Article (grammar)

An article (abbreviated ART) is a word (or prefix or suffix) that is used with a noun to indicate the type of
reference being made by the noun. Articles specify grammatical definiteness of the noun, in some languages
extending to volume or numerical scope. The articles in the English languageare the and a/an, and (in some
contexts) some. 'An' and 'a' are modern forms of the Old English 'an', which in Anglian dialects was the number
'one' (compare 'on', in Saxon dialects) and survived into Modern Scots as the number 'ane'. Both 'on' (respelled
'one' by the Normans) and 'an' survived into Modern English, with 'one' used as the number and 'an' ('a', before
nouns that begin with a consonant sound) as an indefinite article.
Traditionally in English, an article is usually considered to be a type of adjective. In some languages, articles
are a special part of speech, which cannot easily be combined with other parts of speech. It is also possible for
articles to be part of another part of speech category such as adeterminer, an English part of speech category
that combines articles and demonstratives (such as 'this' and 'that').
In languages that employ articles, every common noun, with some exceptions, is expressed with a
certain definiteness (e.g., definite or indefinite), just as many languages express every noun with a
certain grammatical number (e.g., singular or plural). Every noun must be accompanied by the article, if any,
corresponding to its definiteness, and the lack of an article (considered a zero article) itself specifies a certain
definiteness. This is in contrast to other adjectives and determiners, which are typically optional. This obligatory
nature of articles makes them among the most common words in many languagesin English, for example,
the most frequent word is the.[1]
Articles are usually characterized as either definite or indefinite.[2] A few languages with well-developed systems
of articles may distinguish additional subtypes. Within each type, languages may have various forms of each
article, according to grammatical attributes such as gender, number, or case, or according to adjacent sounds.
An article comes before a noun.
There are three articles:
the, a, an
The' is a definite article which denotes a specific thing.
The book was interesting to read.
She made an appointment to meet the headteacher.
A and an are indefinite articles which dont denote any particular thing.
'A' and 'an' are used in the same way except that 'an' is used before a vowel or a word beginning with
'h' if the 'h' is silent.
I will get a book to read while I wait.

I would like an egg for breakfast.

Although we had to wait an hour for the train, it was an honour to spend it in your company.

Articles
There are only three articles: the, a and an. They are very small words which cause very large
problems if used incorrectly. If, for example, you wanted someone to hand you the book, but you
accidentally said a book, the other person might take some time to go shopping for a book they
thought youd like. While one can never have too many books, work doesnt get done if we go book
shopping every time we need to look up a word in the dictionary. Use of an article can also change
the meaning of the noun:
dinner = the evening meal
a dinner = an evening meal held for some kind of event
the dinner = a specific evening meal which was held for some kind of event

What Are Articles?

The articles in English are the (definite article), a, and an (indefinite articles).
Articles define a noun as specific or unspecific.
After the long day, the cup of tea tastes particularly good.
By using the, weve shown that it was one specific day that was long, and one specific cup of
tea that tasted good.
After a long day, a cup of tea tastes particularly good.
By using a, weve created a general statement, saying that any cup of tea would taste good
after any long day.

Indefinite Articles: A and An

The indefinite articles are used when we are referring to an unspecified thing or quantity. We
use them when we dont know (or dont care) which thing were talking about.
There once was a sheep.
I dont know which sheep it was dont know its name or where its from, or anything about it
so I cant say the sheep.
We use a before nouns or adjectives which begin with a consonant, or when U sounds like a
Y, or O sounds like a W.
A cat
A dog

A university
A young puppy
A one-eyed pirate
We use an before words which begin with a vowel sound or a soft H sound.
An egg
An hour-glass
An antique necklace
This rule also applies to acronyms.
A Society of Writers member was quoted in the article.
A S.O.W. member was quoted in the article.
An S.O.W. member was quoted in the article.
Because S sounds like it begins with a vowel (ess), an should be used in front of it.

Definite Article: The

The definite article refers to a noun, either in the singular or plural. It can be used with
uncountable nouns. The refers to a specific thing or quantity. It should be placed before the
noun, or before the adjective which directly modifies the noun.
Please give me the hammer.
Please give me the red hammer; the blue one is too small.
Please give me the nail.
Please give me the large nail; its the only one strong enough to hold up this painting.
Please give me the hammer and the nail.

The Used With All

In English, the should not come before the word all. They may be used separately, or
combined into all the.
At the all birthday parties, food and drinks are served to the guests.
This could be written as: at birthday parties, at all birthday parties, or at all the birthday
parties.
My father asked me to take the all books off the dining room table.
My father asked me to take all the books off the dining room table.

Unnecessary Definite Article

If the noun is general, an indefinite article or possibly no article may be used.

Use the utensil when eating the dinner.

Use the fork when eating your dinner.
Use a utensil when eating dinner.
Give me the liberty or give me the death.
Give me liberty or give me death.
Remember that a noun which has been previously mentioned must be modified by a direct
article; however, if the noun is just popping up for the first time, an indirect article should be
used.
A child is riding a bicycle along a sidewalk; the child is wearing the helmet.
The first the (in the second clause) is correct because child has already been mentioned; we
know the writer is talking specifically about the child who is riding a bicycle. The
second the should be replaced by an indefinite article (a) because we dont know which
helmet the child is wearing.
N.B. Sometimes the article will change the meaning of the sentence. For instance, if I wrote I
need to buy a new pen for the school, it might imply that I have broken one of the schools
pens and need to replace it. However, if I am buying it for myself to use in school, the should
be removed from the sentence: I need to buy a new pen for school.

Unnecessary article
Articles are generally used to refer to specific plural or singular nouns. Plural countable nouns
and mass nouns (words which are used as general terms e.g. animals, people, sadness) do
not always require an article. There are no rules to clearly identify when to use an article and
when not to; the meaning of the word demonstrates the need for an article.
Cows like to bask in the sun.
Cows is a mass noun; all the cows like to bask in the sun. Sun requires a definite article
because there is only one sun.
The cows in the field like to bask in the sun.
Here, were talking about a specific group of cows.
All over the world, humans are searching for the happiness.
The article before happiness is not required because happiness is used as a mass noun.
All over the world, humans are searching for happiness.
All over the world, humans are searching for the happiness they believe they deserve.
Because happiness in this sentence is a specific kind of happiness the kind they believe
they deserve the article is required before happiness.
Farmers would do well to arrange for extra the stores of cattle feed this winter.

Because extra is already modifying the mass noun stores, the article is not required
before stores.

Geographical Use of Definite ArticleThe

English uses the definite article the in front of some geographical names but not in front of
others. If in doubt, your best bet is to look it up in a dictionary or online. Heres a general list of
guidelines:
Do not use the before the name of:

most countries or territories (e.g. Canada, China, New Zealand)

towns, cities or states (e.g. Ottawa, Paris, California/
streets (e.g. Front Street, Lakeview Avenue, Dogwood Crescent)
lakes (e.g. Lake Ontario, Lake Placid, Bear Lake)
bays, where the term bay comes after the name (e.g. the Bay of Fundy)
mountains (e.g. Mount Everest, Mount Kilimanjaro)
continents (e.g. North America, Africa)
islands (e.g. Fiji Islands, Prince Edward Island)
Do use the before the name of:

rivers, oceans, seas (e.g. the Mississippi River, the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean)
bays, where the term bay comes first (e.g. the Bay of Fundy, the Bay of Bengal)
gulfs and peninsulas (e.g. the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Peninsula)
mountain ranges (e.g. the Rockies, the Dolomites, the Laurentians)
points on the globe (e.g. the Equator, the North Pole)
geographical areas (e.g. the Middle East, the South)
deserts and forests (e.g. the Gobi Desert, the Black Forest)
N.B. Language is always changing. Fifty years ago, Argentina was known as the Argentine,
and the Balkan Islands always had the definite article in front of it. In many places, formal
writing may accept the use of the word Argentina, and people may say, I come from Balkan
Islands.

Omission of Articles
Dont use articles with:
languages and nationalities (e.g. Chinese, English, French, Spanish)
N.B. If you put an article in front of these words, it refers to the people of that country.
sports (e.g. diving, baseball, skiing)
academic subjects (e.g. chemistry, English, philosophy)
I like to play the baseball .

Sports dont require an article before them.

I like to play baseball .
I like to play with a baseball
Because were talking about the actual ball (not the sport), an article is required.
I like to study English .
This sentence refers to the English language.
I like to study the English .
This sentence because of the article refers to the English people.

http://www.grammarly.com/handbook/grammar/articles/13/omission-of-articles/

THE
Articles in English are invariable. That is, they do not change according to the gender or number of
the noun they refer to, e.g. the boy, the woman, the children
'The' is used:
1. to refer to something which has already been mentioned.
An elephant and a mouse fell in love.
The mouse loved the elephant's long trunk,
and the elephant loved the mouse's tiny nose.
2. when both the speaker and listener know what is being talked about, even if it has not
been mentioned before.
'Where's the bathroom?'
'It's on the first floor.'
3. in sentences or clauses where we define or identify a particular person or object:
The man who wrote this book is famous.
'Which car did you scratch?' 'The red one.
My house is the one with a blue door.'
4. to refer to objects we regard as unique:
the sun, the moon, the world
5. before superlatives and ordinal numbers: (see Adjectives)
the highest building, the first page, the last chapter.

6. with adjectives, to refer to a whole group of people:

the Japanese (see Nouns - Nationalities), the old
7. with names of geographical areas and oceans:
the Caribbean, the Sahara, the Atlantic
8. with decades, or groups of years:
she grew up in the seventies

What are English grammar articles? An article is a word that is used before a noun to show
whether the noun refers to something specific or not. A, anand the are articles.
Examples:
"I need a chair."

In the sentence above we find the article "a". It shows us that the speaker does not need
a specific chair. He can have any chair.
"I want an apple."

In the sentence above we find the article "an." It shows us that the speaker does not want
a specific apple. He can have any apple.
"I want the red apple."

In the sentence above we find the article "the." It shows us that the speaker wants
a specific apple.
In English, there are two kinds of grammar articles.

The Definite Article

(For example: the box)

"Definite" means "clear, obvious."

The definite article tells us that the noun is specific. The speaker talks about a particular
(or known) thing.
The definite article in English is "the."
Examples:
"The car I bought broke down."
"He has a son and a daughter. The daughter is a doctor."
"The actors were really good."
"I remember the day we first met."
"The" can be used before both singular and plural nouns.
Examples:
"The flower he gave her was very beautiful."
"The flowers on the table are nice."

The Indefinite Article

(For example: a box)

"In-" means "not," and "definite" means "clear, obvious."

"Indefinite" means "not clear, not exact."
The indefinite article tells us that the noun is not specific. The speaker talks about any
one of that type of thing.
The indefinite articles in English are "a" and "an."
Examples:
"I need a pen."
(The speaker doesn't tell us which pen he needs. He simply needs a pen, any pen.)
"Lisa wants to see a movie."
(The speaker doesn't tell us which movie Lisa wants to see. She wants to see some movie.)
"Joe has a car."
(The speaker doesn't tell us which car Joe has. He has some car.)
"She is a dancer."
(She dances for a living.)

What is the difference between "a" and "an"?

"A" and "an" have the same meaning.
We use "a" before a consonant sound.
Examples:
a dog
a building
a country
a professor
a university
We use "an" before a vowel sound.

Examples:
an apple
an umbrella
an eye
an hour

Important!
We use "a" and "an" only before a singular noun. We can't use "a" and "an" before a plural
noun.
Examples:
Correct: a car.
Incorrect: a cars.
Correct: an orange.
Incorrect: a oranges.

What is the difference between "a" and "the"?

"The" is used to talk about specific or known things. These are usually things that have been
mentioned before or that the listener is familiar with.
"A" (or "an") is used to talk about things which are not specific. These are usually things
that haven't been mentioned before or that the listener is unfamiliar with.
Let's say I tell you: "I went to see a doctor last week."
Explanation: I went to see some doctor. I didn't mention him before, and you are not
familiar with him. Another option is that it is not important who he is. So I use the word "a".
Then I say: "The doctor said I should get more rest."
Now you already know which doctor I am referring to. I am referring to the doctor I went to
see. So I use the word "the."
Next I say to you: "Do you remember the movie we watched together?"
I use the word "the" because I mention a specific movie you know which movie I am
talking about.
Then I tell you: "Well, I've seen a better movie since!"
You are not familiar with the new movie, so I use the word "a".
I also tell you: "A man on the street stepped on my foot."
You don't know who exactly stepped on my foot, I've never mentioned him before. So I use
the word "a".
Finally, I tell you: "I am a singer."
This sentence simply means that I sing for a living. If I said: "I am the singer", you would

understand that I am the singer that was mentioned before.

For example:
- "Wow! I heard a great singer is coming to town."
- "Oh, it's me. I am the great singer."
Now that we understand the general idea of English grammar articles, here are some more
specific details:

Specific Uses of English Grammar Articles

In this case

Use "a" /
"an"

Use "the"

No article

Example Sentence

You mention something

for the first time.

I have a problem.

You want to say that something

belongs to a certain group.

This is a table.

You want to say that someone

belongs to a certain group.

She is a designer.

You want to say that

something is that kind of thing.

I've built a strong ship.

You want to say that

someone is that kind of person.

He is a nice guy.

You talk about a specific thing.

The feeling I got was

very strange.

It is clear which thing

you are talking about.

I passed the test!

There is only one such thing.

Look at the sun.

You talk about

something in general.

Pigs can't fly.

Diving can be difficult.

You talk about cities,

We visited Italy.
countries, streets, etc.
The is a definite article. It is used before a noun to refer to a particular one.
Example: I was playing with the boy.
The boy refers to a particular boy.
A and an are indefinite articles. They are used before nouns to refer to something in
general.
Example: I was playing with a boy.
A boy could be any boy.
Example: She wanted an umbrella.

An umbrella could be any umbrella. She is not referring to a specific one.

Using the definite article

The definite article the is the most frequently used word in the English language. It is the
same for all genders in singular or plural forms.
Correct:

I am looking for the boy.

She is fixing the computer.

Also Correct:

I am looking for the boys.

She is fixing the computers.

Pronouncing the definite article

There are two different ways to pronounce the definite article the.

Pronounce it like "thuh" before nouns that begin with a spoken

consonant

A spoken consonant is the sound at the beginning of a word that is not one of the five
vowels (a, e, i, o, u).
Examples: the bear, the cat, the girls

Pronounce it like "thee" before nouns that begin with a spoken vowel
A spoken vowel is the sound at the beginning of a word that is a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u
and sometimes y).
Examples: the apple, the umbrella, the old school, the yellow bus

Using the definite article before nouns

1) We use the definite article the before a noun when the noun is specific.

Once we have identified the noun to the reader or listener, we begin

using the before the noun.
Example: I am reading a book. The book is about cats.
In this example the noun is identified in the first sentence. The first sentence is not referring
to a specific book, so I did not use the definite article.
In the second sentence, the noun has been identified and I am talking about a specific book.
I use the definite article before the book.
2) We use the definite article with any noun that represents one particular subject.
Examples:

The President visited our city last year. (There is only one current president.)

The sun is bright today. (There is only one sun in our sky.)

3) We use the definite article when there is only one nearby.

Examples:

Dad, can I borrow the car? (There is one car at our house.)

I am going to wear the blue shirt today. (I have one blue shirt in my closet.)

Using the definite article with names

We do not usually use the definite article before people's names.
Incorrect: The Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States.
Correct: Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States.
We do use the definite article before:
1) Countries with plural nouns as their name

Example: I am flying to the Netherlands.

2) Countries with names like Kingdom, State, or Republic

Example: I live in the United States.

3) Names of geographical features such as oceans, mountains, rivers and seas

Example: We sailed on the Pacific Ocean.

4) Names of newspapers

Example: We had a subscription to the New York Times.

5) Names of well-known buildings or works of art

Example: We visited the Empire State Building last year.

6) Names of families

Example: The Smiths live there.

7) Names of organizations

Example: We are members of the Chess Club.

8) Names of hotels
Example: We slept at the Holiday Inn.
9) The definite article the is optional before seasons of the year.
Examples:

I love fishing in the summer.

or I love fishing in summer.

I go to school in the spring.

or I go to school in spring.

Spelling Rules for Adding "ing"

Introduction

Vowel = a sound we make when the breath flows out through the mouth freely, without
being blocked. The English letters a, e, i, o, u are called vowels, because they represent
such sounds.
Consonant = a sound we make that is not a vowel. The breath is somehow blocked on its
way out of the mouth. For example, the sound b is made when breath flow is stopped with
the lips. All the English letters which are not vowels are called consonants. These
are: b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n,p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, z.

Some verbs change their spelling when "ing" is added to them.

Verbs ending with

"consonant-vowel-consonant"
When a verb ends with a consonant-vowel-consonant, and we put STRESS on this sound
in speech, we double the last consonant. Then we add ing.
In the following examples the consonant is in blue, the vowel is in green, and ing is
in red. The STRESS is underlined.
run

=>

runn + ing

=>

running

stop

=>

stopp + ing

=>

stopping

plan

=>

plann + ing

=>

planning

begin

=>

beginn + ing

=>

beginning

But if we don't put STRESS on this sound in speech, then we simply add ing.
open

=>

open + ing

=>

opening

visit

=>

visit + ing

=>

visiting

listen

=>

listen + ing

=>

listening

happen

=>

happen + ing

=>

happening

Verbs ending with "e"

When a verb ends with the letter e, we first remove it, and then add ing.
In the following examples the letter e is in purple, and ing is in red.
take

=>

tak + ing

=>

taking

make

=>

mak + ing

=>

making

dance

=>

danc + ing

=>

dancing

write

=>

writ + ing

=>

writing

Verbs ending with "ie"

When a verb ends with the letters ie, we change them into y, and add ing.
In the following examples the letters ie are in brown, the letter y is in brown too,
and ing is in red.
lie

=>

ly + ing

=>

lying

die

=>

dy + ing

=>

dying

So these were the spelling rules for adding "ing".