## Quick Revision Notes: Articles (A, An, The) ### Introduction to Articles Articles are a type of determiner that comes before a noun. There are two main types of articles in English: **Indefinite articles (a, an)** and **Definite article (the)**. They specify whether a noun is general or specific. --- ### Indefinite Articles: A & An Indefinite articles are used to refer to a non-specific or general noun. **Rules for 'A'** 'A' is used before a singular countable noun that begins with a **consonant sound**. * **Examples:** a book, a car, a dog, a house. * **Trick:** If the word starts with a vowel letter but has a consonant sound, use 'a'. For example, **a** **u**niversity (sounds like 'yuniversity'), **a** **E**uropean (sounds like 'yuropean'), **a** **o**ne-rupee coin (sounds like 'wun-rupee'). **Rules for 'An'** 'An' is used before a singular countable noun that begins with a **vowel sound**. * **Examples:** an apple, an elephant, an ice cream, an hour. * **Trick:** If the word starts with a consonant letter but has a vowel sound, use 'an'. For example, **an** **h**our (the 'h' is silent), **an** **h**onest man (the 'h' is silent), **an** **M.A.** (sounds like 'em-ay'). --- ### Definite Article: The 'The' is used to refer to a specific or particular noun. **Rules for 'The'** * **When referring to something already mentioned or known:** * *Example:* I saw **a** dog. **The** dog was very friendly. * **Before a unique noun (things that are one of a kind):** * *Examples:* **the** sun, **the** moon, **the** Earth, **the** Eiffel Tower. * **With superlatives:** * *Example:* He is **the** best student. * **With names of rivers, seas, oceans, mountain ranges, and deserts:** * *Examples:* **the** Ganges, **the** Pacific Ocean, **the** Himalayas, **the** Sahara Desert. * **With names of well-known buildings, monuments, and institutions:** * *Examples:* **the** Taj Mahal, **the** Red Fort, **the** United Nations. * **With names of musical instruments:** * *Example:* She plays **the** piano. * **Before a noun that represents a whole class or group:** * *Example:* **The** dog is a faithful animal. * **Before a proper noun when it is followed by a restrictive clause:** * *Example:* This is **the** book that I bought yesterday. --- ### Important Concepts for Exams **Common Traps & Exceptions** * **Homophones:** Pay close attention to the **sound**, not just the letter. For example, 'university' starts with a vowel but has a consonant sound, so it takes 'a'. 'Honest' starts with a consonant but has a vowel sound, so it takes 'an'. * **Zero Article:** Sometimes no article is needed, particularly before plural or uncountable nouns used in a general sense, or before proper nouns like names of people, cities, and countries (with some exceptions like 'the United States' or 'the United Kingdom'). * *Examples:* I like coffee. (Uncountable noun) * *Examples:* Tokyo is in Japan. (City and Country names) * **General vs. Specific Use:** The key difference between 'a/an' and 'the' lies in whether the noun is being introduced for the first time or is already known to the listener/reader. **Commonly Asked Concepts:** * **Singular Countable Nouns:** They always require an article (a, an, or the). * **Sound Rule:** The most common mistake is applying the a/an rule based on the first letter instead of the first sound. * **Unique Nouns:** 'The' is used for anything that is the only one of its kind in a given context. --- ### Practice Questions 1. What article should be used before the word 'honorable'? * **Answer:** an 2. Fill in the blank: He is ___ one-eyed man. * **Answer:** a 3. Which article is correct before the word 'M.P.'? * **Answer:** an 4. Choose the correct article for the sentence: "I waited for him for ___ hour." * **Answer:** an 5. What article is used before a superlative adjective? * **Answer:** the 6. Correct the sentence: "I saw an elephant." * **Answer:** The sentence is already correct. (It's a trick question!) 7. Fill in the blank: She is ___ best singer. * **Answer:** the 8. Which article is used when referring to a specific person or thing? * **Answer:** the 9. Which article should be used before the word 'European'? * **Answer:** a 10. What article is used before the name of a unique object like 'sun'? * **Answer:** the --- *Last updated: 19/8/2025*
## Quick Revision Notes: Articles (A, An, The) ### Introduction to Articles Articles are a type of determiner that comes before a noun. There are two main types of articles in English: **Indefinite articles (a, an)** and **Definite article (the)**. They specify whether a noun is general or specific. --- ### Indefinite Articles: A & An Indefinite articles are used to refer to a non-specific or general noun. **Rules for 'A'** 'A' is used before a singular countable noun that begins with a **consonant sound**. * **Examples:** a book, a car, a dog, a house. * **Trick:** If the word starts with a vowel letter but has a consonant sound, use 'a'. For example, **a** **u**niversity (sounds like 'yuniversity'), **a** **E**uropean (sounds like 'yuropean'), **a** **o**ne-rupee coin (sounds like 'wun-rupee'). **Rules for 'An'** 'An' is used before a singular countable noun that begins with a **vowel sound**. * **Examples:** an apple, an elephant, an ice cream, an hour. * **Trick:** If the word starts with a consonant letter but has a vowel sound, use 'an'. For example, **an** **h**our (the 'h' is silent), **an** **h**onest man (the 'h' is silent), **an** **M.A.** (sounds like 'em-ay'). --- ### Definite Article: The 'The' is used to refer to a specific or particular noun. **Rules for 'The'** * **When referring to something already mentioned or known:** * *Example:* I saw **a** dog. **The** dog was very friendly. * **Before a unique noun (things that are one of a kind):** * *Examples:* **the** sun, **the** moon, **the** Earth, **the** Eiffel Tower. * **With superlatives:** * *Example:* He is **the** best student. * **With names of rivers, seas, oceans, mountain ranges, and deserts:** * *Examples:* **the** Ganges, **the** Pacific Ocean, **the** Himalayas, **the** Sahara Desert. * **With names of well-known buildings, monuments, and institutions:** * *Examples:* **the** Taj Mahal, **the** Red Fort, **the** United Nations. * **With names of musical instruments:** * *Example:* She plays **the** piano. * **Before a noun that represents a whole class or group:** * *Example:* **The** dog is a faithful animal. * **Before a proper noun when it is followed by a restrictive clause:** * *Example:* This is **the** book that I bought yesterday. --- ### Important Concepts for Exams **Common Traps & Exceptions** * **Homophones:** Pay close attention to the **sound**, not just the letter. For example, 'university' starts with a vowel but has a consonant sound, so it takes 'a'. 'Honest' starts with a consonant but has a vowel sound, so it takes 'an'. * **Zero Article:** Sometimes no article is needed, particularly before plural or uncountable nouns used in a general sense, or before proper nouns like names of people, cities, and countries (with some exceptions like 'the United States' or 'the United Kingdom'). * *Examples:* I like coffee. (Uncountable noun) * *Examples:* Tokyo is in Japan. (City and Country names) * **General vs. Specific Use:** The key difference between 'a/an' and 'the' lies in whether the noun is being introduced for the first time or is already known to the listener/reader. **Commonly Asked Concepts:** * **Singular Countable Nouns:** They always require an article (a, an, or the). * **Sound Rule:** The most common mistake is applying the a/an rule based on the first letter instead of the first sound. * **Unique Nouns:** 'The' is used for anything that is the only one of its kind in a given context. --- ### Practice Questions 1. What article should be used before the word 'honorable'? * **Answer:** an 2. Fill in the blank: He is ___ one-eyed man. * **Answer:** a 3. Which article is correct before the word 'M.P.'? * **Answer:** an 4. Choose the correct article for the sentence: "I waited for him for ___ hour." * **Answer:** an 5. What article is used before a superlative adjective? * **Answer:** the 6. Correct the sentence: "I saw an elephant." * **Answer:** The sentence is already correct. (It's a trick question!) 7. Fill in the blank: She is ___ best singer. * **Answer:** the 8. Which article is used when referring to a specific person or thing? * **Answer:** the 9. Which article should be used before the word 'European'? * **Answer:** a 10. What article is used before the name of a unique object like 'sun'? * **Answer:** the --- *Last updated: 19/8/2025*