Articles in English Grammar

In English Grammar, an Article is a word or an adjective that comes before and qualifies a noun.

Only the difference is, the adjective modifies the noun, but articles point out a noun. 

Articles (A, An, The)

The word “A, An, and The” are called articles. An article is used to apply before the noun or an adjective in the discussion, talk, and literature.

#1. The indefinite article (A/An):

Article “A or An” is called an indefinite article. It does not specify any distinct person or place or anything.

Article “An” used before the nouns which start with a vowel sounded like a letter like A, E, I, O, U, and article “A” use before the noun, which starts with consonant sounding words respectively.

#2. The definite article (The):

Article “The” is called a definite article that it uses before a singular word or a plural word, and it specifies a particular person, place, or anything.

Examples:

1. Article A: A boy, a pencil, a boat, a man, a phone, a movie, a computer, a ticket, a train, etc.
2. Article An: An apple, an ocean, an ice-cream, an image, an umbrella, an elephant, etc.
3. Article The: The pacific ocean, the movie, the iPhone, the Sunderbans, the Ganga, etc.

Use of definite and indefinite articles “A, An and The” in the sentences:

• My father is an shopkeeper. (wrong)
  • My father is a shopkeeper. (right)

Here, the word “shopkeeper” refers to any type of shopkeeper, and it starts from a consonant. Therefore article “a” is used before the word “shopkeeper”.

• A boy is standing near the door.

Here, “a boy” means it indicates anyone, so article A is used to represent that boy.

And “a door” representing a specific door at which a boy is standing near it, so “the” is used before the word “door”.

• He is an actor in Hollywood.

Here, the word ‘actor” is a vowel sounded word, so article An comes before the word “actor”.

Examples of Articles

1. We are going to the beach in the Arabian sea in Mumbai.
2. The rest of the cars are standing in the garage.
3. We have decided to go to a beach for enjoyment.
4. They planned to organize an amazing party at his home.
5. William Shakespeare was one of the great poets of his time.
6. The statue of Liberty is situated in the United States of America.
7. An Eagle is a bird that flies very in the sky.
8. At the end of the day, he came to me and asked for money.
9. One of my friends bought an iPhone yesterday.
10. She is a good listener and also a good public speaker.
11. How did you lift the giant machine by your hands?
12. She is coming from London on the evening’s flight.

Note:

It is unnecessary to insert an Article in front of the words starting from vowels, consonants, or others. 

For example:

1. He is good at playing a football. (wrong)
   • He is good at playing football. (right)
2. She performed well in the last semester. (wrong)
   • She performed well last semester. (right)
3. We are coming from the Germany. (wrong)
   • We are coming from Germany. (right)
4. They are good at a dancing. (wrong)
   • They are good at dancing. (right)
5. The innocence is a quality in children. (wrong)
   • Innocence is a quality in children. (right)