Articles

The words a, an and the are called articles. Articles are actually demonstrative objectives and are used to point out people or things. So they are used before nouns.

A and an are indefinite articles while the is the definite article.

A/an

    1.       A is used before words starting with a consonant sound.

 An is used before words starting with a vowel sound.

A and an are used before singular nouns and countables like a book, a chair, a tree, an apple, an ant and an island. It is clear that we cannot say a milk, a strength, a tea, since milk, strength and tea are not countables. Similarly we cannot say an apples, an ants, a trees. Apples, ants and trees are countables but they are in the plural number.

    2.      Now look at these examples:

·         an hour

·         an honest person

·         an heir

We use an before these words because the h is silent in these words. So, hour sounds like our, honest sounds like onest and heir sounds like eir. Thus we see that all of these words begin with vowel sounds.

    3.      We use a before some words that begin with a vowel but produce a consonant sound. For example,

·         a one rupee coin (because the o in one sounds like won)

·         a university (because the u in university sounds like yoo).

·         a uniform (because the u in uniform sounds like yoo)

Remember in the use of a/an, it is sound that matters, not the spellings.

    4.       We also use the articles a and an when we are not sure which particular noun they refer ro. For example,

·         There is a boy at the door. (We are not sure which boy is meant here).

·         Give me a pen. (It could be any pen).

·         Give me an umbrella. (It can be any umbrella).

    5.      In abbreviations, if consonants begin with a vowel sound, they take an with them:

·         an M.A.

·         an M.P.

·         a Ph.D.

·         a B.A.

    6.      Note the use of a in the following phrases:

·         To be in a hurry

·         In a loud voice

·         A bad cold

·         A pleasure

·         To have a headache

·         In a low voice

·         A noise

·         A nuisance

·         A pity

·         A shame

    A.    Unlike the indefinite articles a or an, the article the speaks of something that is definite. It refers to a particular person/thing and  already mentioned person/thing. The is said to be the definite article.

We use ‘the’

    1.      Before any noun when we want to make it particular

·         I have read the book you are talking of.

(not any book but the book you are talking of.)

·         Let us walk towards the front gate.

(not any gate but the front gate.)

    2.      With superlatives

The sweetest song, the most intelligent student

    3.      With such words as ‘first’, ‘last’, ‘next’, ‘only’, ‘same’, ‘following’, ‘previous’:

The last bench, the only son, the next house.

But the is not used with such expressions as:

Last night/week/month/year;next week/month/year

·         What did you eat last night?

·         Will you come here next Sunday?

    4.      With a common noun when that noun represents the whole class:

·         The dog is a faithful animal.

·         The elephant has a remarkable memory.

Or we can say

·         Elephants have a remarkable memory.

    5.      With such nouns as ‘earth’, ‘moon’, ‘sun’, ‘sky’, etc: (These thing are the only ones of their kind but they are not proper nouns.)

·         We could see the moon in the sky.

·         The earth revolves around the sun.

    6.      With the names of

Rivers: the Ganga, the Mahanadi

Seas and oceans: the Arabian sea, the Indian Ocean

Mountain ranges: the Himalayas, the Alps

Holy books; the Bible, the Mahabharata

Trains, ships, aeroplanes: the Taj Express, the Kanishka

Newspapers:the Indian Express, the Hindu

Well known buildings: the Taj, the Gateway of India.

The directions: the North, the West

The whole families: the Bhatias, the Mangeshkars

Countries if the name contains a common noun: the United States of America, the United Kingdom

    7.      In such word combinations as:

·         To speak the truth

·         On the one hand

·         In the morning

·         To play the violin

·         On the other hand

·         In the afternoon

    8.      Note the use of the in the following

·         The rich should help the poor.

( Rich people should help poor people.)

·         The more we get, the more we desire.

·         The higher we go, the cooler it is.

·         Cloth is sold by the metre.

·         We can buy bananas by dozen.

    B.     The omission of the

1.      Normally we do not use the with proper nouns, abstract nouns and such nouns as gold, silver, water, wood etc., which name materials:

·         India is a great country.

·         Beauty is admired by all.

·         Gold is a precious metal.

But when we use these nouns as particular ones, we have to use the with them:

·         The India of the 21^st century is going to be a super power.

·         The beauty of Nur Jahan is famous all over the world.

·         The gold we have purchased today seems to be pure.

2.      We do not use the with these phrases:

·         To take place

·         To take interest in

·         To make use of

·         To pay attention to

·         On foot

·         By train

·         To take part in

·         To take heart

·         To lose heart

·         From head to foot

·         At home

·         By bus

·         To take care of

·         To be at fault

·         Out of doors

·         Day by day

·         By mistake

·         By chance

·          

    C.    The repetition of the

Look at these two sentences:

The poet and the dramatist have been honoured.

The poet and dramatist has been honoured.

The first sentence in which we have used the twice speaks of two different persons, one of whom is a poet and the other a dramatist. The second sentence suggests that the same person is both a poet and a dramatist.