B.Tech-I-Unit-I--Articles ;A, An, The
A,
An, The
Articles are words which modify the nouns in a sentence.
Articles are of two types
Indefinite article (a, an=any)
Definite article (The= particular)
Look at the following sentence.
I have a chocolate bar. The chocolate bar is expensive.
Ø
Before a noun which has not been
introduced earlier.
Example:
once there was a cow in our village.
Ø
Before an unspecified singular noun.
Example:
Can you get me a book?
Ø
Before a singular noun while defining
essential properties of a class/species.
Example:
A bird has a beak, wings and feathers.
Ø
Before a singular object in the sense of
‘one’.
Example:
She earns Rs 1000000 in a year.
Ø
With some phrases indicating quantity.
Example:
A few days, a lot of money
Difference between a and an.
|
A |
An |
|
Ø Used when
the noun starts with a consonant sound.
A table, a B.Sc
degree. |
Ø Used when
the noun starts with a vowel sound.
An apple, an advertisement, an M.L.A. |
Use of the definite article ‘the’:
The definite article is used:
Ø
Before a noun which has already been
introduced earlier.
Example:
Once upon a time there lived a cow in our village. The cow left the village before 10years.
Ø
Before the names of seas, rivers,
oceans, groups of islands, mountain ranges, news papers, vehicle names, holy
books, historical monuments, dynasties, surnames.
Examples:
the Pacific, the Red sea, the Andamon Nicobar islands, the Himalayas, the
Hindu, the Garuda express, the bible, the Taj Mahal, the Cholas, the Williams.
Ø
With names of some countries with are
historically a group of territories.
Examples:
The United States of America, the Netherlands.
Ø
Before noun which are unique or only one
their kind.
Examples:
The media, the internet
Ø
Before superlative adjectives.
Examples:
The most beautiful, the greatest
Ø
Before common nouns which are made
unique by the use of adjectives such as first, primary, main, secondary.
Examples:
the main reason,
the primary education
Ø
Before nouns when they refer to the
entire class or species in order to make the referent of the noun generic.
Examples:
The tiger is in danger of becoming extinct.
Ø
Before socio-cultural institutes and
industries.
Examples:
the
media, the government, the newspaper
Ø
Before adjectives which are used as
nouns.
Examples:
The poor, the rich
Omission
of the articles
Articles are not required:
Ø
Before proper nouns.
Example;
India is known for unity diversity.
I speak Telugu.
Ø
Before the names of academic subjects
Example:
I studied biology.
Ø
Before plural nouns (mainly biology,
animals, birds, people) in the generic sense.
Example:
tigers are in danger of becoming extinct.
Indians are very caring.
Ø
Before singular countable nouns when
they are used in the generic sense.
Example:
I travel by bus. (The bus here is means of transport)
My younger brother goes to
school every day.(general habit of my younger brother)
We have rice for lunch and
rotis for dinner. (General food habits and not restricted to a particular lunch
or dinner.)
Ø
Before abstract and material nouns in
the general sense.
Example:
Life is full of surprises.
Tourism
is destroying many beautiful natural spots.
Platinum
is costlier than gold.
Indefinite articles are not used before
uncountable nouns. We need to first use expressions
such as ‘a piece of ‘, ‘a bit of ‘or refer to a specific measure.
We buy a milk every day. X
We buy a liter of milk every day.
I have a luggage to be booked.X
I have a piece of luggage to be booked.
She gave me an information.X
She gave me a piece of
information.
We do not use an article along with a
possessive pronoun (example: my, our, their) or with
other modifiers (example: many, some)
Examples: This is a my pen.
This is my pen.
I have the many friends.
I have many friends.
Wonderful presentation and I appreciate your task in preparing Grammar topics.
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