Friday 27 September 2013

Correct usage of the Articles (with best examples)


Some other words of this kind are: absolute, annual, chief, circular, complete, entire, extreme, excellent, full, impossible, right, round, unique, universal, whole, etc.

a. In general, the Article is used before a Common noun, singular number.

Example:
He is a Ravi.(wrong)
He is Ravi.(correct)

He is doctor.
He is a doctor.

b. 'A' and 'an' are used depending on the sound.

i. 'An' is used before a word beginning with a vowel sound.

Example:
an elephant, an umbrella, an apple, an hour, an honest girl.

ii. 'A' is used before a word beginning with a consonant sound.

Example:
a boy, a square, a university, a useful strategy, a one-rupee coin.

     iii. 'An' is often used before words beginning with 'h' and not accented on the first syllable.

Example:
an honour, an hour.

However 'a' is used where 'h' is pronounced as in:
a hotel, a hospital, a hostel etc..

c. The Definite Article 'the' is used

i. When we speak of a particular person or thing, or someone or something already referred to or known to the speaker.

Example:
Let us go to the party.
I like the girl.
The movie we saw was very humorous.

ii. When a singular noun is meant to represent a whole class.

Example:
A camel is the ship of the desert.(1)
The camel is the ship of the desert.(2)

A lion is the king of the forest.1
The lion is the king of the forest. 2


     iv. Before common nouns which are names of things unique of their kind.

Example:
The sun, the earth, the moon, the sky, etc.

v.  With Superlatives.

Example:
Sunny is the most brilliant student in the class.
Jenny is the most beautiful girl in the colony.

vi. Before an adjective when the noun is understood.

Example:
The lucky are always the winners.
The rich always look down on the poor.

vii. Before a noun (with emphasis), to give the force of a superlative.

Example:
He is the Hercules of his school.
He is the Cupid of her heart.
He is the father of HR in India.

     viii. As an Adverb with Comparatives.

Example:
The more you crave, the more attractive it would seem.
The more, the merrier.

d. The Indefinite Article is used:

i. In its original numerical sense of 'one'

Example:
Hold on for a minute.
Not a sound was heard
Hundred centimetres make a metre.

ii. In the vague sense of a certain word:

Example:
One fine morning, a pigeon flew to our garden.
During my journey, a man met with an accident.

iii. In the sense of 'any', to single out an individual as the representative of a class:

Example:
A cat is a domestic animal
A child has to respect its parents.
     iv. To make a common noun of a proper noun.

Example:
A Jesus is born again!
An Abdul Kalam was moulded!

e. The article is omitted

i. Before a noun used in its widest sense.

Example:
What kind of treatment is this?
Woman is synonymous with nature.

ii. Before names of materials.

Example:
Copper is a good conductor of electricity.
Steel is an alloy of Iron and Carbon.

iii. Before proper nouns.

Example:
Hyderabad is the capital of Andhra Pradesh.
Sita was the wife of Rama.

iv. Before abstract nouns used in a general sense.

Example:
Honesty is the best policy.
Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.
Trust is paramount in a relationship.

     v. In certain phrases consisting of a transitive verb followed by its object.

Example:
to give ear, to leave school, to set sail, to catch fire, etc.

vi. In certain phrases consisting of a preposition followed by its object.

Example:
at school, to school, at lunch, at sunrise, by air, etc.

vii. Before the noun following 'kind of'

Example:
What kind of joke is this?
What kind of girl is she?

f. When two or more descriptive adjectives qualifying the same noun are connected by 'and' the Article is used before the first adjective only.

Example:
That is a Greek and Latin speech.
The pink and green gown was lost.

g. When two or more connected nouns refer to the same person or thing, the Article is ordinarily used before the first only.

Example:
We met the Secretary and Chairman of the college.


      h. In expressing a comparison, if two nouns refer to the same person or thing, the Article is used before the first noun only.

Example:
Sachin is a better batsman than bowler.
You are a better speaker than listener.

i. When two or more adjectives qualify different nouns, expressed or understood, the Article is used before each adjective.

Example:
The first and the last question were both difficult.
The pink and the green dress. (Two dresses)
The Spanish and the German language. (Two languages)

Note: Repetition of 'the' is not considered to be necessary when the noun is used in the plural.

Example:
The first and last questions were both difficult.
The pink and green dresses.
The Spanish and German languages.

Note: The second article is often dropped even where the reference is to different individuals or things, provided the thought is not in any way impaired.

Example:
Before you answer the first and last question.

j. When two or more connected nouns refer to different persons or things, the article is used before each.

Example:
We met the Secretary and the Chairman of the college.

Additional information about correct usage of Articles:

In English an 'article' is a word which identifies and limits the power of a noun. In this process there are two kinds. First is the indefinite article i.e., 'a(n)' which introduces something and the second is the definite article i.e., 'the' which refers to the noun introduced by 'a(n)' or the noun already known. Observe the following applications of the article and exercise them with great attention.

1. The difference in usage between 'a' and 'an' is 'a' can precede before the consonant sound  produced by a vowel or a consonant.
  

We are a group, or we are a union.
He is an honourable and honest person.


     
2. In the two columns below, notice where an article is used and not used.
Article used
   
Article not used
Before common and collective nouns

Example:
a man
a committee    

on average, make fun, send word, in debt, at interest, etc.

Example:
On average each of us earned fifty rupees a day  (not: on an average)
after 'to be'

Example:
He is a student here

 -with : hundred, thousand, half, dozen, headache, sore throat, bad cold severe pain, etc.

Example:
I am afflicted with a bad cold, stay away.

as in : on a large scale, at a loss, as a rule, make an excuse, in a hurry, etc.
                                                                             
                        
- before : nationalities, instruments, organs of body, names of rivers, seas, oceans, etc.

Example:
The pacific is the largest ocean of all.     - before : proper, abstract, material, plural nouns

Example:
Michael is my good friend ( not 'the Michael')
- with : Cinema, Park, Zoo, Theatre, mountains, gulfs, etc.

Example:
Next Sunday shall we go to the Exhibition?     - with : names of - languages, meals, games, diseases, colours, senses, days, months , etc.

Example:
Cholera is a dreadful disease. (not: the cholera)
- in : in the right, in the wrong, in the positive/negative, in the morning/ afternoon/evening, etc.

Example:
Breakfast is eaten in the morning.
e.g: They are of the opinion that she is the bone of contention between them.     - also with : the words - society, nature, future, man, etc.

Example:
There is no one that can really predict
the future. - in : of opinion, in case of, cast anchor, set foot, by name, etc.
                                                         

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