This blog is about definite and indefinite articles. These articles are frequently used in English grammar. But let’s discuss the definition of articles first.
Definition of Articles:
Articles are one of the parts of speech. In English Grammar, we use articles to identify nouns, which is why they are used before nouns. Articles work like adjectives. They help us determine whether the noun is singular or plural and whether it is general or particular. The words that are used as articles are “a,” “an,” and “the.”
These “a,” “an,” and “the” articles are categorized into two types: definite articles and indefinite articles. ‘The’ is a definite article in English, whereas ‘a’ and ‘an’ are indefinite articles in English.
Let’s learn the use of the definite article.
Definite Article:
Rule 1:
“The” is a definite article that specifies a particular noun. It cannot be used in the general sense.
Definite Article Examples:
- The flowers in the vase are stunning.
- I am going to attend the conference on research methodology.
- The students who delivered the Time- Management presentation were very laborious.
- The professor who delivered the lecture yesterday was very grounded.
- I read the entire book that you gave me.
Rule 2:
“The” article is also used with a superlative degree of adjectives:
- Rohit is the smartest student in the class.
- Vancouver is the costliest city in Canada.
- John is the youngest pilot in our batch.
- Mr. Mehta is the wisest man in our society.
- It was the most challenging question one could ever solve.
Rule 3:
“The” article can also be used with a comparative degree of adjectives if it is followed by “of” instead of “than”:
- The more you travel, the more confident you become.
- The more I will read, the more wisdom I gain.
- The more they trek, the more experience they gain.
- The faster you complete the project, the more work you get.
Rule 4:
“The” article is used before the name of rivers and oceans.
• The Titanic drowned in the Pacific Ocean.
• The Ganga is a sacred river.
Rule 5:
“The” article is used before the name of geographical areas.
• The Middle East countries include Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Oman, Qatar, and many more.
• English is the most common language in the West.
Rule 6:
Before the title of holy books, “the” is used.
Examples:
• The Gita is a holy book.
• Christians regard the Bible to be a holy text.
Rule 7:
“The” article is used before the name of deserts:
• The largest hot desert in the world is the Sahara Desert.
• The Thar desert is in Rajasthan.
Rule 8:
Name of Buildings:
- The Taj Mahal is one of the most revered monuments of art in the world’s history.
- The White House is where the American president resides and conducts work.
- Italy is the home of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
• The Sydney Opera House is a marvel that is built in Australia.
• The Burj Khalif is the tallest skyscraper situated in Dubai.
Rule 9:
“The” Article is used with ordinal numbers.
Examples:
• I ignored his mistake the third time.
• I have just prepared the first chapter of the book.
• Our University library is on the seventh floor.
• I have already sent the third reminder to the publisher.
• You can enjoy the scenic beauty of the surroundings from the ninth floor.
Rule 10:
“The” Article refers to unique people and objects.
- The Earth revolves around the sun.
- The sky is limitless.
- The Director of the company is weird.
- The team leader gave tremendous speech.
Indefinite Articles:
“A” and “An” are called indefinite articles. The indefinite articles are used when we specify the noun in a general sense rather than a particular one. If the noun begins with a vowel sound, we use “an” article, whereas if the noun begins with a consonant sound, it takes “a” article.
Indefinite Article Examples:
Examples of “an” article:
- Rohit is an investor.
- Mohit is an IAS officer.
- Rose is an honest girl.
- I will finish my assignment within an hour.
- An anonymous poet writes this poem.
Examples of “a” article:
- Reena is a wise politician.
- Riya will complete her Phd degree in History within a year.
- My best friend has bought a penthouse this year.
- My husband gifted me a diamond ring on my first wedding anniversary.
- Our new professor belongs to a European country.
“A” Article is used with singular nouns after the words “such” and “what.”
- What a surprise!
- Such a beautiful day!
- What a performance!
- What an incredible event!
- Such a great leader!
“A” Article refers to a single person or object, a single unit of measure. In simple words, this article can be used where you want to mention the quantity “one.”
- Do you need a pen?
- I need a break.
- I want to eat an apple.
- My sister purchased a beautiful gown for my wedding.
- The professor has recently published a paper in the reputed journal.
Names of Jobs:
- My best friend is an Architect.
- Her mother is a gynecologist.
- His brother is a singer.
- I want to become an engineer.
- Ana is the best ballet dancer in our school.
Omission of Articles:
You can’t use any article with the names of Sports.
- Everyone loves cricket.
- My friend plays badminton for 2 hours.
- I don’t know the rules of playing rugby.
- My friend is taking professional training for football.
- I am good at playing tennis.
Articles are not used with the name of subjects
- Mathematics is a complex subject.
- Biology is an exciting subject.
Proper nouns and Abstract nouns do not take any article.
- Mumbai is a metropolitan city.
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands is one of the union territories in India.
- One cannot buy happiness.
- Childhood is the best stage of an individual’s life.
- In my neighbourhood, everyone is amicable.
Articles are not used with the name of meals.
- What did you bring for lunch?
- In our hostel, we get breakfast at fixed times.
Articles are not used with the name of metals.
- Gold is the most expensive metal.
- Silver is cheaper than gold.
- Aluminium is used to make pacemakers.
- Platinum is used as a pacemaker.
- Diamond is primarily used in jewellery.
This blog has covered the use of articles in English, and learning all the examples of articles in the above example sentences has clarified this topic.
For related blogs visit our Grammar Page.