Articles: definition, types, usage with examples

What are articles

Articles (“a,” “an,” and “the”) are determiners or noun markers that function to specify if the noun is general or specific in its reference. Articles are normally used before nouns; since they are used to speak about the noun, they can be considered adjectives.

The is used for the specific or particular noun; a/an is used to modify non-specific. we call ‘the’ the definite article and a/an the indefinite article.

For example– if I say,

• Let’s read the book( I mean a specific Book)
• Let’s read a book ( i mean any book rather than a specific book)

Kinds of article

Indefinite Articles: ‘a’ and ‘an’

The articles ‘a’ and ‘an’ are termed indefinite articles. An indefinite article, as the name suggests, is used to indicate something that is not definite or specific. It can also be used before singular nouns.

Use of Article: ‘a’ and ‘an’

• a/an + singular countable noun.
• an + singular countable noun ➡ initial sound( vowel – a, e, i, o, u ).
• a + singular countable noun ➡initial sound( consonant).

1. The following words start with ‘consonant sound‘ but start with ‘Vowel letter‘, so we use the article ‘A‘ before them. such types of words are:- University, uniform, universal European, useless, utopia, useful, one-way, Eulogy, Ewe etc.

• She works in an uniform shop(✘)
• She works in a uniform shop(✔)

2. The following words start with ‘vowel sound’ but start with ‘consonant letter’, we use ‘An’ article before them. Such types of words are:- Honest, hour, heir, honourable, Honorary, MNC, X-ray, L.L.B, etc.

• Shikha is an honest girl.
• She works in an MNC company.

Examples-

• a hotel
• a hospital
• an hour
• an honourable
• an event
• a united shop
• an option
• She is an excellent student
• She is a student
• I have a car.
• I have an orange

• she is ______ excellent. ( we don’t use articles in this sentence because there is no noun after excellent).
• She is an excellent student ( we use an article here)

Definite article: ‘ The ‘

It is used before the singular and plural countable nouns and before the uncountable nouns. The signals that the noun is definite, that it refers to a particular member of a group.

Example-

• She is the most intelligent employee here.
• Rohan sang the best songs here.
• The boy standing near the gate is my brother.

Use of Article ‘ The’

• Article ‘ the’ is used before a singular countable noun to pick out one individual, thing, object etc as representative of a class
• ‘The’ is used before these categories

• Name of religious categories
  • The Hindus
  • The Muslims
  • The Sikhs

• The name of Empires/ Dynasties
  • The Maratha Empire
  • The Ottoman Empire
  • The Mauryan Empire

• Name of Political Groups
  • The BJP
  • The AAP
  • The nationals
  • The INC

• Name of Newspaper and Magazines
  • The Indian Express
  • The chronicles
  • The Hindu

• Name of Geographical Locations
  • The Equator
  • The North Pole
  • The South Pole

• Name of musical instruments
  • The Piano
  • The Harmonium
  • The Flute

 

• Name of Historical Event
  • The French Revolution
  • The Russian Revolution
  • The American Revolution

• Name of Tournaments / Trophies
  • The ICC World Cup
  • The CONCACAF Gold Cup.
  • The Asian Cup (AFC)

• Name of mountains ranges, groups of islands, rivers, seas, oceans, gulf, deserts, forests etc
  • The pacific ocean
  • The Ganga
  • The Yamuna
  • The gulf of Mexico

• Name of Directions
  • The East
  • The west

• Name of Books
  • The tale of cities
  • The Arabian Nights

 

• Article ‘The’ is used before the words that tell the nationality.
  • The English won the match
  • The German acted wisely

 

• When ‘The’ is used before certain adjectives, it gives a plural meaning.
  • ‘The rich’ think themselves superior to ‘the poor‘. ( the rich and the poor represent the people )
  • The healthy live longer

 

• ‘The’ is used before an ordinal number
  • The third seat was already booked.
  • The first ranker is my sister.

 

• The definite article ‘The’ is used to denote the superlative degree of comparison.
  • Samuel is the tallest boy in the class.
  • Sneha is the smartest employee here.

 

Omission of Article

Articles are not to be placed everywhere. There are certain rules where we place articles. Similarly, there are certain places where we do not use them. The omission of articles is also known as The zero article.

Let’s see the rules of omission of articles

Rule 1: Articles are generally not used with specific names i.e. Proper noun

Examples:

• A Rohan is a good boy. (✘)
• An Rohan is a good boy. (✘)
• The Rohan is a good boy. (✘)
• Rohan is a good boy. (✔) ( Rohan is a proper noun here)

Rule 2: We do not use articles before languages.

Examples:

• We are studying English.
• They speak German at home.

Note: The English won the match ( in this sentence English refers to the people of England not language, that’s why we used the article ‘The’.

Rule 3: We do not use articles when the following categories are used for their primary purpose in the context.

1. Educational places – School, college, institute etc.

Example:

1. He went to school for studying.
2. He went to the school to attend meetings.

School is not the place for meetings but to study hence we do not use articles in the first example.

2. Public place – Park, Bus stand, Railway station, Garden, Airport etc.

Example:

1. I went to Airport to take a flight to New York. ( primary purpose – we don’t use articles)
2. I went to the Airport to pick up my father. ( specific purpose – the article ‘the’ is used)
3. She goes to Market. ( to buy something)
4. She goes to the Market. ( meeting or any other work but not to buy)

3. Similarly, in Places of worship, Places of treatment, Places of service etc.

Example:

1. Sneha was admitted to Hospital as she had a fever.
2. Sneha went to the Hospital to meet her mother.

the primary purpose of the people is to treat or to be treated so we do not use the article ‘the’ in the first sentence.

Rule 4: In certain phrases consisting of a preposition followed by its object; as

at home, in hand, in debt, by day, by night, at daybreak, at sunrise, at noon, at sunset, at
night, at anchor, at sight, on-demand, at interest, on earth, by land, by water, by train, by steamer, by name, on horseback, on foot, on deck, in jest, at dinner, at ease, above ground.

Frequently Asked Questions on Articles

What is an article?

Articles (“a,” “an,” and “the”) are determiners or noun markers that function to specify if the noun is general or specific in its reference. Articles are normally used before nouns; since they are used to speak about the noun, they can be considered adjectives.

or you can simply say

A, an, and The are the articles in English grammar. They are used before a noun.

What are the types of articles?

there are two types of articles
1. Definite article
2. Indefinite article

What are definite articles?

‘ The’ is the definite article. It is used before the noun to show its specific

What are Indefinite articles?

A and An are Indefinite articles. A is used before consonant sounds while An is used before vowel sounds.

Give some examples of articles.

He is an honourable man.
Rohan sang the best songs here.
Copper is a useful metal.