Articles
đ Articles in English Grammar
đ áĄááşášáááááşááášááŤáážá Articles ááťáŹá¸
Articles are small but important words used before nouns. They help us know whether we’re talking about something specific or general.
Articles áááş ááŹááşááťáŹá¸áážáąáˇáá˝ááş ááŻáśá¸ááąáŹ ááąá¸áááşááąáŹáşáááşá¸ áĄááąá¸ááźáŽá¸áááˇáş á ááŹá¸ááŻáśá¸ááťáŹá¸ááźá áşáááşá áááşá¸áááŻáˇáááş áá áşá áŻáśáá áşááŻáĄááźáąáŹááşá¸ ááááťá á˝áŹ áááŻáˇáááŻááş ááąááŻááťáĄáŹá¸ááźááˇáş ááźáąáŹááąááźááşá¸ ááźá áşáááşááᯠááá áąáááş áá°ááŽáááşá
đ Types of Articles
đ Articles áĄááťááŻá¸áĄá áŹá¸ááťáŹá¸
- Indefinite articles â a and an
ááááşáážááşááąáŹ articles â a áážááˇáş an - Definite article â the
áááşáážááşááŹá¸ááąáŹ article â the - Zero article â (no article)
Zero article â (article áááŤ)
1ď¸âŁ Indefinite Articles: a and an
1ď¸âŁ ááááşáážááşááąáŹ Articles: a áážááˇáş an
We use a or an when:
- We talk about something for the first time
áá áşá áŻáśáá áşááŻáĄááźáąáŹááşá¸ áááááŻáśá¸áĄááźáááş ááźáąáŹááąáŹáĄá፠- It is not specific
ááááťáážáŻ ááážáááąáŹáĄá፠- It is one (singular, countable noun)
áá áşááŻááźá áşááąáŹáĄá፠(ááááşá¸ááááşá¸ááąáá˝ááşáááŻááşááąáŹ ááŹááş)
â Rules
| Article | Use Before | Example | Article (MM) | áĄááŻáśá¸ááźáŻááááˇáşááąáᏠ| áĽááᏠ|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | Consonant sounds | a cat, a house, a university | a | ááťááşá¸ááśááťáŹá¸áážáąáˇáá˝ááş | a cat, a house, a university (“you” áĄááśáá˝ááş) |
| an | Vowel sounds | an apple, an hour, an honest man | an | ááááśááťáŹá¸áážáąáˇáá˝ááş | an apple, an hour, an honest man |
áážááşááťááş: á áŹááŻáśá¸ááᯠáááźááˇáşáᲠáĄááśáá˝ááşááᯠááźááˇáşááŤá
a university= âyou-niversityâ â consonant sound
âyou-niversityâ = ááťááşá¸ááśan hour= âourâ â vowel sound
âourâ = ááááś
đŹ Example Sentences
- I saw
a dogin the street.
đ Any dog, not specific
ááťá˝ááşááąáŹáş áááşá¸áá˛áážáŹáá˝áąá¸áá áşááąáŹááşááᯠáá˝áąáˇáá˛áˇáááşá - She ate
an orangeafter lunch.
đ “Orange” starts with a vowel sound
áá°ááááş ááąáˇáááşá áŹááźáŽá¸ááąáŹááşáááášááąáŹáşááŽá¸áá áşááŻáśá¸á áŹá¸áá˛áˇáááşá - He is
a Europeanman.
đ âEuropeanâ sounds like âyou-ropeanâ = consonant
áá°áááşáĽááąáŹáááŹá¸áá áşááąáŹááşááźá áşáááşá
2ď¸âŁ Definite Article: the
2ď¸âŁ áááşáážááşááŹá¸ááąáŹ Article: the
We use the when:
- The noun is specific
ááŹááşáááş ááááťáážáŻáážáááąáŹáĄá፠- Both speaker and listener know what is being talked about
ááźáąáŹáá°áážááˇáş ááŹá¸ááąáŹááşáá° áážá áşáŚá¸á ááŻáśá¸ ááááąáŹáĄá፠- The thing has been mentioned before
áááŻáĄááŹááᯠááááşá ááąáŹáşááźáá˛áˇáá°á¸ááąáŹáĄá፠- There is only one of something (unique)
áá áşááŻáááşá¸ááŹáážáááąáŹáĄááŹ
â Use Cases
| Use âtheâ with… | Examples | “the” ááᯠáĄááŻáśá¸ááźáŻááááˇáşááąáᏠ| áĽáááŹááťáŹá¸ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Something mentioned again | I saw a bird. The bird was blue. | ááááşáááąáŹáşááźáá˛áˇááąáŹ áĄáᏠ| áážááşáá áşááąáŹááşááᯠáá˝áąáˇ â áááŻáážááşáááş áĄááźáŹááąáŹááş |
| Unique things | The sun, the moon, the Earth | áá áşááŻáááşá¸ááŹáážáááąáŹáĄáᏠ| ááąá áá ááášááŹááźáą |
| Specific places/things | The bank, the school, the doctor | ááááťááąáŹááąááŹ/áĄáᏠ| áááşá ááťáąáŹááşá¸á áááŹáááş |
| Superlatives | The best, the tallest | áĄááźááˇáşááŻáśá¸áĄáááˇáş áážááŻááşá¸áážááşáážáŻ | áĄááąáŹááşá¸ááŻáśá¸á áĄááźááˇáşááŻáśá¸ |
| Rivers, oceans, deserts | The Nile, The Pacific | ááźá áşááťáŹá¸á áááŻáášáááŹá áá˛ááášááŹá | áááŻááşá¸ááźá áşá áá áááááşáááŻáášááᏠ|
| Groups of islands or mountains | The Philippines, The Alps | ááťá˝ááşá¸á áŻá ááąáŹááşáááşá¸ | áááá áşáááŻááşá áĄááşááşááşá áş |
đŹ Example Sentences
- She went to
the marketthis morning.
đ Known or familiar place
áá°ááááş áááąáˇááááşá áťáąá¸áááŻáˇ áá˝áŹá¸áá˛áˇáááşá - We watched
the movieyou told me about.
đ Specific and previously discussed
ááťá˝ááşáŻááşáááŻáˇáááş áááşááźáąáŹáá˛áˇááąáŹááŻááşáážááşááᯠááźááˇáşáá˛áˇáááşá
3ď¸âŁ Zero Article (No article)
3ď¸âŁ Zero Article (Article áááŤááźááşá¸)
We use no article in some situations:
- Plural countable nouns (general) â
Dogs are friendly. - Uncountable nouns (general) â
Milk is good for health. - Names of countries/cities â
Japan, London - Languages and subjects â
English, Math - Meals â
We had breakfast at 7. - Sports â
She plays football.
â Bilingual Table
| Use with… | Example | áĄááŻáśá¸ááźáŻááááˇáşááąáᏠ| áĽááᏠ|
|---|---|---|---|
| Plural nouns (general) | Children love stories. | áĄááťáŹá¸ááááşá¸ááŹááş (ááąááŻááť) | áááąá¸ááťáŹá¸áááş ááŻáśááźááşááťáŹá¸ááᯠááťá áşááźáááşá |
| Uncountable nouns (general) | Water is essential. | ááąáá˝ááşáááááąáŹááŹááş (ááąááŻááť) | ááąáááş ááážáááťážáááźá áşáááŻááşááąáŹáĄááŹáá áşááŻááźá áşáááşá |
| Languages / Subjects | She studies English. | ááŹááŹá ááŹá¸ / ááŹááŹáááş | áá°ááááş áĄááşášáááááşá áŹááᯠáááşááźáŹá¸áááşá |
| Meals / Sports | We had lunch. He plays tennis. | áĄá áŹá¸áĄá Ꮰ/ áĄáŹá¸áá áŹá¸ | ááťá˝ááşáŻááşáááŻáˇ ááąáˇáááşá Ꮰá áŹá¸áá˛áˇáááşá áá°áááş áááşá¸áá áşáá áŹá¸áááşá |
The United States,The Netherlandsâ Use âtheâ with country names containing words like âstates,â ârepublic,â etc.Mount Everest(â ),The Everest(â) â Don’t use âtheâ with single mountain names.She's in hospital(UK) = as a patientHe goes to school= as a student
â Common Mistakes to Avoid
â áážáąáŹááşáážáŹá¸ááááˇáş áĄááźá˛ááźá áşááąáˇáážáááąáŹ Article áĄáážáŹá¸ááťáŹá¸
| â Wrong | â Correct | Why | ááźááşááŹááŹáᏠ|
|---|---|---|---|
| I saw an university. | I saw a university. | âUniversityâ starts with a âyouâ sound (consonant). | âUniversityâ áááş âyouâ ááśááźááˇáşá áááşááąáŹááźáąáŹááˇáş âaâ ááŻáśá¸áááşá |
| She is the teacher. (new info) | She is a teacher. | Use âaâ when mentioning the job for the first time. | áĄááŻááşáĄáááŻááşááᯠáááááŻáśá¸ááąáŹáşááźááąáŹáĄá፠âaâ ááŻáśá¸ááŤá |
| I love the music. (in general) | I love music. | No article needed for general uncountable nouns. | ááąáá˝ááşáááááąáŹ ááąááŻááťááŹááşááťáŹá¸áĄáá˝ááş article ááááŻááŤá |
| He goes to the school every day. | He goes to school every day. | Use no article for purpose of place (e.g. as a student). | áĄááźáąáĄááąáĄá ááťáąáŹááşá¸áĄááźá áşááŻáśá¸ááąáŹáĄá፠article áááŻáśá¸ááŤá |
đ§ Article Rules Summary
đ§ Article á ááşá¸ááťááşá¸ áĄááťááşá¸ááťáŻááş
| Rule | Example | á ááşá¸ááťááşá¸ | áĽááᏠ|
|---|---|---|---|
Use a before consonant sounds |
a book, a teacher | ááťááşá¸ááśáĄááźáąáŹááşá¸ááźáąáŹááąáŹáĄá፠âaâ áááŻááŻáśá¸ááŤá | a book, a teacher |
Use an before vowel sounds |
an hour, an idea | ááááśááźááˇáşá ááąáŹá ááŹá¸ááŻáśá¸áážáąáˇáá˝ááş âanâ áááŻááŻáśá¸ááŤá | an hour, an idea |
Use the for specific/known/unique nouns |
the sun, the bank | ááááťááąáŹ áááŻáˇáááŻááş áá°á¸ááźáŹá¸ááąáŹ ááŹááşááťáŹá¸áĄáá˝ááş âtheâ áááŻááŻáśá¸ááŤá | the sun, the bank |
| Use zero article for general/plural/uncountable nouns | Water is life. Cats are cute. | ááąááŻááť/áĄááťáŹá¸ááááşá¸/ááąáá˝ááşáááááąáŹááŹááşááťáŹá¸áá˝ááş article áááŻáśá¸ááŤá | Water is life. Cats are cute. |
đ§Š Practice Tips
đ§Š ááąáˇááťááˇáşáááş áĄááźáśááźáŻááťááş
Before choosing an article, ask yourself:
- â Is it something specific or general?
â ááááťáááŹá¸á ááąááŻááťááŹá¸á - â Is the noun singular or plural?
â áĄáááşá¸ááááşá¸ááŹá¸á áĄááťáŹá¸ááááşá¸ááŹá¸á - â Is it countable or uncountable?
â ááąáá˝ááşáááŻááşáááŹá¸á áááááŻááşáá°á¸ááŹá¸á
â áĄááşášáááááşá áŹááᯠááťáŹá¸á á˝áŹ áááşááźááşá¸á ááŹá¸ááąáŹááşááźááşá¸ááťáŹá¸ááąá article áĄááŻáśá¸ááźáŻááŻáśááᯠáááŻáááŻááŹá¸áááşáááŻááşááŤáááşá
đŻ Multiple Choice Questions â Articles (“a”, “an”, “the”, or no article)
- She has ___ umbrella in her bag.
Hint: What sound does “umbrella” start with?â Answer: B) an
- We visited ___ Eiffel Tower last summer.
Hint: Itâs a world-famous, unique landmark.â Answer: B) the
- I saw ___ elephant at the zoo.
Hint: Does the noun start with a vowel sound?â Answer: B) an
- She wants to be ___ engineer.
Hint: Think about the starting sound of âengineer.ââ Answer: A) an
- We don’t have ___ bread left.
Hint: Bread is uncountable.â Answer: B) (no article)
- He climbed ___ Mount Everest last year.
Hint: For single mountains, do we use âtheâ?â Answer: B) (no article)
- Look at ___ stars in the sky!
Hint: Are you talking about specific stars or just any?â Answer: A) the
- I saw ___ cat and ___ dog in the garden.
Hint: Are you mentioning them for the first time?â Answer: A) a / a
- She plays ___ piano beautifully.
Hint: Musical instruments usually take âthe.ââ Answer: B) the
- He is ___ university student.
Hint: Is the first sound a vowel or a consonant?â Answer: B) a
- They went to ___ school at 8 AM.
Hint: Are they students? Or are we talking about a building?â Answer: A) (no article)
- We spent the weekend at ___ beach.
Hint: Is it a specific beach that both people know about?â Answer: A) the
- I need ___ hour to finish this test.
Hint: The âhâ is silentâlisten to the sound.â Answer: B) an
- I had ___ banana and ___ apple for breakfast.
Hint: Think of the vowel sound in âapple.ââ Answer: B) a / an
- We saw ___ moon rise over the mountains.
Hint: Is there more than one moon in the sky?â Answer: A) the
- My brother is ___ honest man.
Hint: âHonestâ starts with a silent âhâ (vowel sound).â Answer: A) an
- ___ life is full of surprises.
Hint: Are we talking generally or specifically about life?â Answer: B) (no article)
- She took ___ taxi to the airport.
Hint: Are we talking about any taxi or a specific one?â Answer: A) a
- I always drink ___ coffee in the morning.
Hint: âCoffeeâ is uncountable when general.â Answer: B) (no article)
- He wants to visit ___ United States one day.
Hint: Country name includes âStates.ââ Answer: A) the
