English grammar - articles (Types of articles and Omission of articles)

 Words that classify nouns as particular or nonspecific are called articles. To indicate whether a word refers to something specific or something more generic, they are used before nouns.

Article Types

In English, there are two categories of articles:

 Indefinite Article ("the")
Definite Articles ("a" and "an")

1. Definite Article: 

"The" Usage: "The" designates a particular term that the reader or listener is familiar with.

• The things when they are the only one of their kind.

             Ex: The sun, the moon, the sea etc

•  Particular person or thing.

            Ex: The man, came again

•  Singular noun to represent the whole class.

            Ex: The lion is the king of the forest.

•  Before names of river seas group of islands mountain ranges.

             Ex: The Ganga the Amazon the first Ocean the Dead Sea the Himalayas the Andaman.

•  Before the names of certain holy books.

             Ex: The Ramayana the Bible the Quran

•  Before superlative adjectives.

            Ex:  Sachin Tendulkar is the best player of the Indian cricket team.

2. Indefinite Articles:

  "A" and "An" Usage: "A" and "An" are used to refer to generic nouns, or things that the reader or listener cannot identify with certainty.

"A" is used with :

•  Placed before words that have a consonant letter and sound at the start.

            Ex:  a paper, a year, a boy, a house, a union, a university, a one rupee note, a one-way

"An" is used with : 

• Before words that start with a vowel sound and vowel letter "an" is used.

            Ex: an underwear , an intelligent boy, an MP, an hour, an honest man

 Omission of articles: 

Cases where articles should not be used. 

•  Before the name of metals.

            Ex: Iron, coal, gold.....

•  Before the names of languages.

            Ex: telugu, English, Hindi....

•  Before the names of countries, persons, months and specific places.

            Ex: India, Sri lanka, Japan, APJ Abdul kalam, January, Monday, ...

•  Before the Abstract nouns.

            Ex: Absence, Poverty, Strength....

•  Before the names of games.

            Ex: Cricket, Tennis....

•  Before the names of relatives.

            Ex: Father, Mother, Brother, Aunt....

•  Before names of continents.

Ex: Asia,....

•  Before buildings such as schools, Hospitals, Courts, Churches, prisons and markets when they are used for the primary purpose.
•  Before the names of foods on festivals.

Ex: Breakfast, Diwali....

•  Before seasons.

Ex: Winter, Summer....

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