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How are Articles used?
IX-ARTICLE Articles are used to introduce nouns. These are three-a, an, the. The first two are called Indefinite articles, and the third is called the Defini…te article. Many grammarians don't consider them separate part of speech. They count them as adjectives. Use of 'a' and 'an' 1. 'A' or 'an' is used before a singular, countable, common noun that is not particular. It shows that we are talking about any one member of a class of persons or things. 'A' or 'an' means one. The choice between a or an depends on pronunciation, not spelling. An is used before a vowel sound, even if it is written as a consonant. an idea, an egg, an hour, an M.A., an S.D.O. Likewise, we use a before a consonant sound, even if it is written as a vowel. A boy, a book, a horse, a unit, a university, a one rupee note, a one day match 2. 'A' or 'an' is used before a singular, countable, common noun that is used as an example of a class of things. A fly is an insect.An elephant is a large animal. A dove is a loving bird. A doctor is a useful member of society. 3. Before a noun compliment including profession. She is a beautiful girl. I am a student. He is an engineer. 4. Idiomatically with little and few: a little money, a few pens. 5. In expressions of price, ratio, speed etc. Fifty miles an hour, ten rupees a dozen. 6. In exclamations before singular nouns. What a hot day! What a lovely flower! What a khadda! The Indefinite Article is not used: 1. Before plural nouns- boys, dogs, horses, cities etc. 2. Before nouns considered uncountable nouns in English. News, advice, information, luggage etc. 1. Before material nouns and abstract nouns. (uncountable) Wood, iron, cotton, love, life, beauty, etc. 2. Before an adjective alone, i.e. an adjective that is not followed by a noun. Mark the difference. He is an intelligent student. He is intelligent. You are a wise man. You are wise. Use of Definite Article-the It is used before singular and plural nouns and for all genders. The is used to show that we are talking about particular things that our listener already knows which particular person or thing we are talking about. We don't use the if we talk about things in general. The is used before: 1. Nouns of which there is only one, especially while referring to our physical environment. The use of the before them shows that people are familiar with these things and physical features. The sun, the earth, the moon, the North Pole, the sky, the wind, the universe, the sunshine, the night, the weather, the rain, the plains, the East, the West, etc. 2. Nouns mentioned for the second time become definite. A cat ran after a rat. The rat entered a house. The cat also entered the house. The house belonged to an old man. The old man had a cow. The cow had a long tail. 3. Nouns made definite with the addition of a modifying phrase or clause.The book on the table is very interesting. The boy who won the race is my friend. 4. A noun which by virtue of locality represents only one particular person or thing. The Principal has arrived. (only one principal in a college) The poet tells us in the poem. The World War-I claimed many lives. Put your books on the table. (There is only one table) 5. Superlative degrees of adjective The most beautiful flower, the best boy, the largest room 6. Positive degree of adjective that represents the whole class. The rich should help the poor. The brave are respected. 7. A singular noun that represents the whole class. The dog is a faithful animal. The cuckoo is a lazy bird. 8. Comparative degrees co-ordinating each other. The higher you go, the cooler it is. The more we get, the more we want. The sooner you leave, the better it is. 9. Names of rivers, seas, chains of mountains, chains of Islands, religious books, religious groups, nationalities, nations, newspapers, magazines, limited companies, hotels, ships and plural names of countries- whose names contain a common noun like republic, state, union etc. The Indus, The Thames, The Indian Ocean, The Pacific, The Himalayas, The Alps, The Philippines, The Quran, The Bible, The Muslims, The Hindus, The Japanese, The Pakistan Times, The State Bank Of Pakistan, The Queen Victoria, The West Indies, The United States, The U.A.E, The United Kingdom, The People's Republic of China, also The Netherlands 10. Names of families: The Maliks, The Gondals, The Burnells 11. A proper noun used as a common noun. He is the Newton of our class. You are the Rustam of India. 12. After the name of a well-known personality to clarify his/her identity. We admire Akbar, the great. People respect Iqbal, the poet. 13. Before the names of particular days of week and months. It was June when she arrived. He met me on Monday. 'The' is NOT used before 1. Names of Subjects of study and sciences. e.g. Urdu, English, Physics, Civics etc. 2. Names of games e.g. Hockey, football, tennis, cricket etc. 3. Material nouns e.g. Wood, wool, iron, gold, silver etc. 4. Abstract nouns e.g. Love, beauty, pain, rest, good, evil etc. 5. Man, woman and mankind used in general sense: Man is mortal. Woman is weak. (Not the man, the woman) 6. Nouns preceded by another noun in possessive case. Akram's book.(Not Akram's the books) Salma's house (Not Salma's the house) The girl's pen (Not the girl's the pen) 7. Nouns preceded by possessive adjective. My books, your house (Not my the books) 8. Home when it is the home of the speaker or the home of the person spoken to. I am going home. You were at home. 9. Names of places of assembly such as, school, college, market, church etc. when visited for their primary purpose. I go to school. (To teach or to learn). She went to market. (To buy or to sell). But when the speaker means the 'building', 'the' is placed before them. The college is near the market. (The building of the college is near the building of the market.) 10. Proper nouns of persons, places, countries, continents, departments etc. Yusaf, Lahore, Pakistan, India, Africa etc. 11. Things used in general sense. People like to live in peace. Books contain knowledge. Children like to play. Fish live in water. Ducks can swim. Dogs bark at night. Cows are very gentle. 12. These expressions are generally used without articles. At/in/to/from school/college/ university/market/ church / hospital/ town etc In/out of/into, to / prison/bed, at/to/from work, By day, by night, by car/train/road/ship/ etc From top to toe, from head to foot, inch by inch, day by day, day after day, with knife and fork, on land and sea 13. The names of diseases are generally considered uncountable, and written without an article in standard British English. She is suffering from fever/cholera etc. 014. Names of days, months, seasons are also written without articles. Anyhow, they take articles when we talk about some particular day, month or season. Note: Some and any are also determiners like articles. Some is generally preferred in affirmative sentences, whereas, any is used in interrogative and negative sentences. (Gondal English Grammar & Composition for Degree Classes) by Prof. Muhammad Aslam Gondal (MORE)
