41 42 4.3 Tur Cicl, finition 7 “Aokeh inane (a/an/the) is a determiner. As a determiner it signals the Coming noun after it: 1. This is a book (not, This is book.) 2. This is milk (not, This is a milk.) 3. That is an egg (not, That is a egg.) Articles are used with nouns but not all nouns are used with articles, 5. ii necessary to know which noun requires an article and which doesn’t, and Whig article to use when one is required. Kinds of Articles There are two kinds of articles: i) Indefinite a/an ii) Definite the Note: quantitative articles—somelany Indefinite uncountable nouns and plural indefinite countable nouns usually do not take an article: 1. She- bought milk. (not a/the milk) 2. He bought her toys. But nouns like these usually take a determiner some/any to indicate a certain quantity or number: - She bought some milk. She didn’t buy any milk, 2. He bought some'toys. He didn’t buy any toys. Since some and any (determiners) are used as substitutes for articles they may be called quantitative articles. f articles ig |i é is } : ‘Plural noun: S linked to the Adena 'Sisapen, (not, a Pens) 7644 45 4.5.1 4.5.2 1. This is a pen. (not, a pens) 2. That is an apple. (not, an apples) But the is not governed by the number 5 nouns and plural nouns as well: Look at the bird/s in the tree. ystem, so it can be used with singular Articles and Gender System In a few languages the forms of articles and ad; Me 4 ijectives are determined by the gender of the noun but in English this is not so. The same form is used for all genders: He is an actor. Please lend me an umbrella. She is an actress. Indefinite Articles Position of the indefinite article ) aan is an article. So it belongs to the class of determiners. As a determiner, its position is before the.adjective. a good book an intelligent girl ii) a/anis placed after predeterminers like many/much/rather/quite/what: 1, What a man he is! (not, a what man) 2. Many a man was injured. (not, a many man) 3. He gave such a talk that everybody fell asleep. (not, a such talk) 4. She is quite a beauty. (not, a quite beauty) iii) a/an is placed after adjectives when, they are premodified by as/so/too/how/ quite: 1. How fine a place it is ! 2. Itis too absurd an answer. Usage on the basis of sound The choice between a/an is determined by the initial sound of the word following it. If the word begins with a consonant sound, use a; if the word begins with a vowel sound, use an. Note that consdnant and vowel refer to sound, not to the letters of the alphabet. 2 ej ouare letters of the alphabet, not sounds. 77i) a + consonant sound i i int sound: ais used before a word beginning with a consonal a book, a cat, a dog, a fan iversity, a European auniversity, g with u/eu have an initial y sound, so they te, Note: a) Words beginnin, B e aunit, a utensil, a union, a utopia a eunuch, a ewe, a eulogy, a euphemism , i i 0 such wor b) o pronounced like wis a consonant sound, s ‘ds take» a one-eyed man, a one-dayer a one-rupee note, a one-act play an + vowel sound an is used before a word beginning with a vowel sound: an apple, an egg, an inkpot an hour, an honour, an heir Note: a) an +a mute h (Silent h) Words beginning with a mute h take an, not a: heir, honest, honour, hour honorary, honorarium . He is an honest man. - We had an hour's rest. . It is an honour to me. . This is an honorary post. b) hotel, historical, habitual, humble . That is a hotel. - This is a historical novel. - He isa habitual drunkard. + This is a humble beginning. iibids tipeonea aes because in current English the h in these an + acronyms/abbreviations aa sed Pore acronyms/abbreviations beginning with f, b, | sand oan cause each of these consonants has an initial vowel Rwna RwWNa ¢ sound e/a: ; - h (eich) | (el) m (em) (en) r (aar) S (es) x (eks) 78. He is. an FBI agent. . This is an HMT watch. . He is an LLB. He is an MP. . He is an NCC officer. . He has sent an SOS. . This is an X-ray telescope. an + number an is used before a number beginning with a vowel sound: This is an 18- player team. He is an 80- year old man. but: This is a 5-year old child. MSis an abbreviation for manuscript. The abbreviated form is usually pronounced manuscript, not ‘em- es’, so it takes a. But MS pronounced like ‘em- es’ has to take an: This is an MS (em- es) of my new book. This is a MS (manuscript) of my new book. (not an) f). Xmas is an abbreviation for Christmas but it is usually pronounced as ‘Christmas’, not ‘Ex-mas’, so it takes a. If pronounced ‘ex-mas’, the article should be an: a Xmas (Christmas) card. (not, an) This is an Xmas (Ex-mas) card. a/an + adverb/adjective + noun The choice of a/an does not always depend on the initial sound of the head noun. It depends on the initial sound of what follows it immediately. It can be an adjective or adverb placed before the noun: an honest man, an extremely difficult problem a great artist, a very amusing story NOURWHA = & 8 4.5.3 Usage on the basis of structure i) a/an + singular countables A/an is used before a singular countable noun that is mentioned for the first time and does not refer to a particular person or a thing: J. What's this? This is a bus. 2. What's that? That is an orange. (the is not possible here). 70n cannot be used without a , == ---—_— a) Asingular indefinite countable nou! We don’t say? This is pen. That is elephant. b) uncountables without a/an An uncountable singular now This is water/sugar. (not, a water/sugat) That is ink/oil. (not, an in Note: n does not take a/an: K/oil) ii) a/an + noun (as a class) a/anis used before a singu! ‘one means all/every. That is ca A triangle has got three sides. (all triang! A horse is an animal. (all horses) Leaving out the indefinite article gives rise to ung! Bird has got wings. Horse has no horns. oun when it represents a class, When table n fa le fying function of a/an: led a classi les) rammaticality: iii) a/an + noun (profession etc.) a/an is used before a singular noun denoting profession; occupation; post, rank; caste; community; religion; nationality or political loyalty: 1. He is a teacher. 2. She is a Christian. 3. He is a German. 4, She is a socialist. We don’t say: He is barber. She is sales manager. iv) a/an + noun (degree/title) a/an is used before a noun denoting a degree/title: He is a graduate. She is an M.Sc. (not, She is B.A. or He is Ph.D.) v) a/an + noun (rate) aan is used before a noun expressing the rate: Fish sells at fifty rupees a kilo. : She can type forty words a minute, Bananas sell at five rupees a dozen, He goes home once a week : Note: a/an is not , used each: with per because a/an has the same meaning * e Five thousand r 7 Ul Fifty kilometres Pees per mont Per hour. (not, h. (not, per a month) Per an hour) 80yi) a/an + verb-noun ( verb used as a noun) a/an is used before a verb used as a noun: 1, He has gone for a walk. 2. Have a look at this book. 3. He gave a talk on grammar. 4, [have a bath at 9’ clock. 5, This razor gives me a good shave. We don’t say: She is going for swim/ride now. He took her out for drive. An uncountable noun takes a/an when it is treated as a countable noun, i.e. used in a particular sense: Itis a cold day. (countable) Itis cold in the winters. (uncountable) ~ Drink a glass of milk at night. (countable) The milk is warm. (uncountable) Notice how a/an + uncountable becomes countable in these cases: to have a weakness for to have a pain to have a fancy for to have a taste for hunger for to take pride in to have a good time to have a fascination for to have a dream of to have a thirst for to have a knowledge of to have a bad time to have a headache to have a chance to make a noise to run a temperature to be in a hurry to light a fire to be in a rage to be in a temper Note: The use of a is optional in catch cold/catch a cold. vii) a/an + abstract noun aan is used before an abstract noun to denote a ‘kind of quality’: He has received a good education. The applicant has a working knowledge of Hindi. Vill) a/an + a person’s name @anis used before Mr/Ms/Mrs/Miss + surnameto indicate that his/her identity 's not known to the speaker: A Mr Smith wants to see you. AMrs Menezes gave me his letter. 61The use of a/an makes a definite name indefinite because a/an means ‘a certain, Note: a) The use of one instead of a/an is dated. ; b) a/anis used before the name of a person or country or Province g, state to mean ‘one like’: We have to build a new India. He thinks he is a Maradona. ix) a/an and one When a/an means ‘one’ they can be interchanged: | bought a pen/one pen. He bought an egg/one egg. She has got a car/one car. In this sense one is more emphatic than a/an. Note: a) a/an does not always means ‘one’, and is therefore not replaceable by one in the following: A bird has got wings. (not, one bird) He is an engineer. (not, one engineer), She has got a headache. (not, one headache) With hundred/thousand etc. one is preferred to a/an because one is the more precise of the two. Therefore, in banking and legal documents a/an is not used in place of one: I gave him a cheque for one thousand rupees. (not, a thousand rupees) But we say: About a hundred houses were damaged. b 4.6. Definite Article: Usage i) a/anis used before an indefinite noun, so a singular countable noun mentioned for the first time takes a/an: This is a pen. That is a pencil. This is an apple. That is an orange. The is used before a definite noun. When a noun is mentioned again, i¢ when it refers back to a noun mentioned already it takes the. This is calledan anaphoric function of the: This is an old palace. People believe that the palace was built 500 years #6 ii) The, like a/an is used before a singular countable noun mentioned forthe fis nine when it fepresents a class, i.e. when’ the means “all/every’. This is © Seneric or classifying function of the: The camel is the ship of the desert, The lion is a wild animal. | te; 8 ‘all men/ q Man is mortal. (not athe man ‘women’ does Not take a/an/the. Mankind is searching for Meaning iii) the is used before adjectives or iv) v) vi vii) RwWNno the rich;the pony te deda Participles to represent a class of people: the dying, the injured/wounded The rich are not necessarily happy, The blind deserve our sympathy, the is used before an adjective to denote a quality: the white/yellow of an egg ‘ the evil, the good, the beautiful ane & weed oeenou nee unique or extraordinary, i.e, a noun a “ ie aa a edited adjective. In this construction the means best, 'y, Or precisely’, so it has a heightening effect on the noun it modifies: She is the bride for him. This is the place for our picnic. He is the authority on the subject. The is used before a noun whose identity is common knowledge or can be easily inferred. In this construction the denotes a person’s title, rank, or profession etc.: the president the Prime Minister the principal the king/queen the prophet the bench/bar the postman the press/media The is used before a singular common noun (place/person) that can be easily inferred from the situation: ‘ the police station the post office the station the radio . Would you close the gate, please? . She is listening to the radio. . He will be on the air tonight. - Turn on/off the tap, please. Note: a) radio always takes the: ; She is listening to the radio. What's on the radio now? a2b) The use of the before television is optional: What's on the television now? What's on television now? But the is not used in the expression ‘watch TV’: They are watching TV. (not, the TV) viii) The is used before common nouns denoting musical instruments: She is playing the violin/piano/sitar. He is playing the drum/tabla. He is accompanied on the violin by an Englishman. (not, She is playing harmonium.) ix) The is used before a noun denoting a unit of measure to mean ‘every’: We buy petrol by the gallon/litre. They sell bananas by the dozen. They are paid wages by the hour/week. the is used before both countable and uncountable nouns (singular or plural) that are made definite by: preposition/prepositional phrase the boy with long hair the woman in black the milk in the bottle the boys/girls/teachers of this school x) a) a relative clause the book/pen/milk/sugar/she bought yesterday the water/tea/coffee he drinks every day the birds/animals that live in a forest = xi) The is used before a noun placed by the side of a noun clause (that-clause: 1. The news that the PM has resigned, is not true. 2. The fact that Columbus discovered America is known to all. xii) The is used before a singular countable noun to denote an attribute/a qui! The monkey in man still survives. The dancer in her is dead. xili) The is used before adjectives in the superlative degree: the best book the most beautiful flower one of the wisest men one of the most useful animals Note: a) the is not used in the construction like best/like most: Which do you like best/most? (not, the best/the most) 84the is not b) bie used before Most/least when it is Used in. the sense of It is a most interesting story, iv) The is used before adjectives j Sj xiv) eee ie a le ee a the comparative degree (of the two): He is the wiser of the two boys. Note: a) the... the us construction expressing parallel increase/decrease theis used The older you grow the wiser you become, The more you have the more you want. xv) The is used before ordinal numbers and ‘only’: the first prize the only hope the only son the second son xvi) The is used before few/little + relative clause: Ihave read the few books/I have. She has spent the little money/she had. (In this construction a is not possible) viz., He has broken a few toys he bought yesterday. xvii) The is used before the names of ranges of mountains and hills: the Himalayas the Alps the Khasi hills the Vindhyas Note: the is not used before the following peaks or mountains: Everest Kailas Kanchenjunga Mont Blanc Olympus Snowdon Mount Abu Parasnath xviii) The is used before names.of groups of islands: the Andamans the West Indies the Hebrides the Maldives Note: the is not used before individual islands: Crete Malta Bermuda Ireland Sicily Sri Lanka xix) The is used before names of gulfs, canals, seas, and oceans: the Atlantic (ocean) the Pacific (ocean) the Indian ocean the Mediterraneansea 85the Persian gulf the Panama canal the gulf of Mexico the Suez canal xx) The is used before names of rivers/channels: the Ganga the Rhine the Danube the Indus the Brahmaputra the Tyne the Nile the Thames the Avon the Euphrates the Amazon the English Channel the Mississipi the Sutlej/Beas xxi) The is used before names of these countries/states: the Netherlands the Transval the UK the Punjab the Sudan the Congo the USA the GDR xxii) The is used before the names of holy/great books: the Bible the Koran the Mahabharat the Gita/Vedas the Ramayan the Iliad Note: The is not used before the name of a book when it appears before the name of the author in the possessive case i.e., before name + 's: | have read Tulsi Dasa’s Ramayan. (not, the Tulsi Dasa’s Ramayan) xxiii) The is used before names of newspapers: the Hindustan Times the New York Times the Times the Statesman the Washington Post the Times of India the Pakistan Times the Guardian the Economist the Dawn Note: a) The is not used after noun +'s: | haven't yet read today’s Statesman. (not, the today’s Statesman) b) There is an increasing tendency to drop the before the names Newspapers. c) Names of magazines/periodicals are now usually used without i: Punch Sunday Outlook Time Today Voguexxv) The is used before specifying any of the nc odes cardinal directions: the north/south xxv) The is used before names of inventions: the telephone the microscope the wheel the steam engine Who invented the telephone? (not, telephone) xxvi) The is used before a common noun Considered ui the sun/moon the sky/earth the world/universe the sea/air nique: xxvii) The is used before these nouns: cathedral, cinema, pictures, theatre, office, station, museum, zoo lam going to the pictures. She is going to the cinema/theatre. They are going to the zoo. He is in the office now. (not, She is going to station/museum.) xxviii) The is used before the parts of one’s body and articles of clothing: The stone hit him on the shoulder. The trouser you bought fits you well. | held him by the tie/collar. 4.7 Omission of Articles 4.7.1 Proper nouns No article is used before proper nouns. So no article is used before: i) names of people i) names of continents/countries iii) names of states/cities/towns iv) names of days/months/festivals v) names of languages vi) names of subjects of study e.g. This is Seema/Nigel. We live in Nagpur/India. We are learning English. He is a student of law/science. 874.7.2 4.7.3 4.7.4 = Note: a). family relations These are norma used before: father, daddy, dad, mother, mum, mummy, uncle, aunt Father/Daddy is at home. (not, the father/daddy) Mother/Mummy is out. (not, the mother/mummy) lly treated like proper NOUNS, SO NO articl, ‘ b)_ names of seasons i 2 Though names of seasons can be used with or without the, iti, more common to drop the article: spring the spring winter the winter Spring is in the air. c) names of countries The is used before the name of a country which contains a word like kingdom, republic, union, or states: the United Kingdom the Indian Union the United States the German Democratic Republic Uncountable nouns No article is used before uncountable nouns (material and abstract nouns): He sells milk. She lacks confidence. Plural indefinite nouns No article is used before plural nouns that are indefinite; Bees gather honey. Dogs bark at night. | love birds and animals. Note: The is used before a plural noun only when itis made definite by? preposition or a relative clause: The apples that are on the tree are ripe. The soldiers of this battalion are well-trained. But: Apples are costly. (not, the apples) Nouns as object complements No article is used before a noun acti i acting as a compl i jet They crowned him king. (not, a king) cst suee475 47.6 47.7 47.8 e article is omitted when the object complement (king) indicates a unique status of the direct object (him). They appointed her professor, (not, a professor) we elected him chairman. (not, a chairman) (NB: Complement is a word or phrase added to a verb to complete the predicate ina sentence.) Names of ‘meals/articles of food No article is used before names of meals/articles of food: | have breakfast at 8’ clock. (not, a breakfast) [usually have lunch at 2 p.m. (not, a lunch) [had just finished dinner when the call came. There is brinjal on the menu today. (not, the brinjal) Note- When the name of a meal or article of food is modified by an adjective phrase or relative clause, an article must be used to make it specific: I had a good breakfast this morning. There is a dinner tonight in honour of the new director. The bread/fish you are eating is not fresh. Names of games/sports No article is used before the names of games/sports: We play cricket/tennis/hockey/football. (not, a cricket) Names of diseases/illnesses No article is used before names of diseases: diabetes, influenza, flu, measles, mumps Ketan has got flu. (not, the flu) But ‘plague’ takes the. Public institutions No article is used before public institution like these: church, court, hospital, market, temple prison, school, college, university These nouns don’t take any article when they are i.e, when the reference is to the purpose or functi We go to church on Sundays. (not, the church) My child does not like to go to school. (not, the school) Old people must go to hospital for regular check-ups. (not, used for their primary purpose, ion of the building. the hospital) 89Note: Note: its buildi But a noun like this takes the when it refers to its building, no, by iti for: purpose it is meant ac ‘i I went to the mosque to admire its architecture. a) university . : . ie ee American English prefers the + university but in British English iti, used without the: | oe He has to be at the university in connection with his research Work, (American English) ean ier: He has to be at university in connection with his research worl + (British English) Both are now considered equally acceptable. b) bed Bed does not take an article when it is used for its primary purpose, tha, is, sleeping/resting/relaxing or lying during illness: 1. 1 go to bed at 9 p. m. 2. You must put the baby to bed now. 3. Children have not got into bed yet. 4. He has to stay in bed on account of fever. But bed takes an article when it is used for some other purpose or it other senses: She is sitting/lying on the bed. Life is not a bed of roses. c) home Home does not take an article when it is not modified by an adjective or phrase. In this construction home is treated as an adverb of place: 1. He is going home. 2. He is at home. 3. She left the US for home. But when home is modified b: noun, so it takes an article: This old house is the only ‘home | have, That is a home for the blind, d) town y an adjective or phrase it is treated asée) article + town Town takes an article when it refers to." He lives in a town, not ina village. Roads in a town are wider than those in a village. @ town in general’: Possessive adjective + noun No article is used before a noun when it is modified by a possessive adjective: This is my hat. (not, a my hat) This is his umbrella (not, his an umbrella) 479 4.7.10 Demonstrative adjective + noun No article is used before a noun when itis modified by a demonstrative adjective: I want this pen. (not, a this pen) I don’t like that man. (not, a that man) 4.7.11 Distributive adjective + noun No article is used before a noun when it is modified by a distributive adjective: Each pen is blue. (not, an each pen) Every girl won a medal. (not, an every girl) 4.7.12 Numeral/quantifier + noun No article is used before a noun when it is modified by a numeral/quantifier like these: any, no, some, much, enough He has no car. (not, no a car) She hasn’t got any car. (not, any a car) 4.7.13 Interrogative + noun No article is used before a noun when it is modified by an interrogative—which/ what: What book do you want? (not, what a book) Which boy is the tallest? (not, which a boy) Note: a) But what as an exclamatory adjective takes a/an: What a place it is ! What an idea ! b) Inall the constructions from 4.7.9 to 4.7.13 no article is used before a noun because more than one determiner cannot occur in a noun phrase. 914.7.14 Means of travel/transport : No article is used before by + noun expressing a means of travelltrangy, communication: | 1. You are advised to travel by bus/car/boat/train. 2. Please send the book by post. 3. Travelling by road is not very pleasant. We don't say: I go home by a train. He often goes to market by a cycle/a scooter. She went to London by an air/a plane. Note: a) But nouns like these do take an article when a preposition othg than by is used: . She is on the plane now. . They are in the bus. - He is sleeping in the car. . She is sitting in the boat. . We had lunch on the train. VRwnoe b) in + pen/pencil with + a pen/pencil We don’t use a/the before in + pen/pencil: He wrote the notice in pen/pencil. (not, in a pencil) But we use a before with + pen/pencil: He is writing with a pen. (not, with pen) She is writing with a pencil. (not, with pencil) 4.7.15 Nouns in phrases No article is used before a noun used in phrases like:these: a) _verb + noun (object) catch fire set sail cast aspersions set foot do penance send word follow suit shake hands give ear strike root give battle take offence lose heart 1, That house has Caught fire. (not, a/the fire) 2. He sent me word to see him. (not, a/the word)48 osition + noun (object) b) prep atdawn at twilight at daybreak at tea at night by day/night at dusk in debt ¢) noun + preposition + noun hand in hand arm in arm face to face man to man day by day d) preposition + noun + preposition +noun from dawn to dusk from right to left from north to south from flower to flower Repetition of Articles When two or more nouns joined by and refer'to the same person or thing, an article is used before the first noun only: He is a great poet and thinker. (not, a thinker) The District Magistrate and Collector is on tour (not, the Collector). But when they refer to different/separate people or things, an article is used before each of them: Both the boy and the girl have done well in their examinations. The Chief Minister and the Education Minister are reaching tomorrow. The repetition of the indicates two people, not one and the same. Note: When two or more adjectives modify the same noun, an article is used before the first adjective only. | have a red and blue pencil. (only one pencil that is partly red and partly blue) But when adjectives modify different nouns, an article is used before each of them: | have a red and a blue pencil. (two pencils—one is red and the other blue)