ARTICLES

(A, An and The)

 Articles
DEFINATION
“Article is a word which makes a noun or an idea
definite/proper or indefinite/common.”
For Example;
I bought a book.
(Indefinite)
I bought the book you talked about.
(Definite)
 There are two articles in English grammar, the
definite article THE (the book) and the
indefinite A (a book) or AN (an eye).
Sometimes nouns require no article at all. This is
called the ‘zero article’ (book, eyes). The
articles are a subclass of the determiners.
 WHAT IS DETERMINER?
Determiners are words placed in front of nouns to clarify
what the noun refers to. It is used to indicate the
exactness of a noun.

Determiners are the words which specify the range of

reference of a noun for example by making it definite (the
book), indefinite (a book), or by indicating quantity (many
books).
KINDS OF ARTICLES
In English language, there are total three articles. (A
,An ,and THE). These three articles are divided into
two types.
DEFINITE:
The (is used to refer any particular person, place or
thing).
For Example
I bought the book you talked about.
INDEFINITE
A and AN (does not refer particular noun).
For Example
I bought a book.
A and AN are the two indefinite articles.
“A or An” means ‘one’ or ‘anyone’.
When the countable noun is one/singular in
number, it takes ‘a’ or ‘an’ as an article
(depending on its first letter and sound).
Indefinite articles (a/an) are used with several
countable nouns in different conditions.
 INDEFINITE ARTICLES RULES
“A”
RULE 1
Article ‘a’ is used before nouns beginning with consonant
sounds, as
I bought a pencil.
A book, a teacher, a park, a pen etc
RULE 2
Article ‘a’ is used before nouns beginning with ling ‘u’ sound as
I went to a university.
A uniform, a unique, a union etc
RULE 3
Article ‘a’ is used before nouns beginning with
sounded ‘h’ as
There was a house on fire.
A hospital, a hair etc
RULE 4
Article ‘a’ is used before quantities or numbers as
I bought a dozen eggs.
A hundred rupees, a thousand pins etc
RULE 5
Article ‘a’ is used before abbreviations beginning
with a consonant sound as
I work as a P.O (police officer).
a CM, a PM etc
RULE 6
Article ‘a’ is used before nouns beginning
with a vowel, but sound like a ‘w’ as
It was a one-sided match.
RULE 7
Article ‘a’ is used before diseases as
I have a headache.
E.g a toothache, a sore throat, a backache etc
 “AN”
RULE 1
Article ‘an’ is used before nouns beginning with a vowel sound
as
I saw an elephant.
An inkpot, an engineer, an electrician etc
RULE 2
Article ‘an’ is used before nouns beginning with short ‘u’
sound as
I bought an umbrella.
An undercoat, an underfelt etc
RULE 3
Article ‘an’ is used before nouns beginning with
unsounded ‘h’ as
He will reach here in an hour.
An honor, an honest, an heir etc
RULE 4
Article ‘an’ is used before abbreviations beginning
with a vowel sound as
He is an M.A.
an L.LB, an MNA etc
RULE 5
Article ‘an’ is used before diseases as
I have an earache.
 PURPOSE OF INDEFINITE
ARTICLES
It is used before singular countable nouns.
A pen, a pencil, a book, a sweater etc
It is not used before plural countable and non-countable nouns.
It is used before a single noun to represent the whole class.
A lion, a horse, a dog, an elephant etc
It is used before a proper noun to make it a common noun.
A Shakespeare of India, a Milton of Pakistan etc
 DEFINITE ARTICLES RULES
“THE”
RULE 1
‘The’ is used before words denoting time as
It is the beginning of the day.
RULE 2
‘The’ is used before singular noun representing the whole
class as
The camel is the ship of the desert.
RULE 3
‘The’ is used before noun which has already been mentioned as
I saw a cat and a dog. The dog was chasing the cat.
RULE 4
‘The’ is used before certain (holy/famous) books as
The Holy Quran is a complete code of life.
RULE 5
‘The’ is used before unique objects in nature as
The sun is a source of life.
RULE 6
‘The’ is used before superlative adjectives/adverbs
as
Ali is the tallest boy in the class.
RULE 7
‘The’ is used before nationalities, group of people,
tribes etc
The Muslims celebrate two Eids in a year.
RULE 8
‘The’ is used before famous movements/ events in
history as
The French Revolution liberated the minds of the
people.
RULE 9
‘The’ is used before adjectives when they function
like nouns as
The rich often exploit the poor.
RULE 10
‘The’ is used before words showing number or
quantity as
We bought eggs by the dozens.
RULE 11
‘The’ is used before words showing ranks/ titles
etc.
The Duke of Willington was a brave man.
RULE 12
‘The’ is used before North, South, East, West but
we can also say South Africa, West Germany etc
We live in the north of Pakistan.
RULE 13
‘The’ is used before a noun which is followed by a
phrase as
The boy with the red cap is my brother.
RULE 14
‘The’ is used before countries in the name of
which there are words, such as United, Republic
The United states is a big country.
RULE 15
‘The’ is used before names of individual
mountains, rivers, gulfs, mountain ranges, oceans,
group of islands etc
It hardly ever rains in the Sahara Dessert.
RULE 16
‘The’ is used before some diseases. The measles,
the flu as
She has the flu.
 OMISSION OF THE
ARTICLES
Cases where articles are not used:
RULE 1
The articles are not used before proper, material and
abstract nouns used in general sense:
London, France,Tom, Gold, Rice, honesty, virtue
For Example
Paris is the capital of France.
Gold is a precious metal.
Honesty is the best policy.
But we say the United States, the United Arab Emirates etc
RULE 2
Before a common noun used in its commonest
sense as
Man is mortal.
Iron is a useful metal.
RULE 3
In certain phrases made up of preposition + noun
as
On foot, at school, from top to bottom, at home, in bed, by
train, by car, at best, on board etc
He is in debt.
He is at school.
He spent the whole day in bed.
RULE 4
In certain phrases consisting of a transitive verb and
its object as
give ear, set sail, take heart, send word, catch fire, leave home,
leave office etc
He took offence at my words.
She left home in the morning.
RULE 5
Before the names of continents, countries, cities, towns, days,
months, arts, languages, sciences, some diseases etc
December is a cold month.
English is spoken all over the word.
January, March,Tokyo, Delhi, Friday, Asia etc
RULE 6
Before common nouns when they go in pairs as
Both husband and wife received serious injuries.
RULE 7
Before plural nouns used to denote a class as
Apples are red.
Camels are useful animals.
Warm clothes are necessary in cold climates.
RULE 8
Before the nouns following “kind of” as
What kind of flower is it?
RULE 9
Before meal-time as
He was at dinner.
Breakfast was served at night.