What is wrong with the

sentence?
Boy went to agent to submit
application form for job.
 Correct sentence

The boy went to an agent to submit

the application form for a job.
ARTICLES
 What are articles?
• The words ‘a’, ‘an’ and ‘the’ are called Articles. They come
before nouns.
• Articles are classified into two types:

Indefinit Definite
e Article Article

a or
the
an
 Indefinite Articles
• ‘a’ and ‘an’ are called Indefinite articles, because it usually leaves indefinite, the person
or thing spoken of.
– E.g. a teacher– i.e. any teacher
• Points to remember
1. The choice between ‘a‘ and ‘an’ is determined by sound. ‘An’ is used before a word that
begins with a vowel sound. E.g. an egg.
2. ‘A’ is used before a word that begins with a consonant sound. E.g. a boy, a horse.
3. Words such as hour, honest, heir begin with the vowel sound, as the initial consonant ‘h’ is
not pronounced. Hence we use ‘an’ before these words– an heir, an honest man, an
hour.
4. Words such as university, union, unicorn, European, useful begin with a consonant sound ‘U’
hence the article ‘a’ is used– a university, a union, a unicorn, a European, a useful
thing.
5. Similarly the word ‘one’ begins with the consonant sound ‘W’. We therefore say ‘a one–
rupee note’ and not ‘an one-rupee note’.
 Definite Articles
• ‘the’ is called the Definite article because it normally points out some particular person or thing.
– E.g. He visited the doctor – i.e. some particular doctor and not any doctor.
• Use of the Definite Article
1. When we talk about a particular person or thing, or one already referred to
E.g. The dress you want is out of stock
2. When a singular noun is meant to represent the whole class.
E.g. The dog is a faithful animal.
The banyan tree is the national tree of India.
3. Before some proper nouns- the names of rivers, oceans and seas, canals, deserts mountains,
hills, books,
E.g. the Ganges, the Bible, the Panama Canal, the Himalayas, the Sahara, the Atlantic.
4. Before names of things unique of their kind.
E.g. the sun, the sky, the moon, the earth.
Important: indefinite article is used before singular countable nouns e.g. – a book, an orange,
while the definite article is used before singular countable nouns, plural countable nouns and
uncountable nouns. E.g. the book, the books, the milk.
 Zero Articles (Omission of the Article)

• The article is omitted :–

1. Before name of substance and abstract nouns (i.e.
uncountable nouns) used in a general sense.
E.g.– Sugar is bad for your teeth.
Honesty is the best policy.
2. Before plural countable nouns used in a general sense.
E.g. – Children like chocolates.
3. Before languages
E.g. – We are studying English.