ENGLISH GRAMMAR

ARTICLES

Dr. Pushpa Valli . K

Lecturer, Andhra Loyola College
Vijayawada
DOES TELUGU LANGUAGE HAVE ARTICLES?

⦿ Once there was a king. The king had seven

sons. One day, the seven sons….
 A / AN THE
⦿ Determiner or noun markers

They specify
⦿ if the noun is general
⦿ Or specific in reference

⦿ A/ an - indefinite articles
⦿ The - definite article
THE NOUN
IMPORTANT CONCEPTS TO MASTER ARTICLES
Countable noun:
⦿ Which can be counted
⦿ These nouns have both a singular and plural forms.
⦿ The plural is usually formed by adding an "–s" or an
"–es" to the end of it.
◼ a horse, two horses
◼ a chair, two chairs
◼ a match, two matches
⦿ Countable nouns may also have irregular plural forms.
◼ a child, two children
◼ a mouse, two mice
Uncountable noun:
⦿ The noun refers to something that cannot be counted.
It does not have a plural form.
◼ Information
◼ Grammar
USAGE OF A / AN
USE 1
⦿ The article A is used before
singular, countable nouns which
begin with consonant sounds.
Examples:
⦿ He is a teacher.
⦿ She doesn't own a car.
⦿ I saw a bear at the zoo.
USE 2
⦿ The article AN is used before singular,
countable nouns  which begin
with vowel sounds.
Examples:
⦿ He is an actor.
⦿ She didn't get an invitation.
⦿ I saw an eagle at the zoo.
IMP NOTE

⦿ A(AN) means "one" or "a single".

⦿ cannot use A(AN) with plural nouns.
Examples:
⦿ I saw a bears in Kodaicanal National
Park. Wrong
⦿ I saw bears in Kodaicanal National
Park. Correct
USE 3
⦿ If there is an adjective or an
adverb-adjective combination before the
noun, A(AN) should agree with the first sound
in the adjective or the adverb-adjective
combination.
Examples:
⦿ He is an excellent teacher.
⦿ I saw a really beautiful eagle at the zoo.
USE 4
⦿ A is used before words such as "European" or
"university"
⦿ Though they start with a vowel their
pronunciation is consonant /j/ (you)
Examples
⦿ She works in a union. Sounds like “you”
⦿ That number is a "1". Sounds like "won".
USE 5
⦿ Use AN before words such as "hour" which sound
like they start with a vowel even if the first
letter is a consonant.
⦿ Also use AN before letters and numbers which
sound like they begin with a vowel, such as "F"
/M / N / R or "8".
it is the sound not the spelling which is important.
For example, "F" is pronounced "eff“ as it starts
with an /e/.
Examples:
⦿ I only have an hour for lunch. Sounds like
"au-er".
⦿ Does his name begin with an “R"? Sounds like
“or".
USAGE OF ‘THE’
To make a particular reference /specify
‘The’ is used
⦿ before singular countable nouns (The ball is
big)
⦿ Plural countable nouns (The pens are not
writing)
⦿ Uncountable nouns (The milk is sour)
 1. BEFORE A PARTICULAR NOUN ALREADY
REFERRED TO
⦿ She is a dancer. The dancer looks stunning.
⦿ It is a very big tiger. But the tiger is unable
to walk.
⦿ I made a kite. The kite needs coloring.
⦿ I see a park here. You can’t believe, the park
is very clean.
⦿ Yesterday I watched a movie. The movie was
horrible.
⦿ Teja bought a game. The game is not working
so his parents scolded him.
2. A SINGULAR NOUN TO
REPRESENT A WHOLE CLASS
⦿ The cow is a sacred animal to Hindus.
⦿ The horse runs fast.
⦿ The elephant is a clever animal.
⦿ The nightingale does not build its nest.
⦿ The eagle has a sharp eye sight.
⦿ The dog is a loyal animal.
⦿ The cat loves milk.
⦿ The rose is given to express one’s love.
⦿ The hibiscus is chosen as our state flower.
3. BEFORE SOME PROPER NOUNS
(WHICH ARE UNIQUE)
We do not use any article before proper nouns. But
when are Unique we use ‘the’
⦿ Planets, Oceans and seas – The sun, the earth,
The Pacific, The Bay of Bengal
⦿ Rivers – The Godavari, The Krishna (not before
lakes - Kolleru
⦿ Canals – The Suez canal, The Bukingham canal
⦿ Deserts – The Sahara
⦿ Mountain ranges – The Himalayas, The Alps, The
Swiss
⦿ (not to individual peaks such as Everest,
Annapurna, Kanchanaganga)
4. NAMES OF CERTAIN BOOKS

⦿ The Ramayana, The Bible, The Geeta

But if you refer the book as author’s work do
not use ‘the’
⦿ Homer’s Illiad, Vyasa’s Mahabharata
We use the before Directions when they
indicate specific region
⦿ People in the north speak Hindi.
⦿ The south has many ancient temples.
Note: no article if it is used as direction only,
if it follows verb
⦿ Go straight, turn west.
5. SOMETIMES ‘THE’ IS PLACED BEFORE A
COMMON NOUN TO GIVE IT THE MEANING OF AN
ABSTRACT NOUN.
⦿ The animal in him is awaken.
⦿ Now the poet in him is speaking.
⦿ At last the warrior in him is aroused.
⦿ The mother in her compels to do that.
⦿ Listening to the bad, clumsy explanation, the
teacher in me felt depressed.
⦿ At last the devil in him won.
⦿ She is a good woman, but the child in her
played the trick.
⦿ My pet behaves well, sometimes the dog in it
wakes up and licks everything up.
6. BEFORE A PROPER NOUN WHEN
IT IS QUALIFIED BY AN ADJECTIVE.
⦿ The great soul Gandhi is never forgotten.
⦿ The immortal Kalidasa/Shakespeare is liked
forever.
⦿ The amazing Mr. Rao, whom you met in the
meeting called me.
⦿ Look, the marvelous Sujata, the chief guest
of today’s function is seen on the TV
⦿ Oh! The fantastic Mahesh, smashed the
screens with his acting
7. Before superlatives
⦿ This is the best movie I have ever seen.
⦿ She is the most talented dancer in our
country.
⦿ He is the strongest man in our group
⦿ She is the wisest woman in our town.

8. Before the ordinals

The first; the second; the third

9. Before the musical instruments

The veena, the guitar, the piano
10. BEFORE ADJECTIVES WHEN
USED AS THE NOUN
⦿ The poor are always neglected.
⦿ The rich takes the big share of the country’s
property.
⦿ The brave never stop working even after
repeated failures.
⦿ The silent are to be observed as they can be
mischievous too
11. BEFORE A NOUN (WITH EMPHASIS) TO
GIVE FORCE OF A SUPERLATIVE
⦿ He is the man, I have seen in the movie.
⦿ It is the place, he has kept his things.
⦿ She is the one, we are waiting for.
⦿ It is the dog, which ate all the food.
⦿ It is the train, everybody talks about its late
arrival.
⦿ It is the country, where GDP is measured by
people’s happiness but not by money.
⦿ India was the country, where gold and
priceless ornaments were sold on streets.
12. BEFORE AN ADVERB WITH
COMPARATIVES
⦿ The more the better
⦿ The faster you drive the quicker you reach.
⦿ The slower you walk the longer the distance
you feel.
⦿ The less rice you eat, the healthier you feel.
13. BEFORE SURNAMES
A group of people designated with a surname
⦿ The Gandhis ruled India many years after
independence.
⦿ The Ambanies do business in all most all the
sectors.
⦿ The Tatas are pioneers in establishing
educational institutions
⦿ Today I invited the Relangis for a function.
⦿ The Ghantasalas are good singers.
USE OF INDEFINITE ARTICLE ‘A/AN’
✔ In its original sense ‘one’

Before proper nouns in the vague sense of a

certain one
A Ramesh has come to meet you.
A Bhavani just now has made a call.

In the sense of any, to single out an individual as

the representative of a class
⦿ A rose is a perfect gift to one’s love.
⦿ A watch is a good gift for who comes late.

To make a common noun of a proper noun.

⦿ She is a Tammanna to me.
⦿ He is a Prabas to me.
USE OF NO ARTICLE - NA

Before name of substances and abstract nouns

⦿ Lead is heavy.
⦿ Mercury shines and looks like silver.
⦿ I like sugar in my coffee.
⦿ Iron gets rusty.
⦿ Gold is expensive.
⦿ Compared to gold silver is cheap.
⦿ Bravery receives laurels.
⦿ Wisdom is respected.
⦿ Happiness is not counted in terms of money.
Before plural countable nouns used in general
sense
⦿ Children like chocolates.
⦿ Computers are useful.
⦿ Boys hate hard work.

Before names of meals used in general sense.

⦿ I had dinner.
⦿ He didn’t take breakfast.
⦿ Let’s have lunch.
But you can say
⦿ a late lunch,
⦿ the dinner at the Novotal
Before languages
⦿ I am good at Hindi.
⦿ He learns French.
⦿ She speaks Malayalam.

Before any institution used for its primary purpose

I go to church/temple every day.
My daughter joined in university. I went to the university to
meet her professors.
Raj went to the prison to meet Raghav. He was sent to
prison as he was charged with murder.
I am at the hospital, my sister has just had a baby.

Before the name of countries and continents

⦿ India, Africa, America, Asia, Europe
But if the country is made of different parts
⦿ The USA, the UK, the UAE, the Czech Republic, the
Netherlands, the South Africa