GRAMMAR

ARTICLES:

Articles are adjectives. a an and the are the articles.

INDEFINITE ARTICLES:

a and an are called the Indefinite article. a is used before a word beginning with a consonant letter and an is used before a word beginning in a vowel letter.

Eg: This is a book , I am a girl

This is an egg , It is an orange

EXCEPTIONS

There is an exception to the above rule. Sometimes a is used before a word beginning in a vowel letter and an before a consonant.

Eg: an heir But a hotel

an honestman a horse

an honour a hen

an MLA a men

an honorary degree a mango

an hour ago a happy day

In the above case the pronunciation of the word begins not in a consonant but in a vowel . so an is used.

But a hotel like words begin in the h sound which is a consonant. So a is used before them.

An easy rule to remember whether a or an is to be used is to find out the easy pronunciation of the word without any twist of the tongue.

Eg: a European But an empire

a union an uncle

a university an underground

a universal an upper room

a unilateral an unknown fact

a useful an utter failure

a one rupee note an only remedy

Here also the pronunciation of the words makes clear which is applicable.

In a European the word is pronounced uropian not Eeropean.

USE OF DEFINITE ARTICLE THE

The is the definite article. It is used before some definite objects.

Following are the cases:

RULES

1. The is used before a noun with some speciality.

Eg: The rose in my garden is red.

I ate the apple that my uncle brought from Delhi.

2. The is used before a noun to make it a class.

Eg: The tiger is a fierce animal.

The lion is the king of the forest.

3. The is used before the names of musical instruments.

Eg: the veena, the violin, the guitar, the chenda.

4. The is used before a noun already mentioned.

Eg: A cat came to my home. The cat was one eyed.

A boy fell from a cycle. The boy was mischievous.

5. The used before nouns which are single in existence.

Eg: the sun, the moon, the earth ,the equator.

6. The is used before holy texts and epics.

Eg: the Bible, the Ramayana, the Koran, the Iliad, the Mahabharata.

7. The is used before the superlative degree of adjectives.

Eg: the highest, the tallest, the most beautiful, the best.

8. The is used before east, west, north, south when they are used as nouns.

Eg: There is heavy rain in the east.

9. The is used before the names of languages to make the people.

Eg: The French live in France.

The English are proud.

10. The is used before an adjective to make it a noun.

Eg: The rich must help the poor.

11. The is used before a proper noun to make it an adjective.

Eg: Bombay is the Manchester of India.

Patel is the Bismarck of India.

12. The is used before the names of ships and trains.

Eg: the venad, the titanic, the GT Express.

13. The is used before king and queen.

Eg: The king of Nepal and the queen of England came to India.

14. The is used before Govt departments and nationalized and scheduled bank.

Eg: The secretariat , The Cananra Bank, The Federal Bank.

15. The is used before a noun which is made specific from the context.

Eg: The children broke the glass. The PM inaugurated the meeting.

16. The is used in double comparison (the more..the more.)

Eg: The harder you work the greater you earn.

17. The is used before the names of:-

a. Rivers... the Ganga, the Nile, the Pampa.

b. Canalsthe Suez canal the Panama canal.

c. Seas.the Black sea, the Caspian sea.

d. Ocean.the pacific ocean, the Indian ocean.

e. Gulf..the Persian gulf.

f. Straits..the Folklands.

g. Islands.the Green islands, the Philippines.

h. Mountain range.the Himalayas, the Alps, the Pyrenees.

i. Deserts.the Sahara, the Kalahari.

18. The is used before the names of states formed by a union.

Eg: The USA, the UK, the USSR, the UAE, and the Punjab.

19. The is used before the names of international organizations.

Eg: The UNO, the WHO, the SAARC, the SAAF, the UNESS, and the League of Nations.

20. The is used before the names of famous families.

Eg: The Patels , the Naidus, the Tagores.

21. The is used before certain names like. The Sudan, the Gambia, the Hague.

22. The is used before the names of racesthe Aryans, the Whites, the Huns, the Vandals.

23. The is used before place names such as :- school, college, office, hospital, church, market etc when the reference is to their building rather than their primary purpose.

Eg: I am going to the college to see a friend of mine.

He went to the hospital to see a nurse.

24.The is used before the names of papers..The Hindu, The Indian Express

OMISSION OF ARTICLES

1. The is not used before proper nouns:-

This is Radha. They went to kottayam.

2. The is not used before title if followed by a name.

Colonel Varma is 70

3. The is not used before abstract noun.

Honesty is the best policy.

A rose is a thing of beauty.

4. Before plural nouns used in a general sense.

I like books.

Teachers shape the students.

5. The is not used before parts of the body.

How is your leg?

This is my tongue.

6. Not used before articles of clothing.

I wear my shirt.

That is your pants.

7. But the can be used in following ways.

The smugglers hit him on the head.

Mother patted her on the shoulders.

8. The is not used before the names of meals.

I took dinner at 8.

Breakfast was very late.

9. Not used before words like nature counsel.

Nature is abundant.

10. Not used before words like home, church, hospital, school, college,

We go to college by bus.

They went to church at 6.

11. Not used before names of relations like

Father , mother, brother ,aunt

12. Not used before God . Eg: God is great.

13. Not used before games. Eg: cricket is very popular.

14. Not used before material nouns.

Gold is a precious metal. Iron is very hard.

15. Not used before king and queen when the name follows.

King George was very famous.

Queen Elizabeth ruled well.

16. Not used before the names of holy texts and epics when the name of the author precedes.

Valmikis Ramayana .

Homers Iliad.

17. Not used before individual mountains and peaks.

Kanchenjanga is very tall.

Everest is the highest peak in the world.

18. The is not used before man and woman used in a wider sense.

Man is mortal . women is mans partner in life.

19. Articles omitted before the names of languages.

I am learning Hindi .

20. Not used before the names of diseases.

Mumps is dangerous.

Cancer may affect any body part.

By:- k .N. Muraleedharan Nair M.A, D.B.A