# Introduction
The words a, an, and the are called Articles, and they are always placed before nouns. In English, there are two types of articles – a (or an) and the.
The words a or an are known as the Indefinite Article because they refer to a person or thing in a general way, not something particular. For example, when we say a doctor, it means any doctor, not a specific one. The indefinite article is always used before singular countable nouns. Some examples are: a book, an orange, a girl.
On the other hand, the word the is called the Definite Article because it points out a particular person or thing. For example, He saw the doctor means a specific doctor that we already know about. Unlike a or an, the definite article can be used not only with singular countable nouns, but also with plural countable nouns and even with uncountable nouns. Some examples are: the book, the books, the milk.
#Use of A and An Articles (Indefinite Articles)
The choice between a and an depends on sound, not just on the first letter of the word.
We use an before a word that begins with a vowel sound. Examples: an ass, an enemy, an ink-pad, an orange, an umbrella, an hour, an honest man, an heir. Notice that in words like hour, honest, and heir, the letter h is not pronounced. That is why they begin with a vowel sound and take an.
Ex. Ramesh is an immature boy.
Ex. He is a boy.
- It is a beautiful day.
In older English, and still among some native speakers, an is used before words beginning with “h” if the first syllable is not stressed. Examples: an hotel, an historical novel. However, in modern English, it is more common to say a hotel, a historical novel.
The Indefinite Article (a or an) is used in the following ways:
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In the sense of “one.”
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Twelve inches make a foot.
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Not a word was said.
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A word to the wise is sufficient.
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A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
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In the vague sense of “a certain.”
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A Kishore Kumar is suspected by the police. (= a certain person named Kishore Kumar)
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One evening a beggar came to my door.
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In the sense of “any,” to represent a whole class.
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A pupil should obey his teacher. (= any pupil)
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A cow is a useful animal. (= cows in general)
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To make a proper noun into a common noun.
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A Daniel comes to judgement! (= a very wise man, comparing someone to Daniel of the Bible)
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# Use of the Definite Article – “The”
The word the is called the Definite Article because it points to a particular person or thing.
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When we talk about a particular person or thing, or one already mentioned.
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The book you want is out of print. (the book = the one you want)
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Let’s go to the park. (the park in this town)
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The girl cried. (the girl already talked about)
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When a singular noun is used to represent a whole class.
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The cow is a useful animal. (= cows in general)
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The horse is a noble animal.
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The cat loves comfort.
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The rose is the sweetest of all flowers.
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The banyan is a kind of fig tree.
(Wrong: a kind of a fig tree)
# Man and woman can also be used in a general sense without articles:
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Man is the only animal that uses fire.
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Woman is man’s mate.
But in modern English, it is more common to say:
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A man and a woman OR men and women.
Example: A woman is more sensitive than a man.
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Before certain proper names, especially place-names:
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Oceans and seas → the Pacific, the Black Sea
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Rivers → the Ganga, the Nile
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Canals → the Suez Canal
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Deserts → the Sahara
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Groups of islands → the West Indies
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Mountain ranges → the Himalayas, the Alps
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Some countries (with Republic, Kingdom, or plural names) → the Irish Republic, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the Ukraine
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Cities with “the” → the Hague
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Before names of certain books. (Religious/classical texts)
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The Vedas, the Puranas, the Iliad, the Ramayana.
But we say: Homer’s Iliad, Valmiki’s Ramayana.
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Before names of unique things.
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The sun, the sky, the ocean, the sea, the earth.
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Sometimes the is placed before a common noun to give it an abstract meaning:
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The warrior (the warlike spirit) in him was aroused.
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Before a proper noun when it is qualified by an adjective or a defining clause.
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The great Caesar, the immortal Shakespeare.
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The Mr. Roy whom you met last night is my uncle.
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With superlatives.
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The darkest cloud has a silver lining.
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This is the best book of elementary chemistry.
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With ordinals.
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He was the first man to arrive.
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#When to Omit Articles
Sometimes in English, we do not use any article (a, an, or the) before a noun. This usually happens in the following cases:
- Articles are omitted before names of substances and abstract nouns (uncountable nouns) when used in a general sense. For example: Sugar is bad for your teeth, Gold is a precious metal, Wisdom is the gift of heaven, and Honesty is the best policy. However, if these nouns refer to something specific, then the is used. For instance: Would you pass me the sugar? (meaning the sugar on the table) or The wisdom of Solomon is great.
- No article is used before plural countable nouns in a general sense. For example: Children like chocolates or Computers are used in many offices. But when these nouns refer to specific people or things, we use the, as in Where are the children? (meaning our children).
- Most proper nouns—names of people, continents, countries, cities, individual mountains, lakes, or islands—do not take an article. We say Gopal, Europe, Pakistan, Nagpur, Mount Everest.
- The article is usually dropped before names of meals when used in a general sense: What time do you have lunch? or Dinner is ready. But when meals are described with an adjective or specified, we use a or the. For example: I had a late lunch today or The dinner we had at the Tourist Hotel was very nice.
- We do not use an article before the names of languages, as in We are studying English or They speak Punjabi at home.
- Nouns like school, college, university, church, bed, hospital, prison omit the article when the place is used for its primary purpose: I learnt French at school, We go to church on Sundays, He is still in hospital. But if we talk about the place as a building or object, then the is used: The school is very near my home, The bed is broken, I went to the hospital to see my uncle.
- We leave out the article before names of relations such as father, mother, aunt, uncle, and also words like cook or nurse when they mean “our cook” or “our nurse.” For example: Father has returned, Aunt wants you to see her, Cook has given notice.
- No article is used before predicative nouns that denote a unique position, i.e., a position normally held by one person at a time. For example: He was elected chairman of the Board or Mr. Banerji became Principal of the College in 1995.
- The article is dropped in certain verb + object phrases, such as: to catch fire, to take breath, to give battle, to cast anchor, to lose heart, to set sail, to leave home, to strike root, to take offence.
- Articles are omitted in certain preposition + object phrases, for example: at home, in debt, by day, by night, at noon, at sunset, on foot, by train, on horseback, in jest, at ease, above ground, under ground.
