Uses of (a, an, the) articles | English Grammar Notes

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What are articles?

The words 'a', 'an' and 'the' are usually called articles. They are always followed by a noun or noun phrase. 'A' and 'an' are called indefinite articles and 'the is called definite article.

Uses of "a" article:

Before a countable noun beginning with a consonant sound: a bag, a girl, a hat, a pilot a hotel, a book, a house
In most of the cases 'e"o' and 'u' are pronounced as a consonant: a eucalyptus a one-way ticket, a union, a user, a one rupee note, a university girl, a unit, a useless car, a utensil, a useful article, a European, a unicorn
Abbreviation whose first letter has consonant sound: a BA, a TOEFL score, a VIP, a WHO officer, a BBC reporter, a SAT score

Uses of "an" article:

Before a countable noun beginning with a vowel sound: an egg, an uncle, an elephant, an orange, an untidy girl, an insect,
In most of the cases 'h' is pronounced as a consonant: an hour, an honest man, an heir, an heiress, an heirloom, an honourable man,
Abbreviation whose first letter has vowel sound: an SOS message, an MBBS, an LLB, an MA, an HA, an MD, an SEE candidate, an MLA, an NGO, a one-eyed man, a ewe, a unique creature, a u-turn, a UFO, a CA, an ass, an owl, an hourglass, an MP, an FM, an MBA,

Uses of "a" or "an article":

To mean each or every:

Mia earns five thousand a month.

She visits her brother once a week.

2. In the sense of one: -

Max has a computer.
She purchased a new home.

3.with job or profession:

Oasis is a doctor.

He is an engineer.

4. In 'such+ singular noun':

I want such a pen.

Such a girl is laborious.

5. With singular exclamation:

What a beautiful house!

Such a fair work!

6. With units of uncountable nouns:

a piece of chalk, a bottle of milk, a lump of sugar, a pinch of salt

Use of "the" article:

1. Before celestial body:

the Earth
the sky
the universe
the Moon
the Sun

Note: except the earth, no article is used to other planets.

2. When the noun is repeated a second time:

I saw a dog. The dog was shabby.
He bought a cake. The cake was stale.

3. Before superlative degrees:

the best.
the worst
the highest
the most
the least

4. Before ordinal numbers:

the first
the second
the third
the forth

5. Before names of musical instruments in the sense of playing:

the drum
the piano
the guitar
the kev-board

For example: James is playing the guitar but James has a Guitar.

6. Before names of rivers, seas, oceans:

the Nile
the Narayani
the Thames
the Bagmati
the Red sea
the Dead sea
the Atlantic Ocean
The Pacific Ocean.

7. Before names of groups of islands and Gulf:

the British Isles
the Isle of Man
the Laccadive Islands
the Persian Gulf
the Gulf of Guinea

8. Before names of mountain ranges:

the Mahabharat range
the Himalayas
the Alps
the Rockies
the Andes

9. Before plural names of countries:

the United States
the Philippines
the UK
the USSR
the UAE

10. Before names of canals and peninsulas:

the Suez canal
the Gandak canal
the Panama canal
the Iberian Peninsula

11. Before names of deserts:

the Sahara
the Gobi
the Thar Before

12. names of newspapers:

the Times
the Washington Post
the Rising Nepal
the Gorkhapatra
the Kantipur

13. Before a period of decades:

the twenties
the fifties
the sixties

14. Before the name of directions and poles and Geographical area:

the west
the east
the North Pole
the South Pole
the Middle East

15. Before names of the periods of history and historic event:

the Modern Age
the Victorian Age
the Renaissance
the Martyrs Day
the Independence Day

Note: For the primary purpose no article is used.

They go to school every day.

16. Before the unique organs of the human body:

the heart
the head
the nose etc.

17. Before names of ships, airlines/aeroplane:

the Mary Celeste
the Titanic
the Yeti airlines
the Boeing 747

18. Before names of hotels, restaurants, theatres, cinemas, clubs:

the Beverly
the Radisson
the Cineplex Entertainment
the Youth Club
the Lion's Club
the Rotary Club

19. Before names of scientific innovations:

the radio
the computer
the television

20. Before titles:

the Prime minister
the principal Museum and Library:
the National Museum
the American Library
the Central Library

21. Before points on the globe:

the equator
the north pole

22. Before physical position:

the top
the bottom

23. Before parts of the house:

the kitchen
the toilet

24. Before adjectives representing social group:

the blind
the poor
the unemployed

25. Before school, college, hospital, church, temple, court if used for the secondary purpose:

He went to the school to meet the principal.
He crossed near the hospital.

26. Before proper nouns when they are qualified /parallel comparatives:

The sooner, the better.
The more you read the more you learn.

Omission of Article

1. Before the names of the metals:

Silver is a useful metal.
Diamond is a precious metal.

2. Before uncountable/plural/proper/ abstract nouns:

rice, milk, water, boxes, vermin, cattle, people, pens, New York, James, Mia, America

wisdom, honesty, death, kindness, beauty

But, when abstract/uncountable nouns are qualified by an adjective:

The kindness of Olivia is adorable.

The milk in this glass is pure.

3. Before streets and lakes:

New road
Durbar Marga
Superior lake
Baikal Lake

4. Before languages/subjects:

Were you learning Chinese?
Is science your favourite subject?

5. Before games and sports:

I like baseball.
He is interested in soccer.

6. Before names of days, months, seasons:

We will meet on Saturday.
It's very cold in winter.
I was born in July.

7. Before names of disease, colour, next, last, nature, mankind, type of, kind of and before possessive pronouns:

He died of AIDS.
Pink is my favourite colour.
We will see you next week.
These are the wonders of nature.
These inventions are useful for all mankind.
I like this type of bag.
You are a different kind player.
Mina's watch doesn't work

8. Before magazines:

Wisdom Magazine, People Magazine, Himal, Shiksha, Yuba

9. Before mountains:

Mount Everest, Mount K2

10. Before parks and falls:

Yellowstone national park, Hyde Park, Victoria falls

Uses of (a, an, the) articles | English Grammar Notes | Class 8,9 and 10