English Speaking Course :Day-17: Articles
Articles of English Grammar are commonly misused by a lot of aspirants who make mistakes with them. If you are preparing for competitive exams be it banks and Insurance exams including IBPS, (PO, CLERK, SO) or other exams like SSC, CDS, RRB, or Defence Exams you must have a thorough knowledge of the use of Articles in English Grammar. It is a part of many direct and indirect questions in General English Paper. Here is a complete guide on Articles of English Grammar.
What are Articles in English Grammar?
Articles are a type of Determiners. Determiners are words that determine or point out or lead to a noun. They are generally used as a prefix to a noun. Articles are also a form of adjectives as they also qualify a noun. Article is a word used in English grammar to specify the definiteness of a noun. Articles noted issues are commonly noted issues that can crop up the language efficiency. An overlooked error can affect the language usage grammatically.
Example of Articles:
The building is five years old. (With the use of ‘The’ before the noun- building, we determine which building is being described.)
An apple a day keeps doctors away. (Here with the use of the articles ‘An’ and ‘a’ we point out to any general apple and a doctor respectively. Thus, the articles lead to the noun.) Note: We can never use a singular countable noun alone without an article.
There are 50 students in the class. (Here class is a countable noun and cannot be used without an article.)
Why do we use Articles in English Grammar?
To put it simply, it is pivotal to understand how articles benefit us. Why do we use articles in our English language? So, let’s see:
To tell us about the number of nouns. (Whether noun is singular or Plural)
It tells us the randomness or particularity of a noun. (Is it the same noun I’m talking about or is it different?)
It also refers to the noun being ‘Positive’ or ‘Negative’.
Example:
Humans are smart. (Positive but random)
The human is smart. (Positive but Specific)
No human is smart. (Negative but random)
Note: Negative article case doesn’t take any nouns to be specific.
How to use Articles in English Grammar?
how to use articles
Types of Articles in English Grammar
Based on the definiteness and generality articles are commonly classified in two types:
1. Definite Articles:
We use the definite article ‘The’ when we want to lead the reader or listener to a specific noun. It says that the noun is definite, certain and exact.
Examples of Definite Articles:
The red bus left an hour ago. (Here, by using ‘The’ before the red bus we are letting the readers or listeners know that we are referring to one specific bus which left an hour ago.)
I saw the girl yesterday (Here even though girl is a common noun, the use of the word before it states that the sentence is being written or said in reference to one specific girl.)
Points to Remember while using Articles in English Grammar
‘The’ is used in measuring expressions beginning with ‘by’. Example: Do you sell eggs by the kilos or by the dozens?
Articles convey the ‘specificity’ of a noun. How general or specific a noun is, in a sentence.
Articles are also implied with acronyms or short forms.
The placing of an article depends on the vowel or the consonant sound of the first letter of a word.
Definite Articles with Names
Generally, we do not use definite articles with names or Proper nouns.
Example of Definite Articles with Names:
The J.K. Rowling wrote the Harry Potter. —WRONG
J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter.—CORRECT
EXCEPTION:
However, we do use them in the following cases.
Countries with names that include Kingdom, States, or Republic Example: The United States of America. The Republic of India.
Countries with names as Plural Nouns Example: The West Indies The Philippines
Geographical Features Example: The Mt. Everest The Caspian Sea
Newspaper Names Example: The Times of India The Hindu
Well-known things, arts, building, hotels Example: The Great Wall of China. The Mona Lisa. The Pan Pacific Hotel
Organisations Example: The United Nations Organization The Commonwealth Nations
Families: Example: The Oberoi’s The Peterson’s
2. Indefinite Articles:
Indefinite articles are exact opposites of definite articles. We use the indefinite article ‘A’ or ‘An’ when we refer to a generic noun. It says that the noun is indefinite, uncertain and general. An is used for a noun starting with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) or vowel sound while A is used for consonants (rest of the alphabets)
Note: The use of A also denotes the singularity of the noun. We cannot use A for a plural noun.
Example of Indefinite Articles:
A red bus left an hour ago. (Here by using ‘A’ before red bus we wish to generalize the noun. There are many red buses, one of which left an hour ago.)
I saw a girl yesterday (Here it can be any girl. There is no specific one.)
I have an umbrella. (Here umbrella starts with ‘U’, a vowel, hence we use An)
The movie will begin in an hour. (Here even though hour starts with ‘H’, it is pronounced as ‘our’ which has a vowel sound. Hence we use An)
Thanks for reading English Speaking Course :Day-17: Articles
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