English articles

4. ARTICLE - (Defining word)
• The words a, an and the are special adjectives called articles.
• Note, an article is a type of adjective.
An article is used before a noun. These are divided into
Definite (the) and indefinite (a, an).
• Examples: a, an, the
• Example sentences: I need a dictionary.
• The dictionary needs to be in English.

5. Indefinite Article (a, an).
•A or An is called Indefinite Article because it
does not point out any particular or definite
person or thing.
•I saw a hunter riding on an elephant.

7. Use of A
• Before a word beginning with a consonant sound
e.g. A kite, a monkey, a woman, a cart
• Before such vowels as to have the sound of yu (yoo)
e.g. A unit, a university, a useful book, a union, a European
• Before the word one which begins with the consonant sound of wa as
e.g. a one-rupee note, a one-way road, a one-eyed man.
• Note the use of a in the following phrases
a bad cold, a noise, a pity, a pleasure, a nuisance.

8. An is used before
• Words beginning with a vowel (a,e,i,o,u)
e.g. an elephant, an enemy, an inkpot, an Englishman
• Words beginning with silent h
e.g. an hour, an honest man, an heir, an honourable man
• Abbreviations if consonants begin with a vowel sound
e.g. an M.A., an M.P.

9. Uses of Indefinite Articles
• Indefinite articles are used before singular nouns which are countable
and that are unspecified.
e.g.
(i) This is a pen.
(ii) This is an apple.
(iii) This is a camel.
• Used before number collectives and some numbers.
e.g.
(i) I want a dozen mangoes.
(ii) The farmers want a gallon of water for the agricultural purpose.
(iii) An army of soldiers advanced towards the enemy.

10. NOTE:
• When we speak of a person or a thing for the first time we
generally use the Indefinite Article A or An: but when we
speak of the same person or thing a second time we use the
Definite article the: as.
• A leopard saw a hunter riding on an elephant.
• The leopard jumped on the hunter riding on the elephant.

11. Definite Article- The
• The is generally called the Definite Article, because it
is used when we, speak of some particular or definite
person or thing.
• This is the man I met. (some particular man)
• This is the movie I saw. (some particular movie)

12. As a general rule
• Common nouns in the Plural Number do not have the Definite Article the
placed before them: as
• Horses run fast.
• Children are fond of sweets.
• Dogs bark.
But when we speak of particular persons or things that we have already
mentioned before or that are known to us, we use the Definite Article the as
• The people in this house do not like the sweets sold that are kept exposed
in the sweet shops.

13. The definite article the is used -
I. When we refer to some particular person or thing as-
e.g. I have seen the movie you are talking of (not any movie but the
movie you are talking of)
e.g. Let us walk towards the front gate.
2. When a Singular Common Noun is used to indicate a whole class
1. The dog is a faithful animal. = (dogs in general)
2. The elephant has a remarkable memory.=( elephants in general)
3. The rose smells sweet.=( roses in general)

14. The definite article the is used
before the names of-
• Rivers - the Ganges (Ganga) the Mahanadi
. Seas and oceans - the Arabian sea, the Indian Ocean
• Mountain ranges- the Himalayas, the Alps
. Group of islands- the Andamans, the Nicobars
• Countries (if the name contains a common noun)
e.g. the United States of America, the UK
• Sacred books
e.g. the Bible, the Mahabharata ,the Ramayana ,the Quran, the
Puranas

15. The definite article the is used
before the names of-
• Newspapers-
• e.g. the Indian express, the Hindu, the Amrit Bazar Patrika
• Well-known buildings –
• e.g. the Taj, the Gateway of India ,the Qutub Minar
• Trains, Ships, Airplanes-
• e.g. the Taj Express, the Rajdhani Express .
• The directions –
• e.g. the east, the west ,the north ,the South
• The whole families
• e.g. the Guptas, the Jains

16. The definite article the is used
• Before common nouns which are names of things unique of their kind as
earth, moon, sun ,sky etc
e.g. We could see the moon in the sky.
e.g. The Earth revolves around the sun.
• Before a proper adjective when people or nation is understood (but
omitted when a language is understood )
• as the Hindus, the Muslims, the Christians
e.g. The Germans defeated the Russians.
But the is not used before the names of languages as
e.g. Hindi is easier than Sanskrit.

17. The definite article the is used
• Before adjectives in the Superlative Degree and before Ordinal
Numeral adjectives as
• 1. This is the best movie I have ever seen.
• 2. December is the last month of the year.
• Before an adjective when the noun is understood
• 1. The rich (= rich men) should help the poor( = poor men)
• 2 The young and the old, the high and the low -all loved him.

18. The definite article the is used
• With such phrases as
• the first, the last, the next, the only, the following, the last bench,
the only son, the next house
• But the is not used which such express expressions as
• last night/ week /month/ year /next week
• What did you eat last night ?
• Will you come here next Sunday?

19. The definite article the is used
• Used to refer to a time period.
e.g.
(i) This song was very popular in the 1950’s.
(ii) Many new developments will take place in the future.
• Used to indicate all the members of a family.
e.g.
(i) I invited all the artists for dinner tonight.
(ii) This machinery was invented by the Harrisons.
(iii) The Kapoors is a family of actors.

20. Omission of the article the
• The is generally not used in the following cases
• Before the name of a town city or village
e.g. Delhi ,Rampur
• Before the name of a country
e.g. India, Pakistan, Nepal ,Sri Lanka ,China
• Before the name of a person
e.g. Gandhi, Ashok, Lal Bahadur
• Before the name of a continent
e.g. Australia, Asia, Europe

21. Omission of the article the
• Before the name of a single Island
e.g. Sri Lanka, Australia
• Before the name of a single mountain
e.g. Mount Abu Mount Everest
• Before the name of a lake
e.g. Sambhar Lake, Sanchal lake
• Before the name of a street
e.g. Victoria Street, Delhi Road

22. Omission of the article the
• Before the days of the week
e.g. Sunday ,Monday ,Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday ,Friday ,Saturday
• Before an abstract noun
e.g. blindness, ugliness
• Before the months of the year
e.g. January February, March ,April, May June, July
• Note when we use use the before proper nouns they become common
nouns
e.g. Kalidasa is the Shakespeare of India.
e.g. Kashmir is the Switzerland of India.

23. Omission of the article the
• Before material nouns as
e.g. Iron is a very useful material. (not the iron )
e.g. Cotton grows in India, America and Egypt. (not the cotton )
e.g. Gold is a precious metal. (not the gold)
• note but we say
e.g. The gold we have purchased today seems to be very pure.
e.g. The cotton of Kathiawar is the best of India.

24. Omission of the article the
• Before abstract nouns used in general sense as
e.g. Honesty is the best policy (not the honesty)
e.g. Wisdom is the gift of heaven (not the wisdom )
e.g. Virtue is its own reward (not the virtue )
• Note but we say
• The beauty of Nur Jahan is famous all over the world.
• I Praise the honesty of my servant.
• I cannot forget the kindness with which she treated me.

25. Omission of the article the
• Before Arts and Sciences as
• I find Mathematics a difficult subject.
• Drawing and Painting are fine arts.
• Before meal times like dinner, supper, breakfast as
• She was present at dinner.( not the dinner )
• Breakfast was served at 9. ( not the breakfast )

26. Omission of the article the
• Before school, college, church, bed, table, hospital, market when these places
are visited or used for their primary purpose as
• She goes to church on Sundays.
• Her uncle is still in hospital.
• She stays in bed till nine every morning.
• Note the is used with these words when we refer to them as a definite place,
building or object rather than the normal activity that goes on there as
• The minister went to the hospital to see the wounded.
• She met me at the church.
• The prison is very near to the police station.

27. Omission of the article the
• Before the names of relations like father, mother and uncle and also
cook and nurse meaning our cook, our nurse as
e.g. Mother has come back.
e.g. Uncle wants you to see him.
• Before common nouns when they go in pairs as
e.g. Both husband and wife received serious injuries.

28. Omission of the article the
• Before plural nouns used to denote a class
e.g. Boys go to school everyday at 9 o'clock.
e.g. Camels are useful animals.
e.g. Warm clothes are necessary in cold climates.
• But it is correct to say
e.g. The boys who go to school everyday at 7 o'clock return at 4.
e.g. The camels of Arabia are very strong.
e.g. Here particular boys and camels are meant.

29. Omission of the article the
• In certain phrases consisting of a preposition followed by its object
as
• at home
• at noon
• in hand
• by day
• by water
• on demand
• by train

30. I. Explain whether sentences given below are
correct or not with reference to the use of articles.
1. He is the European.
2. Do you like butter?
3. Art is the wonderful subject.
4. I want to drive car.
5. She eats the apple every day.
6. I need a water.
7. Who is the man?
8. Radha has got new mobile phone, but its not an android phone.
9. Should I take admission into an university or a college after completing
my high school?
10. All the committee members have arrived at an decision.

31. I. Answer:
1. Incorrect use ‘a’ in place of ‘the’.
2. Correct
3. Incorrect use ‘a’ before ‘wonderful’.
4. Incorrect use ‘a’ before ‘car’.
5. Incorrect use ‘an’ in place of ‘the’.
6. Incorrect use no article before water.
7. Correct
8. Incorrect use ‘a’ before ‘new’.
9. Incorrect use ‘a’ in place of ‘an’.
10. Incorrect use ‘a’ in place of ‘an’.

32. II. Fill-In Articles Worksheet
1. I live in _____ state of California. (a, an, the)
2. Can you tell me _____ story. (a, an, the)
3. We will go to _____ mall tomorrow. (a, an, the)
4. I saw _____ lion at the zoo. (a, an, the)
5. Will you watch _____ movie with me? (a, an, the)
6. We saw _____ great play. (a, an, the)
7. I saw _____ raccoon in my backyard. (a, an, the)
8. I would love to tell you _____ story. (a, an, the)
9. We will go to _____ movies today. (a, an, the)
10. I saw _____ elephant at the zoo. (a, an, the)

33. II. Answers:
1. the
2. a
3. the
4. a
5. a
6. a
7. a
8. a
9. the
10. an

34. III. Fill in the blanks by using appropriate articles.
1. Once upon…….. time there lived…………. ant,
2. ………… ant was very young.
3. ………….. ant wanted to learn how to collect food.
4. Therefore……. ant approached……….. ant who was skilled in
collecting food.
5. …………… second ant agreed to teach……….. first ant …… skill she
wanted to learn.

35. III. Answer:
• a, an
• The
• The
• the, an
• The, the, the

36. IV. In each of the following questions there are three sentences given out of which
one is wrong according to the usage of articles. Pick out the wrong sentence and
mark its number as your answer. Mark your answer as ‘d’ if all the sentences are
correct.
1. (a) Mr Sharma’s daughter is an air hostess.
(b) There is a big hole in that wall.
(c) A man who is standing here runs very fast.
(d) All are correct.
2. (a) An Earth is a beautiful planet.
(b) Sanjeev is a nice boy.
(c) Do you need an umbrella?
(d) All are correct.

37. 3. (a) She ordered bag online.
(b) Dolly prefers to have coffee to tea.
(c) Please pass the salt.
(d) All are correct.
•
4. (a) Give me an sheet of paper.
(b) Does she have a pencil?
(c) The book fair was very nice.
(d) All are correct.

38. 5. (a) A new film will be releasing this Friday.
(b) The cow is a useful animal.
(c) The tea is my favourite drink.
(d) All are correct
•
6. (a) There is a telephone on the table.
(b) Roshni is the my neighbour’s daughter.
(c) The sky is full of stars today.
(d) All are correct.

39. 7. (a) I borrowed an item from a passenger sitting in front of me.
(b) There was a lot of money in the bag.
(c) We should not spread a rumours.
(d) All are correct.
8. (a) On that day, he didn’t have a money.
(b) Many tribal people live on the banks of rivers.
(c) The volcano erupted yesterday.
(d) All are correct.

40. 9. (a) She is an United States senator.
(b) The hat he was wearing was presented by his uncle.
(c) Ruhi was a very sensible girl.
(d) All are correct.
•
10. (a) You are a mature person now
(b) We must not waste time
(c) Today is a hot sunny day
(d) All are correct

41. IV. Answer:
1.(c) Use ‘the’ in place of ‘a’.
2. (a) Use ‘the’ in place of ‘an’.
3. (a) Use ‘a’ before ‘bag’.
4. (a) Use ‘a’ in place of ‘an’.
5. (c) No article is required before ‘tea’.
6. (b) Use no article before ‘my’
7. (c) Use no article before ‘rumours’,
8. (a) Use no article before ‘money’.
9. (a) Use ‘a’ in place of ‘an’.
10. (d) All are correct

42. V. Answer:
1. an
2. A
3. The
4. a
5. the
6. a
7. the
8. an
9. an, an
10. a

43. Other Rules for the Geographical Use of the
Definite Article, The
• Do not use the before the names of
• continents (North America, Asia, Africa)
• mountains (Mount Rushmore, Mount Everest)
• islands (Saint Lucia, Antigua, Grenada)
• streets (Broad Street, Wilson Avenue)
• cities and towns (Birmingham, Seattle, Las Vegas)
• states (Alabama, Washington, Nevada)
• lakes (Lake Erie, Lake Kissimmee, Lake Rabun)

44. Do use the before the names of
• points on the globe (the Equator, the North Pole)
• mountain ranges (the Smoky Mountains, the Andes)
• island chains (the Florida Keys, the Pacific Islands)
• geographical areas (the East, the Midwest)
• rivers, seas, and oceans (the Mississippi River, the Atlantic Ocean, the Nile
River)
• deserts and peninsulas (the Mojave Desert, the Balkan Peninsula
• groups of lakes (the Great Lakes)
• Language is always changing. Fifty years ago, Argentina was known as “the
Argentine,” and the Falkland Islands always had the definite article in front
of it. But Argentina is now perfectly standard and you may even hear
people say “I come from Falkland Islands.”

45. V. Put a/an/the wherever necessary
1. She is………… MSc in chemistry.
2. …………. puppy came running towards me.
3. ……… Gomati is a famous river.
4. Rashmi is…………. unique girl.
5. Is there anyone in ………… kitchen?
6. Give me ………...piece of paper.
7. Mumbai is…………. London of the East.
8. This is…………….. honour for me.
9. One cannot compare …………. orange with … apple.
10. Each of them is…………. unique fruit.