles

An article is a word used to modify a noun, which is a person, place, object, or idea.

Articles are of two types. They are

1. 1. Indefinite article —-      A / An
   2. Definite article —-      The

What’s the difference?

If you want to say about particular  item, you should use the articles A or An. If you want to say about a SPECIFIC item, you should use the article THE.

Indefinite Articles :

 

A : The indefinite article ‘a’ is used before singular countable nouns that start with a Consonant sound.

An : The indefinite article ‘an” is used before singular countable nouns that start with a Vowel sound. 

A :

• A Bat
• A Cat
• A Rat
• A Jug

An :

• An Apple
• An Egg
• AN Ink-Bottle
• An Orange
• An Umbrella

Great,

Kindly Re-Read the definitions. Here we are talking about Vowel and Consonant SOUNDS. Not the Letters. People often confuse with this. They blindly put A before a word, if it starts with a Vowel letter (A, E, I, O, U) and put An before the word which starts with the consonant letter. 

Consider the SOUND, not the LETTER.

 

Lets see a short cut for this. 

• If a word starts with a SWAR (Any of the Indian Language) sound, then we should use An before it.
• If a word starts with a Vyanjan (An of the Indian Language) sound, then we should use A before it.

Have a look at this picture,

 

 

 

 

so, now see these examples,

A :

• A European
• A One-Eyed beggar
• A University
• A Useful Website

 

An:

• An hour
• An Honest Man
• An honourable person

Thats it.

 

Now lets see some more TRICKY examples in English.

 

Suppose , if you want to say about the Member of Parliament, you can say a Member of Parliament, But if you use shorter form as M.P, Then you should say, He is an M.P

Lets see another example, He is an NRI but He is a Non Resident India 

 

 

 

Rules of Articles (Indefinite & Definite) in English for Competitive Exams

• Indefinite (A, An)
• Definite (The)

Rules of Articles – Indefinite Articles:

‘A‘ & ‘An‘ are called the indefinite articles, as they don’t refer to a particular thing or person.

Use of ‘A’:

 (1) If a consonant is the first letter of a countable singular common noun, we use ‘A’ before it.

For example;  a book, a man etc. ‘A’ is used before some

(2) ‘A’ is used before some indefinite numbers.

For example;  a lot of, a number of, a large number of, a half of, a quarter of

(3)  ‘A’ can be used before some indefinite collective numbers.

For example;  a team of doctors, a gang of ghosts, a folk of birds, a herd of sheep etc.

(4)  If an adjective is followed by a singular noun, we use ‘A’ before that adjective.

For example;  Rahul is a good (adjective) student (noun)

(5)  ‘A’ is used at the place of ‘per’.

For example;  Mangoes are sold at 100 rupees a kg

(6) To show the whole class of common noun we may use ‘A’ before a common noun.

For example;  All birds have two wings. → A bird has two wings.

(7) If we use article ‘A’ before a plural number, the forthcoming noun becomes singular.

For example;  a five-day match, a two-mile walk

(8) ‘A’ is used before these words start with a vowel.

For example;  a university, a unique film, a one-rupee note, a one-act play, a union, a European, a one-eyed person, a one-sided decision

(9) If a noun is placed after such, how, rather, quite etc., we use ‘A’ before that noun.

For example;  I have never seen such painting in my life. (wrong)

→ I have never seen such a painting in my life. (correct)

(10) If these words (Noise, Lie, Hole, Headache etc.) are used in as singular, we use ‘A’ before them.

For example;  The students make noise in the class. (wrong)

→ The students make a noise in the class. (correct)

Use of ‘An’:

(1) We can use ‘An’,  before the nouns or words starting with a vowel.

For example;  Riya is an intelligent (‘i’ is a vowel) girl.

(2) ‘An’ is used before some ‘H’ starting words in which ‘H’ is not pronounciate.

For example;  An honest man, An hour, An heir, An honorable person, An homage to dead

(3) If H, L M, N, F, R, S, X are the first letters of abbreviations, we use ‘An’ before them.

For example;  An M.L.A,  An H.S. school,  An F.R.C.S. girl etc.

 

The omission of Indefinite articles:

(1) Indefinite articles cannot be used two times for the same noun in a sentence.

For example;  

• Vivekananda was a saint and a hero. (wrong)
• Vivekananda was a saint and hero. (correct)

NOTE:

• Vivekananda was both a saint and a hero. (correct)
• Sneha is neither a dancer nor a painter. (correct)

(2) Indefinite articles should not be used before the name of meals.

For example;

• Ram was present at a dinner. (wrong)
• Ram was present at dinner. (correct)

NOTE:  But if we use an adjective before the name of meals, we use indefinite articles before the adjective.

For example;

• It was tasteful dinner. (wrong)
• It was a tasteful dinner. (correct)

(3) We can not use articles after ‘what kind of’ and ‘what sort of’.

For example;

• What kind of a boy he is. (wrong)
• What kind of boy he is. (correct)

 

(4) Followings are some uncountable -nouns, we should not use indefinite articles before them.

Example;  Furniture, Stationery, Poetry, Scenery, Damage, Luggage, Baggage, Perfumery, Postage, Traffic, Offspring, Information, Advice, Abuse, Telephone.

Rules of Articles – Definite Articles:

‘The‘ is called the definite article as it points out a particular thing or person.

For example; He visited the lawyer. (means one particular lawyer)

Use of ‘The’:

(1) ‘The’ is used before a noun if the noun is used before relative pronoun stressed.

For example;

• He is a boy who dances well. (wrong)
• He is theboy who dances well. (correct)

(2) ‘The’ is used after ‘one of‘, ‘each of‘, ‘either of‘, ‘neither of‘, ‘none of‘, ‘everyone of‘ etc.

For example;

• Neither of contestants performs well. (wrong)
• Neither of thecontestants performs well. (correct)

(3) ‘The’ is used before the name of Commissions.

For example;

• Election Commission is a Constitutional autonomous body. (wrong)
• TheElection Commission is a Constitutional autonomous body. (correct)

 

(4) If an adjective is followed by a proper noun, use ‘the’ before that adjective.

For example;

• We respect immortal Swamiji. (wrong)
• We respect theimmortal Swamiji. (correct)

(5)  We use ‘The’ before the names of–

• Rivers  (The Ganga, The Yamuna etc.)
• Seas  (The Arabian Sea, The Bay of Bengal etc.)
• Deserts  (The Sahara etc.)
• Canals  (The Agra canal, The Western Yamuna canal etc)
• Group of Islands  (The Hawaiian Islands, The Antilles etc.)
• Series of Mountains  (The Himalayan mountain etc.)
• Religious books  (The Bible etc)
• Holy Scriptures  (The Bible)
• Community  (The Hindu, The Sikhs etc.)
• Planes  ( The Kingfisher Airlines)
• Ships  (The Titanic)
• Stars  (The Sun, The Polaris etc.)
• Newspapers  (The Times of India, The Statesman etc.)
• Musical Instruments  (The Guitar, The Piano etc.)

(6) If two proper nouns are compared, we use ‘the’ before the last proper noun.

For example;  Kalidas (1st proper noun) is the Shakespeare (2nd proper noun) of India.

(7) We use ‘The’ before ordinals.

For example;  the former, the last, the second etc.

(8) ‘The’ is used before the names of Historical Buildings & Monuments.

For example;  The Tajmahal, The Charminar, The Lotus Temple etc.

(9) Before the name of Countries & Organisations.

For example;  The United States of America, The World Health Organisation etc.

(10) ** ‘The’ must be used before superlative degree.

For example;  Sachin Tendulkar is the best batsman in the world.