1.9 ARTICLES

What are articles?

Articles are words that identify a noun as being specific or unspecific. Consider the following examples:

Example : After the long day, the cup of tea tasted particularly good.

By using the article THE, we’ve shown that it was one specific day that was long and one specific cup of tea that tasted good.

Example : After a long day, a cup of tea tastes particularly good.

By using the article A, we’ve created a general statement, implying that any cup of tea would taste good after any long day.

English has two types of articles: definite and indefinite. Let’s discuss them now in more detail.

The definite article

The definite article is the word "THE".It limits the meaning of a noun to one particular thing.

Example :“Are you going to the party this weekend?” 

The definite article tells you that your friend is referring to a specific party that both of you already know about. The definite article can be used with singular, plural, or uncountable nouns.

The indefinite article

The indefinite article takes two forms. It’s the word "A" when it precedes a word that begins with a consonant. It’s the word "AN" when it precedes a word that begins with a vowel. The indefinite article indicates that a noun refers to a general idea or category of a thing rather than a specific thing. 

Example 1: You might ask your friend, “Should I bring a gift to the party?” 

Your friend will understand that you are not asking about a specific type of gift or a specific item. 

Example 2: Your sister tells, “I am going to bring an apple pie,” 

The indefinite article indicates that she is not talking about a particular apple pie. she probably doesn’t even have any pie yet. 

Note :The indefinite article appears only with singular nouns. 

Exceptions: using a or an

There are a few exceptions to the general rule of using a before words that start with consonants and an before words that begin with vowels. The first letter of the word honor, for example, is a consonant, but it’s unpronounced. Despite its spelling, the word honor begins with a vowel sound. Therefore, we use an. Consider the example sentence below for an illustration of this concept.

Incorrect: My mother is a honest woman.

Correct : My mother is an honest woman.

Similarly, when the first letter of a word is a vowel but is pronounced with a consonant sound, use a, as in the sample sentence below:

Incorrect: She is an United States senator.

Correct : She is a United States senator.

This holds true for acronyms and initialisms too: an LCD display, a UK-based company, an HR department, a URL.

An article before an adjective

Sometimes an article modifies a noun that is also modified by an adjective. The usual word order is article + adjective + noun. If the article is indefinite, use a or an based on the word that immediately follows it. Consider the following examples for reference:

Examples: 

Eliza will bring a small gift to Sophie’s party. 

I heard an interesting story yesterday.

Indefinite articles with uncountable nouns

        Uncountable Nouns are nouns that are impossible to count, whether because they name intangible concepts (e.g., information, animal husbandry, wealth), collections of things that are considered as wholes (e.g., jewelry, equipment, the working class), or homogeneous physical substances (e.g., milk, sand, air). Although most of these nouns are singular in form, because they refer to things that can’t be isolated and counted, they never take a or an. Uncountable nouns can be modified by indefinite adjectives like some, however. Consider the examples below for reference:

Incorrect : Please give me a water.

Water is an uncountable noun and should not be used with the indefinite article.

Correct : Please give me some water.

If you describe the water in terms of a countable unit (like a bottle), you can use the indefinite article to modify the unit.

Correct : Please give me a bottle of water.

Incorrect : Please give me an ice.

Correct : Please give me an ice cube.

Correct : Please give me some ice.

Note that depending on the context, some nouns can be countable or uncountable (e.g., hair, noise, time):

Correct : We need a light in this room.

Correct : We need some light in this room.

Omission of articles

Occasionally, articles are omitted altogether before certain nouns. In these cases, the article is implied but not actually present. This implied article is sometimes called a “zero article.” Often, the article is omitted before a noun that refers to an abstract idea. Look at the following examples:

Incorrect : Let’s go out for a dinner tonight.

Correct : Let’s go out for dinner tonight.

Incorrect :The creativity is a valuable quality in children.

Correct : Creativity is a valuable quality in children.

Tip: The words for many languages and nationalities are not preceded by an article. 

Incorrect : I studied the French in high school for four years.

Correct : I studied French in high school for four years.

Tip: Sports and academic subjects do not require articles. 

Incorrect : I like to play the baseball.

Correct : I like to play baseball.

Incorrect : My sister was always good at the math.

Correct : My sister was always good at math.