Articles- Basic Rules

Articles

1. Definition:A, An, and The are called Articles. They are considered adjectives in modern grammar.

2. Indefinite Articles:A and An are called Indefinite Articles because they do not point to a specific person or thing. For example, "a book" refers to any book, and "a girl" refers to any girl.

3. Definite Article:The is called the Definite Article because it points to a specific person or thing. For instance, "the boy" refers to a particular boy known in the context.

4. Singular Common Nouns:A singular common noun should generally have an article before it. For example, we say, "I have seen a tiger" or "I have seen the tiger." However, a plural common noun does not require an article unless we want to specify: "Boys love games" versus "The boys are playing."

5. Usage of "A":"A" is used before:

• Consonants: a boy, a word, a B.

• Vowels that sound like "yu": a ewe, a useful thing, a unit, a European, a university.

• The vowel "o" when pronounced as in "one": a one-rupee note.

6. Usage of "An":"An" is used before:

• A vowel: an eye, an idiot, an ox.

• Consonants that begin with a vowel sound: an M.A., an M.D., an heir, an honest boy, an hour.

• Aspirated 'h' when the accent is on the second syllable: an hotel, as well as words like habitual, harmonious, and heroic.

7. Position of "A" or "An":"A" or "An" precedes an adjective or another adverb but follows many, such, and what (when exclamatory). Examples include: "What a blessing!" "Many a long day," and "Too serious a matter."

8. Generalizing "A" or "An":"A" or "An" can indicate a class when used before a noun: "A son should obey his father." This usage is called Generalizing A or An.

9. Use of "The":"The" is used before:

• Names of rivers, seas, mountains, and groups of islands: the Ganges, the Black Sea, the Himalayas.

• Dates of the month: the 1st of June, 1965.

• Professions: He joined the bar (i.e., became a lawyer).

• National names to denote a people collectively: "the English."

• Singular common nouns to indicate a species: "the cow is a useful animal."

• Common nouns that are defined by adjectives or adjectival phrases: "the black dog."

• Singular nouns that denote unique entities: the moon, the sun, the sky.

• Adjectives and nouns in the superlative or comparative forms: "He is the best of them," and "The more, the merrier."

10. Omission of Articles:No article is used:

• Before proper, material, or abstract nouns unless they are specified: Asoke, Homer, gold, honesty.

• Before plural common nouns unless specified: Dogs bark; the dogs of my house.

• Before common nouns with pronominal or numeral adjectives: my horse, two boys.

• Before common nouns in the vocative case: "Come here, boy."

• In idiomatic expressions: "to take foot," "to set foot on," etc.

11. Names of Diseases:Names of diseases usually do not take "the": fever, headache, diphtheria. However, "the" can sometimes be used: the gout, the measles.

12. Defining "The":"The" can be used to specify a noun defined by a qualifying word or phrase: "The book that he gave me is lost."

13. Familiar "The":"The" can also refer to a familiar or unique concept: "Come into the garden," or "The earth moves round the sun."

14. Possessive "The":"The" can replace a possessive adjective when context makes ownership clear: "He struck me on the head."

15. Generalizing "The":"The" can indicate a class before an adjective or noun: "The rich are not always happy."

16. Instrumental "The":"The" can be used adverbially before comparatives to represent the old instrumental case: "The more, the merrier."

17. Repetition of the Article:When two nouns joined by "and" refer to the same person or thing, the article is used only before the first: "The Secretary and Treasurer has done this" (one person). If they refer to separate entities, repeat the article: "The Secretary and the Treasurer have done this."