ARICLES, ENGLISH GRAMMAR, COMMUNICATIVE ENGLISH, SPOKEN ENGLISH

1. AJIT SINGH
ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINER
ajit.ceo@gmail.com

2. There are two types of articles:
1. Definite Article
2. Indefinite Article
Rules:-
Omissions of A & An
Rule 1. Before plural and uncountable nouns.
e.g. He bought a flour. (Omit A before the word flour
because it is an uncountable noun)
A boys participated in sports. (Omit A before the word boys
because it a plural noun and introduce The before the word
boys.)
Articles

3. Rule 2. Before names of meals except when these are
preceded by an adjective.
e.g. We had a breakfast. (Incorrect)
We had a healthy breakfast. (Correct)
* An Indefinite article is also used it is a special meal
given to celebrate or in someone’s honour.
E.g. Mr. Singh was invited to a dinner given to welcome the
Governor.
Rule 3. Before a noun preceded by sort of, kind of and so
on.
e.g. What a kind of flower is it? (Omit A before the word
kind)
Omissions of A & An

4. Use of A : It is used before the word
beginning with a consonant sound.
e.g. A girl, a man, a book etc.
Use of An : It is used before the word
beginning with a vowel sound.
e.g. An hour, an MLA, an SDO etc.
The Indefinite Articles

5. A or An is used :
Rule 1. Before the word most used in the
sense of very, very much or exceedingly.
e.g. He is the most talented boy.
Rule 2. In the sense of every.
e.g. She gets fifteen thousand a month.
Rule 3. In the sense of one.
e.g. This is a useful book.
USE OF A OR AN

6. Rule 4. In the sense of any, single or some.
e.g. I have a regard for her.
She did not say a word against me.
Rule 5. Before a singular countable noun in a general
sense to represent a class of thing.
e.g. A car must be insured.
Exception: The noun man and woman are exception to
the said rule. Man and Woman when used in a general
sense to denote mankind or womankind as a whole
never takes an article.
e.g. Man is mortal.
Woman is tender-hearted.
USE OF A OR AN

7. Rule 6. With a noun complement. This includes names
of professions.
e.g. He is an artist.
I am a teacher.
Rule 7. In the sense of the same.
e.g. They are much of an age.
Birds of a feather flock together.
Rule 8. After an adjective preceded by as, so, too,
how, quite etc.
e.g. He is not so big a fool as you think.
e.g. This is too heavy a bag for me to carry.
USE OF A OR AN

8. Rule 9. With some abstract nouns in a particular
sense but in the singular one.
e.g. Your children are a great help to you.
It is a shame that he was not paid.
Rule 10. After the words many, rather, such, quite
and so forth.
e.g. Many a girl visited him yesterday.
It is rather a pity that you could not attend the
meeting.
Rule 11. Before certain uncountable nouns preceded
by nouns + of.
e.g. A piece of advice, a bit of news etc.
USE OF A OR AN

9. Rule 12. Before a proper noun to make it a
common noun.
e.g. He is a Newton. (A great scientist)
She is a Shakespeare. (A great dramatist)
Rule 13. In certain phrases
e.g. a bad cold, a severe pain, make an effort
etc.
Rule 14. In certain expression of quantity
e.g. a lot of, a couple, a good deal of and so
on.
USE OF A OR AN

10. Rule 15. With certain numbers.
e.g. a hundred, a thousand, a million and so forth.
Rule 16. In expressions of price, speed ratio etc.
e.g. five times a day, Rs. 50/- a metre, ten kilometers
an hour etc.
Rule 17. In exclamations before singular countable
nouns.
e.g. Such a long queue!
What a pretty girl!
Rule 18. The indefinite article A can be placed
before Mr., Ms., Mrs., Dr., Prof. + surname.
e.g. A Mr. Singh is waiting for you. (A before Mr.
Singh implies that he is a stranger to the speaker)
USE OF A OR AN

11. Omission of The
Rule 1. Before a proper noun in general sense.
e.g. Hyderabad is a beautiful city.
Rule 2. Before abstract and material nouns in general
sense.
e.g. Gold is a precious metal.
Water is life.
Rule 3. Before languages, arts, science, nature,
seasons, games, sound, light, disease.
Rule 4. Before single mountain and single island i.e.
Mount Everest.
The Definite Article

12. The is used with countable nouns, singular and plural,
and with uncountable nouns. The is used:
Rule 1. To refer to something that has already been
mentioned.
e.g. I met the person whom you were talking about.
Rule 2. Before an adjective in the superlative degree.
e.g. She is the best of all the girls in the office.
Rule 3. Before a singular countable noun which
represents a class.
e.g. The tiger is a ferocious animal.
Use of The

13. Rule 4. Before abstract and material nouns used
with an adjunct which makes them definite.
e.g. The gold we use in India is all imported from
abroad.
Rule 5. In place of a possessive adjective before
the names of parts of the body.
e.g. She struck me on the (not my) head.
Rule 6. Before the names of certain countries
each of which is a unit of smaller units.
e.g. The USA, the UAE, the West Indies etc.
Use of The

14. Rule 7. Some colours can be used in the plural form to
represent people but these take “S” at the end like
nouns.
e.g. The Whites, The Blacks etc.
Rule 8. After all, both, half
e.g. Both the sons are intelligent.
Rule 9. In certain phrases.
e.g. On the way, on the contrary, during the night etc.
Rule 10. With the names of people written as The +
surname
e.g. The Tatas, The Birlas etc.
Use of The

15. Rule 11. Before certain adjectives to give a plural
meaning.
e.g. The rich, the poor, the blind, the healthy
unemployed etc.
Rule 12. Before the unique objects.
e.g. The sun, the moon, the sky, the universe, the
equator etc.
Rule 13. Before the names of famous;
newspaper ( The Hindu), scripture (The Ramayana),
political party (The Congress), river (The Ganga),
a chain of mountains (The Himalayas), group of islands
(The Andamans) etc.
Use of The

16. 1. My elder brother is an M.A. whereas I am
only a B.A.
2. U.S.A. is the richest country of the world. (The USA)
3. What kind of a man is he? (Omit A)
4. This is a news to me. (A bit of news)
5. Ramayana is read and held in high esteem
not only in India but also in USA and
USSR. (The Ramayana, The USA, The USSR)
6. Ganga is one of longest rivers of the world. (The Ganga,
The longest)
7. None but brave deserves the fair. (The brave)
8. He is an European but his wife is an
Indian. (a European )
9. He recited the poem in an honour of the
Prime Minister. (a poem)
10. The man is mortal. (Omit The)
Correct the following sentences

17. 11. That the honesty is the best policy is
known to the honest person. (Honesty, An Honest)
12. Our principal is the man of principle. (A man)
13. Shakespeare is Kalidas of England. (The Kalidas)
14. Delhi is a Paris of India. (The Paris)
15. He is a Raj Kapoor of our class. (The Raj Kapoor)
16. Higher we go, cooler it is. (The higher, the cooler)
17. Times-of India, published from Delhi, is the
perfect newspaper. (The Times-of India, A perfect)
18. Punjab is a land of braves. (The land)
19. Dickens is famous as a novelist and
essayist. (Correct)
20. Hindu culture assigns highest position to
Pundit. (The Hindu)
Correct the following sentences