ARTICLES / DETERMINERS

Articles or Determiners are three. They are: ‘A’ ‘An’ and ‘The’. ‘A’ and ‘An’ are known as
Indefinite articles and ‘The’ is known as Definite article. ‘A’ and ‘An’ can be used only to the
Singular but ‘The’ can be used for both Singular and Plural. ‘A’ and ‘An’ are used in the sense of
‘One’.
Generally an article is used before a common noun, singular in number.
Fight like a hero. He is a brave boy. She bought an orange.
INDEFINIE ARTICLES – ‘ A’ AND ‘AN’.‘A’ and ‘An’ do not point out a particular person or thing.
USES OF ‘A’
Article A is used before consonant sound.
He is a boy. I bought a pen. She gave me a watch.
Article A is used if the vowel sounds like a consonant;
He is a European. I saw a one –eyed man. I have a uniform set. I went to a
university.
Article A is used before the names of profession;
My father is a farmer. My friend is a teacher.
Article A is used before singular countable nouns to indicate ‘One’;
There is a mango tree at the back of our home. I have a pen and three notes.
Article A is used with a noun expressing ‘frequency’;
He earns Five rupees a day. The doctor advised me to come to hospital twice in a
week.
Article A is used for certain numbers;
I have a fifty rupee note. A couple of days ago, I met him. She bought a dozen of
apple.
Article A is used in the sense of any, to single and individual as the representative of a class.

A student should respect the teacher. A cow is a useful animal.

Article A is used in expression of price, speed, ratio;
Sixty rupees a kilo. Forty K.M. is not a distance. Once a day.
USES OF ‘AN’
Article ‘An’ is used In the sense of ‘one’ before vowel sound.
I bought an apple. It is an orange. She is an enemy to me. An ant bit me.
It is an ox. I bought an umbrella.
Article ‘An’ is used before the ‘h’ silent word;
I was an hour late to class. He is an honest man.
Article ‘An’ is used if a consonant word sounds like a vowel;
My father is an M.P. She is an M.L.A. She is an L.I.C agent.