Welcome to Online English in AffairsCloud.com. We are providing English Grammar Which is very Important Part of English Language, here we will discuss about Articles and its Usages, Which is very important for all Competitive Exams!!!
What are Articles
An article is a word used to modify a noun, which is a person, place, object, or idea. an article is an adjective, which is any word that modifies a noun. Usually adjectives modify nouns through description, but articles are used instead to point out or refer to nouns.
Types of Articles : Articles have two types, definite and indefinite articles.
Definite Article
This article is the word the, and it refers directly to a specific noun or groups of nouns.
For example:
–the freckles on my face
–the alligator in the pond
–the breakfast burrito on my plate
Each noun or group of nouns being referred to – in these cases freckles, alligator, and breakfast burrito – is direct and specific.
Indefinite Articles
Indefinite articles are the words a and an. Each of these articles is used to refer to a noun, but the noun being referred to is not a specific person, place, object, or idea. It can be any noun from a group of nouns.
For example:
-a Mercedes from the car lot
-an event in history
In each case, the noun is not specific. The Mercedes could be any Mercedes car available for purchase, and the event could be any event in the history of the world.
Singular count nouns:
indefinite: use ‘a’
- definite: use “the”
My daughter wants to buy a dog this weekend. (Indefinite-Could be any dog)
The dog in the backyard is very cute.(Definite-The one in the backyard)
He requested a puppy for his birthday.
He wanted the puppy he played with at the pet shop.
She ordered a hamburger without onions.
Did you drink the coke I just ordered?
Plural count nouns:
Use “the” or Nothing, never ‘a’.
Come and look at the children. (definite)
Children are always curious. (indefinite)
She loves flowers. (indefinite)
The flowers in her garden are beautiful. (definite)
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Non-count nouns:
Use “the” or nothing.
He has experience. (if indefinite or mentioned for the first time)
He has the experience necessary for the job. (if definite or mentioned before)
The medicine the doctor prescribed had unpleasant side effects.
Writing in a second language is especially challenging.
Have you studied the history of South Africa?
History reminds us that events repeat themselves.
