LA O

C. Articles

There are three articles in English: a, an, and the. A and an are called Indefinite
of any particular person or
Articles, because they are used when we do not speak
thing: as.
I saw a dog in the garden.

The is called the Definite Article, because it is used when we speak of some

particular person or thing: as,

The dog. which I saw yesterday, is dead.

The Indefinite Article

The indefinite article is a or an. A is used before consonants; an, before words
beginning with a vowel.
an apple, an order, an interesting book.
If the first letter of a word is an unpronounced h, it is treated as a vowel for this

purpose:
an hour, an heir, an honour, an honest man
Some words begin with a vowel but are pronounced as if they begin with a y
and are therefore preceded by a:
a university, a European, a useful hint.

A. The Indefinite Article is used:

1. Before stngular countable nouns when we are not referring to something

or someone specific or when the reader does not know which one is
referred to:
There was a letter for you this morning.
A friend of yours called on you.
2. In the sense of 'one':
I have a pencil and a pen.
I read a book every week.
Note: We use one instead of a, when we wish to draw attention to the fact that
there is only onae:
I have one car, not two.
3. With the meaning 'each':
Last week I wrote ten letters a day.

My salary has increased by Rs. 500 a year.

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 4. With the names of
occupations:
She wants to become a doctor.
My father is a farmer.
5. In general sense with a singular countable
a
noun that names an
example
ofa class of things:
An elephant is a useful animal.
A cold drink on a hot day is always welcome.
6. In exclamations before singular countable nouns:
What lovely dress! Such a shamel
a

7 In expressions of speed, price, ratio:

Mangoes cost Rs. 20 a kilo.
The bus travelled at 40 kilometres an hour.
8.
8. With certain numerical
expressions:
a dozen
pencils, a thousand years,
a million dollars, a
couple of goats.
9. When ve mply that a person, whose nane we use with a title, is urnkrown
to us:
A Mr. Gupta
wishes to speak to you.
A Dr. John has applied for the post.

B. The Indefinite Article is NOT used:

1. When the noun is urcourtable:
My new chair is made of wood.
Sand is used in making glass.
But it is used before uncountable nouns when we imply a comparison
between an uncountable noun and others of the same kind:
A cloth of this quality is very expensive.
A purer water than this does not exist.
2. When a noun is the name of a meal:
We had breakfast at seven o'clock.
I had dnner before gotng out.
If we use the name of a meal in the sense of a party, the indefinite article
is required:
There is going to be a dinner for the old boys of this school.
3.
3. There Is no plural f the tndefrite article, but 'some' or 'any' is the usual
equivalernt of the plural.
I saw a cow in the fleld. I saw some horses in the fleld.
She ate an orange. She didn't eat any oranges.
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ok
 4. f we remember that 'a' is the unemphatic form of 'one' we shall rot forget
that it cannot be used with uncountable nouns. The equivalent of 'a' with
uncountable nouns is 'some' or 'any'. If we want to emphasise the
singleness of the uncountable noun, we must put in front of it a phrase
ltke 'a piece of, 'a pound of, 'a bottle of.
Would you like some coffee? Yes, I would ike a cup of coffee.
We don't need any tea. I brought a kliogram of tea yesterday.
Note: Use of a before little, few, etc.
(a) Little has a negative meaning: 'hardly any'.
Little did they know of the danger.
(Practically they did not know of the danger.)
(b) A Little means a small amount.
A little rice was left over after the meals.
(c) The little means a small amount but whole of it.
The little rice which was left over after the meals, was given to the
maidservant.
The same principle is applicable to feuw, a few, the feuw when we refer to
countable nouns.
During hard times few people come forward to help.
It was raining heavily, a few people turned up for the party.
The few people who had come for the party. left before 8.00 p.m.

The Definite Article

A. The definite article (the) is used:
1. When the noun is known (to the reader or listener):
The letter we received was sent by my friend.
(The words 'we received' tell us which letter is referred to.)
2. When there is only one in existence:
The sun has risen high.
The sea covers a large part of the earth.
3. When the reader or istener knows which one is referred to:
Give me the book. (1.e. the book we are talking about, which you
borrowed, cte.)
The shop closes at six. (1.e. the one we are in, where I work, which

we are going to this afternoon. etc.)

4. Before oceans, seas, rvers, deserts:
the Pacific, the Baltic, the Sahara, the Ganges.

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 5. the name of country consists of an adjectwe + a noun, the definite
When a

article 1s required unless the adjective is: North, South, East, West, Upper
Louwer, Greater or New:
the United Kingdom, the United Arab Republic, the United States of America.
But: North Korea. West Germany. Upper Volta. Great Britain, New Zealand.
Four countries with one-word names take the definite article:
the Lebanon, the Congo, the Argentina, the Netherlands.
Note also: the North Pole, the South Pole.
6 When we refer to names of hotels, cinemas, theatres and ships:
He stays at the National Hotel.
He crossed the Atlantic in the Akbar I
They went to the Golcha last night to see an English picture.
7. Before ordinal numbers which make the nouns definite:
The first thing we must do is to take him to the doctor.
We live on the eleventh floor.
8. With superlatiwe adjectives which make a noun definite:
Of all the girls in the class she is the most intelligent.
He told me the latest news.
Note: When the word most is used in the sense of very or the majority it is not a
superlative and does not require the definite article:
I find his book most interesting.
I have read most of the books you gave me.
9. With adjectives used as nouns:
The sick and the lame were shown mercy.
The young have to support the old.
10. Next and last' normally particuilarize; but note that 'the' is omitted when
they refer to the period imumediately before or after the present.
The next question is the last one in the list.
But: Jane got married last week, and Jim is getting married next week.
11. When 'the' with a singular countable noun represents uwhole class
a
of things:
The elephant lives longer than most animals.
The atomic bomb was invented in 1944.
12. With the names of newspapers and magazines:
The Times of India, The Illustrated Weekly, The Statesman.
13. Before the names of certain wvell-krnown books:
The Bible, the Vedas, the Koran, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata
the Arabian Nights.

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 14. Before pural proper names, such a s rnames of peoples (rations) and families:
The Italians live in Italy.
The English are very fond of adventure.

Note the following:

The English, but Englishmen;
The French, but Frenchmen;

15. Before comparatives in constructions like:

The more it rains, the worse the roads will be.
The older he gets, the more difficult it is for him to find a job.

16. Before certain expressions of time:

in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening
on the previous day, the day before, on the following day, the day after

on the previous morning (afternoon, evening, night)

the week before last, the week after next

But the folowing expressiorns of time do not take the definite article:
last week, month, year, midnight, midday, noon;
next week, month, year.

B. The Definite Article is omitted:

1. Before plural nouris used for a whole class:

Snakes are often dangerous.
Bicycles cost more than they used to.
2. Before urncountable nouns with a general meantng:
Paper is produced from wood.
He studied History.

Abstract nouns belong to this category:

Honesty is the best policy.
Generosity was one of his virtues.
f an uncountable noun is defined, it ceases to have a general mearing and
therefore takes the definite article:
The sweets we brought yesterday have gone bad.
The paper in Norway is of high quality.
The generosity he has shown us is surprising.
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 as nouns:
f languages used
3. Before the names

He learnt Russian.

Sanskrit.
brother studied
My article is
as an adjective, the defintte
the language is used
t h e word for
necessary:
millions of people.
The Russian language is spoken by
Konkani language.
future for the
He thought there was a great
'mankind':
man' used tn the sense qf
4. Before
than the animals.
Man has more intelligence
used generally:
5. In expressions for means of travel
air.
by rail, by bus, by sea, by road, by
specific the article is required:
When we a r e more

He travelled by the 8 o'clock train.

6. In certain other expressions:

foot, on loan.
at home, on top, on

in meaning between the two sentences:

There is a slight difference
He has gone to church.
He has to the church.
gone
usual
In the first sentence that he has gone to church for the
we imply
in the second that he has gone there
for s o m e
purpose, namely, to worship;
note the difference between
other purpose-possibly to do a job. Similarly
the following sentences.
Some students didn't come to school this morning.

My father came to the school to talk to the headmaster.

Other common words of this kind are: college, university, hospital, market,
prison. Compare:
My brother is in hospital (Le. he is 1)
My sister, who is a nurse, is at the hospltal.
The criminal is now in prison.
The warder lives in the prison.

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 Repetition of the Article
the s a m e noun, the article is used before
. When two o r more adjectives qualify nouns the article is
different
only: but when they qualify
the first adjective
used before each adjective.
I have a black and white horse.
(i)
white.)
horse which is black and
I have only one

black and a white horse.

(ü) I have a

black and the other white.)

have tvo horses one
the
refer to the s a m e person or, thing,
or more connected
nouns
2. When two o r m o r e connected
used before the first only; but when two
article is normally each.
or things, the
article is used before
nouns refer to different persons

Principal and Secretary had

come.
The
is held by one person.)
(The post of the Principal and Secretary
had come.
(ü) The Principal and the Secretary

(The two posts a r e held by two different persons.)

ASSIGNMENT
in the sentences:
A . Insert 'a' or 'an' as ecessary in the gaps following
dress.
1. One of the ladies was wearing... . evening
2. Not many people read poetry, but quite f e w
read .... .. novels.

. . . . . rubber. I have made . . . d . . mistake.

3. Please pass me

4. I prefer.. fish to meat.

5. He bought . . . . . ron and pressed... pair of trousers.

6. glass, unlike water; is ..»..... poor conductor

OI ............ electricity.
7. He has . . . . . . glass of fruit juice before breakfast

every morning.
8. In some countries .. carpentry is not ...N.).. occupation

for. giri.
9. people who have little patience rarely succeed.

10. He is always complaining that he has few clothes.

A
 B
B. Insert the definite article where required in the following sentences:

1.
1. . ... aeroplane i s . . . . fastest means of transport.
2. . a.. trees we planted . . . . last year have nearly all died.
3. It was on ... .. fourth of... .. month that he arrived.

4 l o n g e r he stays in ..h.... capital, . more money

he spends.

5. . h . .wounded were taken to . . ! . new hospital.

6. 1 , is vital to . . . . economy of many countries.

7. Some people doubt if . . . man will ever be able to avoid . . . war.

8. .. earlier everybody arrives, . . . sooner we can start.

9. 9. book he was reading was on . . loan from .AM... library.

10. . d . dress she was weartng last night was made of . silk.

C. Give the difference in meaning between the sentences in each pair:

1. t0 I bought an old and dilapidated house.
(#). I bought an old and a dilapidated house.

.
. ... AnA.As.LAXAQ. MA..A...
..A
2. ( I saw the poet and the statesman.

(t) I saw the poet and statesman.

N.AAAKLA .
AA D..AK . . . AMO:..pAAA..
3. ( The sanitary inspector has gone to the hospital
() The doctor has gone to hospital.

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