ARTICLES
Vowels
Consonants
Articles
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VOWELS:
A, E, I, O, U
CONSONANTS:
B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Y, Z.
ARTICLES:
Adjective “A” or “An” and “The” are usually called Articles. They are really Demonstrative Adjective.
KINDS OF ARTICLES:
Indefinite Articles
Definite Articles
INDEFINITE ARTICLES:
“A” or “An” is called the Indefinite Articles because it does not point out any particular person or thing and the choice between “A” and “An” is determined by sound.
Example:
I saw a boy riding on an ass.
USE OF “A”
Before a word beginning with a consonant.
Example:
A woman
A year
A hero
Before such vowels as have the sound of “yu”.
Example:
A union
A university
A useful
Before the word one which begins with the consonant sound of “wa”.
Example:
A one – rupee note
Such a one
A one – eyed man
We use “A” before countable in the singular number.
Example:
A train
A question
A player
The use of “A” in the following expressions.
Example:
A pity
A noise
A bad cold
In its original numerical sense of “one”
Example:
Twelve inches make a foot.
Not a word was said.
A word to the wise is sufficient.
In the sense of “any”, to single out an individual as the representative of a class.
Example:
A pupil should obey his teacher.
A cow is a useful animal.
USE OF “AN”
Before a word beginning with a vowel (A, E, I, O, U) sound “An” is used.
Example:
An enemy
an orange
The words hour, honest, honorable begin with a vowel sound, as the initial consonant “H” is not pronounced.
Example:
an hour
an honest
an honorable
We use “An” before countable in the singular number.
Example:
An uncle
An experiment
An artist
DEFINITE ARTICLES:
“The” is called Definite Articles because it is used when we speak of some particular “person” or “thing”.
Example:
This is a boy I saw.
This is the ass I saw.
USE OF “THE”
When a Singular Noun is used to indicate a whole class.
Example:
The dog is a faithful animal.
The rose smells sweet.
Before the names of “rivers, seas, oceans, gulfs, mountain – ranges and groups of islands”
Example:
The Ganges
The Andamans
The Alps
Before the names of newspapers and sacred books.
Example:
The Times of India.
The Vedas
The Tribune
Before common nouns which are names of things unique of their kind.
Example:
The earth moves round the sun.
The moon is shining in the sky.
Before the names of races or nations.
Example:
The Hindus
The English defeated the French.
Before Adjectives in the Superlative Degree and before Ordinal Numeral Adjectives.
Example:
This is the best book I have seen.
January is the first month of the year.
REPETITION OF THE ARTICLE:
When two or more Adjective qualifies the same Noun, the Article is used before the first the first Adjective only; but when they qualify different Nouns, expressed or understood, the Article is normally used before Adjective.
Example:
I have a black and a white dog.
When two or more connected nouns refer to the same person or thing, the Article is ordinarily used before the first only; but when two or more connected nouns refer to different persons or things, the Article is used before each.
Example:
The Secretary and the Treasurer are absent.
In expressing a comparison, if two nouns refer to the same person or thing, the Article is used before the first noun only.
Example:
He is a better mechanic than clerk.
He is a better poet than novelist.
WHERE NOT TO USE ANY ARTICLE:
When a noun is used in the general sense.
Example:
Man is mortal. (We are talking of man in the general sense.)
With plural nouns when they denote a class.
Example:
Children are usually naughty.
Animals can also be friendly.
With the names of meals: dinner, lunch, breakfast.
Example:
She invited all her friends to lunch.
Dinner should be taken much before bedtime.
With the names of diseases: malaria, typhoid (But the measles, the mumps)
Example:
Malaria is no longer a killer disease.
Quite a few children suffer from the mumps.
With languages and branches of knowledge: English, Hindi, History, and Mathematics. (English means the English language. The English means the English people.)
Example:
English is the language of the English.
Japanese is a difficult language.
With the names of days, months and seasons.
Example:
Sunday is a holiday.
Our school is closed for summer vacation in June.
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