RULES AND TYPES OF ARTICLE IN ENGLISH GRAMMAR

Article Definition: The words that come before the noun known as an article. A, an and the are articles.

Examples:

1. She saw the doctor.
2. Let’s go to the club.
3. The dog is a useful animal.

Note: Bold words are articles.

TYPES OF ARTICLES

1.Indefinite Articles: A or an is known as indefinite articles. Indefinite articles leave indefinite the person or things.

Examples:

1. Twelve inches make a foot.
2. One evening a beggar came.
3. A tutee should obey his tutor.

Note: Given bold words are indefinite articles.

2.Definite Article: The is known as a definite article. Definite article which points out some particular person or things.

Examples:

1. The horse is a noble animal.
2. The darkest cloud has a silver lining.
3. The boy cried.

Note: Bold words are definite article.

RULES OF ARTICLES

Rule#1:

• Use a before consonant sounds.
• Use an before vowel sounds.

Examples:

1. A university.
2. An European.
3. An hour.

Rule#2:

• Use a or an only with countable nouns.
• A or an is not used before plural words.

    Examples:

1. An elephant
2. An interesting story,
3. An hour.

    Note: a or an is not used before uncountable nouns like water, sugar milk, air etc.

Rule#3:

• Use a or an to talk about a person or things unknown to your listener.
• Use the to talk about a person or thing known to your listener.

     Examples:

1. I planted the trees in my garden.
2. Can you open a window?

Rule#4

• Use a or an to talk about nonspecific things or people.

     Examples:

1. Do you have a pencil?
2. If you are feeling sick, you should go and see a doctor.

Rule#5

• Use a or an to mention the category or type of a person or thing.

       Examples:

1. You can use your TV as a laptop monitor.
2. Ali’s daughter is an intelligent girl.
3. I would like to become amember of your library.

Rule#6

• Generalize with plurals or uncountable noun with no article.

Examples:

1. A teacher should be friendly to her student.
2. The dolphin is a very intelligent animal.

Rule#7

• Use no articles before proper nouns n fixed expressions like at work, go to bed, at home, at noon, at night, on Sunday.