Articles English Grammar Topic simple Explanation with Examples.

1. Articles

2. • The words “a/an, the” are called articles. They come before nouns.
• Articles are also called as “Determiners”.
• A/an are called Indefinite Articles because it usually does not speak about the
person or thing particularly.
• It is used to modify non-specific or non-particular nouns.
Examples:
A doctor it means any doctor (not indicating particularly).
Let’s read a book it means any book rather than a specific book.
• The is called the Definite Article because it normally points out some
particular person or thing.
• It is used to refer to specific or particular nouns.
Examples:
He saw the doctor it means referring some particular doctor.
Let’s read the book it means a specific book.

3. Use of Indefinite Article:
• They use before singular countable nouns (nouns which you can
count are called countable nouns).
Examples:
a book, a girl, a chair, a kettle………
an accountant, an orange, an egg, an engineer……..

4. • A/an is determined by sound.
• A is used before a word beginning with a consonant sound.
Examples:
a boy, a dream, a figure, a judge……
• The words “ university, union, European, unicorn….” begins with a
consonant sound “Yu”. So, we use ‘a’.
Examples:
a university, a union, a European…..
• The words “ one, one-rupee, one-eyed man….” begins with a consonant
sound “w”. So, we use ‘a’.
Examples:
a one, one-rupee, a one-eyed man…

5. • An is used before a word beginning with a vowel sound.
Examples:
an organ, an umbrella, an island, an electrician……
• The words “hour, honest, heir” begin with a vowel sound as the initial
consonant “h” is silent or not pronounced. So, we use ‘an’.
Examples:
an hour, an honest man……

6. • Indefinite article is used when a thing/ person is introduced for the first
time.
Examples:
we have met a foreigner.
I saw a movie.
There is an I-max theatre in Warangal.
• Indefinite article is used before names of professions of persons.
Examples:
Edwin is a pilot.
Mani is a student.

7. • We use Indefinite article “an” before abbreviations that begin with a vowel
sound.
Examples:
an M.A., an M.Sc., an MLA…
• We use Indefinite article before Mr/Ms/Mrs/Miss when he/she is an
unknown person.
Examples:
a Mr Rahul has come to meet the doctor.
a Miss Sharan is reading a magazine.
• We use Indefinite article with a proper noun used as common nouns.
Examples:
He thinks he is a Bill Gates.
she feels that she is a Chitra.

8. The Indefinite article is not used
• Before plural countable nouns.
Examples:
A computers (wrong)
A computer (Right)
• Before uncountable nouns.
Examples:
A milk (wrong)
milk (right)
• Before material nouns.
Examples:
A gold (wrong)
gold (right)

9. The Definite article “the” is used
• When we mention something for the first time we use ‘a’ or ‘an’ but for
the next time when we repeat that object we use the definite article ‘the’.
Examples:
I live in a house. The house is quite old and has four bedrooms.
I bought a car. The car is red.
• When a singular noun representing the whole class.
Examples:
The dog is a faithful animal.
The cow is a useful animal.

10. • Definite article ‘the’ is used before names of seas, rivers,
mountain ranges, groups of Islands, canals, water falls, etc.
Examples:
the Pacific ocean, the Indian ocean, the Himalayas, the
Niagara, the Godavari, the Suez canal…..
• Definite article ‘the’ is used before names of group of country.
Examples:
the United States of America, the United Kingdom…

11. • Before names of religious scriptures.
Examples:
the Gita, the Quran, the Bible…
• Before the types of meal.
Examples:
the breakfast I had at the restaurant is very hot and tasty.
the dinner served at Raj Hotel is very costly.

12. • Before the common time expressions.
Examples:
the collector will address the members in the evening.
we should do exercise in the morning.
• Before names of unique things.
Examples:
the sun, the moon, the earth, the sky…
• Before adjectives in superlative form.
Examples:
Tagore is one of the greatest poets in English.
This is the best book of Elementary Chemistry.

13. • Before Ordinals (it indicating a position in a sequence / number)
Examples:
He was the first man to arrive.
The ninth chapter of the book is very interesting.
• Before musical instruments.
Examples:
He can play the flute.
He plays on the violin.

14. • Before adjectives used as nouns.
Examples:
the poor, the rich, the dumb…..
Note:
Adjective describes a noun. Here, in the above examples ‘poor, rich,
dumb’ is an adjective as it describes noun. So, we say ‘the poor people, the rich
people, the dumb persons’.
• Before comparatives when they are repeated or used in a special way.
Examples:
The more you know, the more you enjoy.
The less you read, the less you know.

15. • Before surnames used in plurals.
Examples:
The Birla's established Kesoram Cement Factory.
The Tatas are the pioneers of Steel Industry.
• Before a proper noun used as a common noun.
Examples:
Cyberabad is the Silicon Valley of Hyderabad.
Arun is the Ratan Tata of this city.

16. • Before a proper noun when it is qualified by an adjective.
Examples:
The great Shakespeare.
The immortal Kalidas.
• Before the names of inventions, human body and articles of clothing.
Examples:
who invented the microscope?
The shirt is blue in colour.
• Before nouns denoting units of measurement.
Examples:
Now we are buying water by the litre.

17. • Before abbreviations.
Examples:
The C.B.I., the U.S.A.
• Before the names of ships, public buildings, aeroplanes, hotels etc.
Examples:
the Vikrant, the Secretariat, the Taj, the SpiceJet etc.
• Before words like middle, top, end, first, next, centre etc.
Examples:
The middle order, the top floor, at the end, the first child, the next
train, in the centre.

18. Definite Article ‘the’ is not used
• Before Abstract nouns.
Examples:
politeness, kindness, sympathy….
• Before proper nouns.
Examples:
Hyderabad, Warangal, Bhutan…..
• Before parts of Human body when they are used with Possessive
pronouns.
Examples:
my legs, his palm, her face……

19. • Before material nouns used in general sense.
Examples:
iron, silver, gold….
• Before names of Individual mountains, peaks, and hills.
Examples:
Everest, Mount Abu…..
• Before ‘all day’ , ‘all night’.
Examples:
we kept awake all night.
It rained all day due to depression in the Bay of Bengal.

20. Where No Article is used.
• No article is used before the branches of knowledge.
Examples:
English, Geology.
• No article is used before the names of days, months, and seasons.
Examples:
Sunday is a holiday.
If winter comes, can spring be far behind?
• No article is used before nouns in certain phrases.
Examples:
by air
over hill and dale.

21. • Don’t use any article before the names of games.
Examples:
I play hockey.
chess is a fine game.
• No article is used before collective nouns.
Examples:
Mankind loves nature.
We are members of society.
• No article is used before a common noun in the vocative case (relating to or
denoting a case of nouns, pronouns etc.)
Examples:
King Arthur.
General Ajay.

22. • No article is used in certain phrases consisting of a preposition.
Examples:
on foot, by train, on account of.
• No article is used before the nouns such as college, school, hospital, prison….
When they are referred to for their primary purpose.
Examples:
He likes to go to school.
she went to Hospital.
The culprit was put in prison.
• No article is used before the names of diseases.
Examples:
she has diabetes.
He has been suffering from flu.