English Articles: A, AN, THE
A, an and the are called Articles. They are really
Demonstrative Adjectives. They may also be called Determiners because they are
used before Nouns. A and an are called the Indefinite Articles. They leave the
person or thing spoken of in an indefinite state. They do not refer to or
define any specific person or thing:
A book; that is, any
book
An ox; that is, any ox.
The is called the Definite Article. It
particularises a person or thing:
He ran after the thief. (some
particular thief)
An Article is generally used before a Countable and
Common Noun, Singular Number:
Her is a letter for
you.
There comes an ox.
This is the book I
want.
But if the Common Noun (man and woman only) in the
Singular is used in a general sense, then no Article is used:
Woman is vain.
Note: This
statement is correct only in the case of a man and woman.
Man can not bear such humiliation
(here man = all men)
But before other words, A means ‘every one’: ‘A cow has two horns’ means
‘Every cow has two horns’.
Position of the Article:
Rule 1:
An article comes before a noun ;
He is a boy often. I saw an
owl in the forest.
The Taj is a historical
building.
Rule
II. An article comes before an adjective
in case it qualifies some noun;
He helped are old man.
The cow is a faithful
animal.
She reached the dense
forest in the dark.
Please note that the article a I an is determined by the sound of the
adjective which follows it.
Rule
III. An article is placed before an adverb which comes before an
adjective.
This is a very pretty
girl.
This is a really
difficult sum.
Please note that the article is sometimes placed
after the adverb
She gave me quite a
different reply.
It is almost the same
story.
Rule IV.
Such is followed by a/an. All and Both are followed by the:
She is such a nice
girl. We have never met such an idiot.
Both the brothers are
wise. All the girls are smart.
Use of Indefinite Articles
Indefinite Articles are used:
(a) In numeral sense meaning one
Seven days make a week.
Not a word did he
speak.
Hundred paise make a
rupee.
(b) To represent a class;
A donkey is a beast of
burden.
A subordinate should obey
his boss.
A child cries when he
is hungry.
(c) In the vague sense of something certain:
One night a thief broke
into his house.
In old days there was a king
in India.
An old man had four
daughters.
(d) To generalise the Proper Noun:
He is a Newton, (as
able as Newton)
Kalidas is a Shakespeare.
(e) In the sense of the same:
Birds of a feather
(lock together.
Two of a trade seldom
agree.
(f) In the sense of every:
I get a stipend of Rs.
1000 a month.
Rice costs forty rupees
a kilo.
(g) In the sense of some, any or a single:
I have a regard for my
uncle.
She did not speak a
word in self-defence.
There is not a man here
who can solve this sum.
Use of A and AN
A
is used with a word having a consonant sound whether the word begins with a
vowel or a consonant.
(a) Consonants with consonant sound :
A man, a book, a pen, a B.A.,
a yard, a year etc. '
(b) Vowels with consonant sounds like ‘w’ and ‘y’:
a one-eyed donkey, a
one-way ticket a one-rupee note ; a one-legged girl. a useful book, a European
a unique building, a university ;
An
is used before a word beginning with a vowel sound:
(a) Vowels with vowel sound:
An eye, an elephant, an
ox, an inkpot, an ear, an owl, an orange.
(b) Before words beginning with a
silent ‘h’:
An hour, an heir, an
honest man.
(c) Consonants with vowel sound:
An M.A., an S.D.O., an
M.P.
Use of Definite Article ‘THE’
The is used :
1. To
particularise a person or a thing, or one well-known to us or one already
mentioned:
I have lost the pen
that you gave me.
Let us go to the
bazaar.
The thief was taken to
the police-station.
He sent me a book. The
book was interesting.
2.
When a Singular Noun represents the whole class:
The cow is a useful
animal.
The fox is a cunning
animal.
The lion is the king of
beasts.
Note: The whole class of things can be shown in the
following ways;
A camel is a beast of
burden.
The camel is a beast of
burden.
Camels arc beasts of
burden.
Exception. Man is mortal. Woman is fickle.
Man, woman never take an article when they are used in a general sense
to denote the whole class.
3. We
use The with a Proper Noun when we wish to show similarity;
Kalidas is the
first-rate poet in India, like Shakespeare.
We
can use The with a Material Noun when we change it into either ‘of Phrase’ or
particularise it as a word or phrase or clause. The cotton of Egypt means
especially cotton of Egypt.
Kalidas is the
Shakespeare of Bangkok is the Venice of the East.
Gama was the Rustam of
India.
Always speak the truth.
The cotton of Egypt is
superior to that of Pakistan.
4. (a) With names of seas, oceans, gulfs, rivers,
groups of islands, bays, straits and canals:
The Arabian Sea, the
Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf, the Ganges, the East Indies, the Bay of Bengal,
the Panama canal, the Palk strait.
(b) With
a range of mountains.
The Alps, the Vindhyas,
the Himalayas.
Note: (a) ‘The’ is not used before certain
individual mountains;
Mount Everest, Parasnath.
(b) ‘The’ is not used before certain individual
islands:
Sicily, Ceylon,
Ireland.
5.
Before the names of sacred books, news-papers, magazines, ships and
well-known Idings:
The Gita, the Tribune, the
Indian Review, the Delhi (ship), the Taj.
Note: ‘The’ is not used before the title of a book
bearing the name of a person or the author; as
David Copperfield, Tom
Jones, Oliver Twist
Vyasa's Mahabharata,
Shakespeare's Hamlet.
6.
Before the descriptive names of countries and provinces;
The Punjab, the Sindh,
The U.S.A.
7.
Before the names of unique objects:
The sun, the moon, the
earth, the sky, the sea.
8.
Before a Proper Noun when qualified by an Adjective or defining
Adjective clause:
The great Akbar, the
immortal Iqbal.
The Mr. Sharif whom you
met in the evening is my friend.
9.
With an Adjective to represent a class:
The rich should not look down upon the poor.
The wise should be sober.
The literates should teach the illiterates.
10. (a) With the Superlative and in certain cases
with Comparative Degree;
Dr. Iqbal was the
greatest man of the world.
The longest day has the
shortest night.
The tallest boy won the
race.
(b)
Before a comparative adjective to denote selection out of two.
She sings the better of
the two.
Vibha is the taller of
the two sisters.
(c) As
an adverb with comparative.
The more, the merrier.
The higher you soar the
cooler it is.
The more you waste, the
more you suffer.
11. To
lay emphasis:
Selfishness is the
order of the day.
He is the man for the
work. This is the thing I want.
12.
Before Ordinals:
The second girl in the first row is my sister.
13.
Before the Nationalities, Communities (People) and Political Parties:
The Hindus, the
English, the Burmese, the Muslim LeagueJ
14. In
place of a Possessive Adjective:
He held me by the arm.
15.
Before dates:
I shall come back on the 13th of May.
16.
With the cardinal points (names of directions):
The sun rises in the
East and sets in the West.
17.
Before the Adjectives ‘Same’ and ‘Whole'’ and after the Adjectives ‘all’
and ‘both’.
This is the same pen
(as) you gave me.
The whole class was absent.
All the boys are
present. Both the friends are jolly.
18.
Before an adjective to indicate an abstract idea.
I appreciate the
honest, the good and the pure.
(Here the honest, the good and the pure indicate
honesty, goodness and purity.)
19. We
use a/an when a singular countable noun is mentioned at first. We use the when
we happen to refer again to the -noun already mentioned:
I saw an old man. The
old man came to me.
I gave some money to
the old man.
I went to a
photographer. The photographer was young.
20. When someone/something particular is meant.
The teacher wrote to me
a chit.
The baby is crying. Her
mother is not at home.
I was talking to the
councillor yesterday.
21. (a) Before a public building:
The Town Hall. The
Prime Minister’s House.
(b) Before some performances:
The circus, the show,
the cinema, the concert.
22.
Before the name of an aeroplane or a ship:
The Babar, the Tezgam
Study the use of the Definite Article in the
following sentences:
(a) The
virtuous are generally happy.
This is the book on Arithmetic. (The best)
This is the teacher in the school.
Time makes the worst enemies friends.
The day dawned.
The heat was unbearable there.
The honourable minister will speak in the public meeting today.
(b) Milk
is sold by the litre.
Cloth is sold by the metre.
Eggs are sold by the dozen.
We
shall fight to the last.
The old man is on the point of death.
Do
not leave your friends in the lurch.
The colonial system is on the wane.
He
is quite upto the mark in the class.
The number of students in the school is on the increase.
You are in the wrong.
He
played the fool.
He
is on the brink of ruin.
He
met me in the guise of a beggar.
Death stared us in the face.
We also say:
In the end all the same by the way
to go to the dogs to go to the wall in the nick of time
in the face of out of the question on the one hand
on the whole on the eve of etc.
Omission of Article
Article is not used before :
1. Proper, Material and Abstract Nouns when they are
used in general sense: Raza is
the monitor of our class.
Uranium is not found in Pakistan.
Patience is a virtue. (Proper
Noun)
(Material Noun)
(Abstract Noun)
Remember :
(a) When
the Uncountable Nouns (Proper, Material and Abstract Nouns) are particularised
the is used before them:
Shahzad is the Newton of our class.
The sugar of Java is not superior to that of Pakistan.
The beauty of the garden is unique.
(b) The
is used before Proper Nouns preceded by Adjectives:
The honest Kashif.
Note: The is used in case some phrase makes them
particularized
The children of my
neighbour are very sweet.
2. The
Common Nouns in the plural:
Children like sweets.
3. The
Common Nouns used in the widest sense:
Man is a social animal.
Animals have an
underdeveloped brain.
4. A
Common Noun in the Vocative case (Nominative of address):
Bring me a book from
the library, boy.
5. A
Common Noun preceded by ‘kind of, ‘sort of, ‘type of:
What kind of man is he?
What sort of girl is
she?
What type of house do
you live in?
6. Common Nouns used in pairs:
Both husband and wife
are poets.
From head to foot she
was dressed in white.
7.
Nouns used as complements:
They selected him
President.
He was appointed monitor.
8. A
title, rank, status etc. used in Apposition to a Proper Noun;
Asif Ali Zardari,
President of Pakistan.
Elizabeth, Queen of
England.
9. The
names of lakes, capes, countries, continents, cities, days, months, languages
etc.
English etc.
10.
Before names of meals:
She invited me to
dinner.
Let us meet over tea.
Exception:
I liked the tea, she
offered me.
Here tea has been specified by the use of the clause
'she offered me'.
11.
Before the nouns as bed, hospital, church, office, temple, school,
college etc. when they are used for their primary purpose; as
She goes to office
every morning.
My mother goes to
temple everyday.
The injured were rushed
to hospital.
My mother is still in
bed
Exception
I went to the school to
see the Principal.
I go to the hospital
every day to see my aunt.
Here the is used before school and hospital because they are used in a
secondary sense.
12. In
certain Verbal Phrases (Transitive Verb + Noun); as
to
cast anchor to follow
suit to keep house
to
catch fire to lose
heart to give ear to do penance to set foot to send word to take offence etc.
The ship has cast
anchor.
Her clothes have caught
fire.
Don’t lose heart, cheer
up.
Give ear to what I say.
Never set foot in our
house again.
13. In
certain Prepositional Phrases; as
Mother in not at home.
I am in mental trouble.
She will return at sunset. I have never travelled by
air.
I
go to school on foot. She
can do anything for money.
Note: the Omission of the Article in the following
sentences :
(a) Most
boys axe careless.
This is news to me.
I
live in Model Town.
I
am not in good health.
Parliament will reject such a bill.
(b)
Don’t lose heart.
The ship set sail.
I
sent him word.
Take heart and play the game.
Let us set to work now.
(c) I am
at home in English.
He
goes to school on foot.
We
work by day and sleep by night.
He
stood by me through thick and thin.
The fox could not get at the grapes, as they were out of reach.
Points to Note
1. If
two or more Adjectives refer to the same noun, the Article is placed before the
first Adjective only.
2. If
two-or more Adjectives qualify different Nouns, the Article is used before each
Adjective.
3. If
two or more Nouns represent the same person or thing the Article is placed
before the first one only.
Now mark the difference between the meaning of the
following pairs of sentences:
1.
I have a red and white
cow.
I have a red and a white cow. (one cow)
(two cows)
2.
The king and poet is dead.
The king and the poet is dead (one person)
(two persons)
3.
He is a better teacher than
clerk.
He is a better teacher than a clerk. (same person)
(different persons)
4.
He met a smart girl and a
woman.
He met a smart girl and a woman. (both were smart)
(only the girl was smart)
5.
He is the most intelligent
boy.
He is a most intelligent boy. (the best of all)
(one of the best)
6.
Girls are going to school.
Girls are going to the school. (are going to the school not.)
(necessarily that they study in it.)
Note: They are certain such Nouns which do not take
the before them when they are used for the purpose they are meant for.
My brother has gone to
school (to study).
Father has gone to the
school (to talk to the headmaster).
He has gone to hospital
(as a patient).
He has gone to the
hospital (to meet his friend, who is a doctor).
He has gone to jail (as
a prisoner).
He has gone to the jail
(to talk to the jailor).
You go to church (to
pray).
You go to bed (to
sleep).
Common Errors in the Use of Articles:
Incorrect Correct
1. Never tell lie. She is an MA.
2. She is an M.A. The sun sets in the West.
3. Sun sets in West. Sun sets in the West
4. This is a news to me. This is news to me.
5. She has headache. She has a headache.
6. It is quarter to ten. Why are you making a noise?
7. Why are you making noise? Why are you making a noise?
8. Ganges is a sacred river. The Ganges is a sacred river.
9. The both sisters are intelligent. Both the sisters are intelligent.
10. I buy Pakistan Times daily. I buy the Pakistan Times daily.
11. Sindh is drier than Punjab. Sindh is drier than the Punjab.
12. Camel is ship of the
desert. The Camel is ship of the
desert.
13. Cloth is sold by metre. Cloth is sold by the metre.
14. I held him by arm. I held him by the arm.
15. Lion is a king of beasts. The lion is a king of beasts.
16. The gold is a precious
metal. Gold is a precious metal.
17. This radio set cost me
thousand rupees. This radio set
cost me a thousand rupees.
18.
Gita is a sacred book of
Hindus. The Gita is a sacred book
of the Hindus.
19.
The English is the language
of English. English is the language of the
English.
20.
Himalayas are the highest
mountains in world. The Himalayas
are the highest mountains in the world.
