This document discusses lexical categories, specifically the use of definite and indefinite articles in English. It notes that the definite article "the" specifies or points out a particular person or thing, while indefinite articles "a" and "an" leave the identity of a person or thing indefinite. The document provides examples and guidelines for using definite vs. indefinite articles, and common errors involving articles. It also includes an exercise for readers to practice applying article rules.

1. LEXICAL
CATEGORIES
(Article)
BY: IHTSHAM SHAFIQUE
MA English Linguistics

2. Contents
Definite & indefinite Articles
Use of Definite Article
Use of indefinite Article
Omission of Article
Common Errors & Exercise

3. Article
The adjective a,
an, and the are
usually called
articles, they are also
called Demonstrative
adjective and
modifiers in Phrase
or clause. There are
Two types of articles
as following;
 Definite Article
 The is called definite Article because it is
used to specify or point out any thing or
person.
 Example: The Policeman stopped him in the
middle of the Road .
 The book you want, is out of stock.
 (in the first example the italicized The is used
with a noun policeman which shows a particular
person and secondly The is used with Road to
specify it.
 In the second example definite article is used to
describe the book which a customer is
demanding)

4. Indefinite Article
A and An are called
indefinite articles
because these are
normally leaving
indefinite the person
or thing. Simply the
don’t refer to a
definite person or
thing. Their function
is not to define but to
generalize.
 Examples:
 (1) A clerk ….. That is any clerk
 (2) There is a university in this city.
 (this is the weakened form of numeral one)
 A is used before a word beginning with a
consonant sound not a consonant latter. We
must understand the sound of that phoneme.
 E.g. A book, A boy, A yard, A useful cow, A hole
etc.
 An is used before a word beginning with a vowel
sound.
 E.g. An honest person, an axe, an Umbrella, an
orange, an heir etc.

5. Use of
Indefinite Articles
 The choice between a and an is determined by the
sound of initial letter of the word.
 A is used with the word beginning with a consonant
sound.
 An is used with the word beginning with a vowel
sound.
 Indefinite articles are used in its original numerical
sense of one.
 E.g. Twelve eggs make a dozen.
 A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
 To single out an individual as a representative of
the whole class.
 E.g. A horse is a useful animal.
 To convert a proper noun into common noun.
 E.g. Iqbal was a Shakespeare of his time.

6. Use of Definite
Article
When we talk about a particular
person.
The doctor, the school
The thing or person which is
already referred to means
mentioned in the context.
The laptop you want to
purchase is out of order.
When a singular noun is used as a
representative of a whole class.
The rose is the sweetest
of all flowers.
Before some proper nouns The Holy Quran, The
Suez Canal
Before Oceans, Seas & Rivers The Pacific, The Red
Sea, The Nile
Before mountains, deserts, Group
of Island
The Alp, The Sahara,
The west Indies
Before the name of certain books The bible, The lliad
Before the names of things unique
in this universe.
The Sun. The Moon, The
earth

7. Before a proper noun when is qualified by an adjective. The Great Alfred, The immortal Iqbal
With superlatives. The darkest night, The best book
With Ordinals. He was the first man to arrive.
The ninth Chapter of the book
Before musical instruments. He can play the flute.
The Guitar is on the table.
Before an adjective when the noun is understood. The poor, The Rich, The Brave.
As an Adverb with comparatives. The more the merrier.
The higher you go the cooler it is.
Before some nouns to indicate professions. He joined the Bar.
He Joined the Church.
Before the names of newspapers. The news, The Nation.

8. Omission of the
Article
 (1) Usually, the article is omitted before the names of
substances and abstract noun, specially with
uncountable, when they are used in a general sense.
 Example: sugar is best for your health.
 Gold is a precious metal.
 wisdom is the blessing of God.
 In a particular sense the article is used especially when
qualified by an adjective or adjectival phrase. E.g.
 The wisdom of Solomon is great.
 I can’t forget the kindness of her grandmother.
 (2) when the plural countable nouns are used in a
general sense, we can't use the article before it. E.g.
 Men like dry Fruits.
 Children are playing football.

9.  (3) Before the most proper nouns like names of
people, names of countries continents and cities
(e.g., Asia, Pakistan, Lahore)
 Names of individual mountains (e.g., Mount
Everest)
 Before the individual island, lakes, hills etc. The
article would be omitted.
 (4) Before names of meals. ( in General sense)
 E.g., Dinner is ready.
 Do you have Lunch
 (5) Before languages article is omitted.
 We are studying English.
 But we can use The with languages as; The
Punjabi language, The German Language.
 (6) Before school, college, church, hospital,
market, bed the article is omitted when they
are used their primary purpose.
 (7) Before the names of relations like, father,
aunt, uncle and also cook and nurse.

10. Common Errors In The Use Of Article
 Examples;
 I have a blue and white jacket.
 I have a blue and a white jacket.
 In the first example, it means that I have jacket which is partly blue and
partly white. While in the second example it means that I have two jackets,
one blue and other white.
 Hence, when two or more adjectives qualify the same noun, the article is
used before the first adjective only. When they Qualify different nouns, the
article is used before each adjective.

11. Common Errors:
 (2) The clerk and manager is present in
the office.
 The clerk and the manager are
present in the office.
 In the first example the same person is
indicated as a clerk and manager, while in
second one the clerk and the manager are
two different persons.
 Hence, when two or more nouns refer to the
same person or thing, the article must be
used only before the first one. When two or
more nouns refer to different persons or
things, the article is used before each.

12. Exercise:
 Do You see ________ Blue Airline?
 ______ sun shines brightly.
 Rustam is ______ young Parsee.
 ______ school will close due to pandemic.
 Let's discuss _____ matter seriously.
 Dutch is____ easy language.
 ________ English language is considered as a foreign
language.