ARTICLES AND THEIR USE
Articles are considered adjectives. They are also included among determiners.
There are three articles in English: a, an and the.
Kinds of articles
1. DEFINITE ARTICLE: the.
2. Indefinite: a, an.
Examples
1. There was a cottage near the lake.
2. A dog bit him.
3. The girl in the pink dress is my sister.
4. We ran to catch the bus.
INDEFINITE ARTICLES
A and an=one. They are used before singular countable nouns only.
a : we use a before a word beginning with a consonant.
E.g.
He saw a cow.
She is wearing a skirt.
There is a man in the house.
Have you seem a zebra?
Are you a student of this school?
I have received a letter from my mother.
an: we use an before a word beginning with a vowel sound.
an elephant is a big animal.
There is an egg in the basket.
My father works in an office.
Can you fly an aeroplane?
We also use an before words beginning with h when it is silent.
We say a hero( h is pronounced here ).
We say 'an hour' (because h is silent here).
Other examples are:
Heir, honest, honour etc.
We use use 'a' whrn the initial vowel in a word is spoken like the 'y'.
Examples
He is a European (not an European).
The soldier is wearing a uniform ( not an uniform).
The workers have formed a union ( not an union).
He teaches at a university ( not an university).
Other examples are:
Umbrella, uncle, eulogy etc.
We must also use a or an when there is an adjective before a noun. In such cases a or an is place before the adjective.
If the first sound in the adjective is a constant, we use a; if it is that of a vowel, we use an.
A boy.
A small boy.
An intelligent.
An honest boy.
An owl.
A big owl.
We use the indefinite articles a or an:
(a) to introduce a countable nouns for the first time.
E.g
There is a boy outside. Ask the boy to come in.
The first sentence tells us about a boy whom we don't know.
The second sentence refers to this particular boy who is outside.
So we use the definite article the in the second sentence.
(b) to refer to a person or a thing as representative of a class.
A cow gives milk ( every cow gives milk).
A garden has tree ( every garden has a tree).
A rat hates a cat.
A rose is a beautiful flower.
(c) in expressions of rate. Speed, measure etc.
In all these expressions. A or an means each or any.
Examples
How much money does he earn a day?
Take this medicine three times a day.
This car runs at sixty kilometres an hour.
Sugar sells at thirty shillings a kilogram.
The steamer comes to this port twice a month.
You can buy only half a kilogram of sugar at a time.
I want only half a cup.
(d) before names of professions.
He is a college lecturer.
George wants to be a doctor.
Ali does not want to be an accountant.
Mary hopes to be a nurse.
(e) A sometimes means the same.
All of a size. ( all of the same size ).
Birds of a feather ( birds of the same kind).
Four at a time ( four together).
The shirts are all of a size.
Birds of a feather flock together.
Please enter one at time.
Two of a trade seldom agree.
(f) In some phrases expressing number or quantity. A dozen, a score , a hundred thousand, a lot of, a great deal of.
He purchased a dozen of a bananas.
There were no more than a score of people at the meeting.
There are about a hundred trees in the garden.
The student made a lot of noise in the class.
You need a great deal of money to buy this house.
(g) in exclamation:
What a pity.
What a cold day.
What a surprise.
What an ugly sight.
(h) before names of persons to indicate unfamiliarity. There is a Mr. Jones at the door. Does anyone here know him? (The speaker does not know Mr. Jones. If he knows him, he would have said: Mr. Jones is waiting outside).
A Miss Web rang up for you. She has left her telephone number.
I hear a Mr. Anthony has joined as principal of the school.
(i) Sometimes an indefinite articles is used before proper nouns to describe another person or thing.
The new king is a Solomon in his judgments( meaning the new king is wise as Solomon in his judgement).
I will build a Taj Mahal in memory of my wife.( I will build a beautiful building like the Taj Mahal).
The money lender will not spare you. He is a Shylock. ( that is, as heartless as Shylock)
(j) The indefinite articles may come after many, such, quite and rather.
Many aboy will like to marry to a pretty girl like her.
I am not such a fool as to give you money.
The function was quite a success.
It is rather a pity he has failed.
(k) a or an must be placed between the adjective and the noun when the adjective is preceded by so, as, too, how.
I have never seen as big fish as this.
It's too difficult a question for me to solve.
The mouse is too small an animal to fight a lion.
We came to know only late hos important a man he was.
(k) we do not use indefinite article a or an:
(a) before uncountable nouns: advice, news, water, paper, silver, tea, coffee, honest, courage, hair, cloth etc.
We cannot say,
E.g
He gave me an advice.
I took a tea.
Here is a good news for you.
But we can say
He gave me a piece of advice.
I took a cup of tea.
Here is a good news for you.
But sometimes uncountable nouns are used in a special way and become countable nouns. Then they take the indefinite article before them.
Thses ornaments are made of gold ( uncountable).
He won a gold at the Olympics ( a gold medsl).
Give me a paper for writing.
The Daily Nation is a paper (news paper).
The plate is made of glass.
She gave me a glass of water.
He has a thicker hair.
(b) before names of meals.
The family sits for lunch at 10 o'clock.
We usually have our dinner late at night.
But when we describe a particular lunch or dinner etc. We say,
We had a hearty lunch today.
They gave us a heavy dinner.
DEFINITE ARTICLES
Uses Of Definite Articles
We use definite articles the before singular and plural countable nouns and before uncountable nouns.
(a) It is most commonly used for persons or things that have already been mentioned.
There is a boy outside. Ask the boy to come in.
'Boy' has already been mentioned in the first sentence. We, therefore, use the definite articles the when we speak of him again in the second sentence.
I have a ball-pen and and a pencil. The ball-pen is mine. The pencil is his.
There is a tree outside my house . The tree is shedding its leaves.
A beggar came in our house. The poor was blind.
My father gave me a watch. The watch was very expensive.
There was a fight between two big men. Nobody could stop The fight.
There is a cobbler in the street. The cobbler is a spy.
We bought a dozen of apples and some oranges. Later we found that The apples were goof and the oranges were rotten.
Some hunters chased a herd of buffaloes in the forest. But The buffaloes escaped from The hunters.
There is some water in the jug. But The water is dirty.
(b) we use the definite articles for nouns when the reference is definite and is clear from the context.
This is the flat we live. The bedrooms are small but the drawing room is quite.
(c) Sometimes the context is given in a phrase that follows the nouns. In such cases the nouns carries the definite article.
The boys of this class are naughty.
The workers of this factory are disciplined.
The passengers in the bus are all pilgrims.
The little bird in the three is chirping sharply.
Give me the book lying on the floor.
Which is the road to the road?
(d) Sometimes the context is given in clause that follows the noun. Such nouns also take the definite article.
Gentleman you just met is my old teacher.
Yhe clothes he is wearing are expensive.
The girl who spoke at the meeting is my sister.
Can you give me the novel that you mentioned yesterday ?
We are going to see the picture that has won an award this year.
(e) Sometimes the context is not very openly given but is understood.
The room is airy( the room which the speaker is talking about).
The lamp is not burning brightly ( some particular lamp at home or in the street).
Look up the thief.
Get out of the class.
Look up the word in the dictionary.
(f) we don ot use articles with material and abstract nouns when they are used in a general way.
Give me water to drink.
Don't put sugar in my cup.
Money does not grow on trees.
Courage is the noblest quality of man.
But when such nouns are made specific in a sentence with the help of a phrase or a clause, they take the definite article.
Examples
The water in the jug is unclear.
The sugar in the pot is mixed with sand.
The tea that you are drinking has come from Bu'ale.
I have lost the money you gave me.
The courage that he showed in saving the child is uncommon these days.
(g) "The" is used before a singular countable noun when it represents a class or kind.
Examples
The business man will always think of money.
The atom is the smallest Particle of matter.
The bus is the cheapest means of travel.
The definite article in theee sentence could be replaced by an indefinite article.
(a) Names of buildings or places etc. Like mosque, school, hospital, prison or do not take the definite article when we refer to the purpose for which they are used.
Examples
We go to the mosque every day.
The children are going to school.
He spent five weeks in hospital.
He was in prison for three years.
When do you go to bed?
(b) plural nouns do not take the before them when they are in a general sense.
Examples
Mangoes are sweet.
Dogs are faithful animals.
Birds help farmers in many ways.
Buses are crowded at this hour.
But when are particularized, we use the definite article with them.
Examples
Some of the in this basket are unique.
Can you name the birds that sitting on the roof?
The dogs in the street ran after the poor beggar.
(c) The is used before before names of inhabitants of a country.
The English Live in England.
The Germans are most hard-work people.
But we do not put the before the named of their language.
I know English but not Arabic.
(d) proper nouns do not generally have an article before them but there are many exception.
The is used before names of mountains ranges ( but not before single mountains or peak).
Rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, canal, deserts, island groups and countries which are unions of smaller states etc.
The Mediterranean Sea lies between Europe and Africa.
The Himalayas are the highest mountains in the world. But we say , mount Everest not * not the mount Everest).
Does the Niles flow through Ethiopia?
The Dal lakes is one of the most famous lakes in the world.
Japan is in the Pacific.
Which desert is bigger - the Sahara or the Gobi.
The Suel Canal joins two seas.
The west Indies have very strong cricket team.
I have never seen neither the Ali or Osman.
(c) we use the before the names of government departments, ministeries, organisation, famous building, ships, aeroplanes etc.
Examples
My friend works in the ministry of Education.
The UNESCO is doing very useful work.
The U.N.O has an office in every member country.
The Orient express is the fastest train in the world.
The Maharaja sank down in the Bay of Bengal.
The Shahjehan flies to U. S . A every Saturday.
Who built the Taj Mahal.
(f) The is used before the names of great and holy books.
I have read the Quran.
The Gita is a holy book of the Hindus.
The language of the Quran is very simple and effective.
(g) Names of unique objects take the before them.
Ther earth moves around the sun.
Is there an old woman in the moon?
The sky is deep blue today.
(h) The is used before superlatives.
The finest silk comes from China.
Africa has the thickest forests in the world.
Give me the best book on the subject.
He is one of the best football players in our country.
(i) The is used before adjectives and adverbs in the comparative degree in some.
E.g.
With adjective
The money you get, the less satisfied you feel.
The heavier the rain , the greater the chances of flood.
The bigger the house, the costlier it will be.
With adverb
The faster you run, the more you feel tired.
The more you read, the less you understand.
The more talk to him, the more you like him.
(j) The is used before adjectives used as plural nouns.
The poor of the world shall inherit the earth.
Let's visit a school for the blind.
Hospitals are full of the sick snd the wounded during the war.
Other examples are:
The rich, the dead, the deaf, the living.
(k) The is used with names of families.
We have invited the Smiths ( Smith family) to dinner.
The Mitchells stayed with us for a whole month last winter.
OMISSION OF ARTICLES
(a) we do not use an article before nouns that follow certain phrase such as; kind of, type of, sort of.
Examples
What kind of man are you?
We love this sort dress.
She likes that type of business.
(b) No article is used in phrases such as;
On foot, by bus, by train, by air, by registered post, by money order etc.
I go to school on foot.
Hamdi came by bus.
Ordinary people travel by train.
The rich people travel by air.
I sent my application by registered post.
I came here by taxi.
(c) No articles are used before names of festivals.
Eidu-fitr is time for joy.
Friday prayers fall on Friday.
(d) when talking of relations like father, mother, uncle, aunt, etc.
In a personal context, we do not use 'the' them.
Mother wants you immediately.
Let's as father for some money.
Uncle gave me this pen.
But we can say
A mother loves her child.
She is the mother of five children.
(e) While talking of diseases and complaints, we omit the article before fever, earache, stomachache and names of diseases like pneumonia, malaria, diarrhoea, jaundice, tuberculosis etc.
Examples
She has high fever.
Ali has severe stomachache.
John is down with yellow fever.
Ahmed suffering from malaria.
But we use 'a' with complaints of a general nature.
Examples
He has a bad cold.
She has a severe headache.
His brother has a sore throat.
They have a serious illness.