definite and indefinite articles

	COUNT NOUNS	NON-COUNT NOUNS
Rule #1 Specific identity not known	a, an	(no article)
Rule #2 Specific identity known	the	the
Rule #3 All things or things in general	(no article)	(no article)

 nouns നെ  countable  (can be counted)എന്നും uncountable  (indefinite in quantity and cannot be counted) എന്നും വേർതിരിക്കാം .countable  nounനെ   singular (one)എന്നും  or plural (more than one) എന്നും രണ്ട് വിഭാഗങ്ങളുണ്ട് 

 uncountable  nouns are always in singular form.

ഉദാഹരണത്തിന് ,table ൽ  water തുളുമ്പി പോയി എന്ന് കരുതുക , there can be one drop (singular) or two or more drops (plural) of water on the table. ഈ വാക്യത്തിലെ  drop എന്ന word  ഒരു  countable  noun ആണ് കാരണം  we can count the number of drops. Therefore,the word drop would use the articles a or the.

എന്നാൽ  water എന്ന് പൊതുവായെടുക്കുമ്പോൾ  one water or two waters എന്ന് count ചെയ്യുന്നത് ഉചിതമല്ലല്ലോ. -- water on the table എന്ന് മാത്രമേ പറയൂ . Water is a uncountable  noun. the word water would use no article or the, but not a.

 Rules to use  definite and indefinite articles.

Rule #1 - not known Specific identity :A' and 'An' are called the indefinite articles. They define their noun as something unspecific (e.g., something generic, something mentioned for the first time).

• This is a lake.

a and an are used with with Singular Nouns

The indefinite article (a, an) is only for singular nouns. It is not used for plural nouns.

specific identity ഇല്ലാത്ത singular countable  noun നോടോപ്പം Use the indefinite article a or an only . Use a before nouns that begin with a consonant sound, and use an before nouns that begin with a vowel sound.

• Use the article a or an to indicate any non-specified member of a group or category.

I think a rat is in the room
That man is a scoundrel.
We are looking for an lodge .

Rule 2:

Sometimes ‘the’ is used to generalize a group/whole class.

Example:

• The dog is a faithful animal. (Refers to the whole species of dog.)
• The English are industrious. (Refers to the people of England as a nation)
• The honest are respected. (The+adjectives = plural noun)
• The poor are not always dishonest. (The+adjectives = plural noun)

• Use the article a or an to indicate one in number (as opposed to more than one).

She give birth to  a boy and two girls .

• When Do You Use 'An' and 'A'?

  The most common mistake involving articles is using 'an' instead of 'a' (or vice versa). This mistake occurs because writers believe 'an' is used before a vowel and 'a' before a consonant. That is not entirely accurate. 'An' is used before a vowel sound and 'a' is used before a consonant sound. The word sound is important because consonants can create vowel sounds, and vowels can create consonant sounds. Therefore, the use of 'an' or 'a' is determined by the sound not the letter. Look at these examples:
  • A house 
  • An hour 
  (House and hour start with the same three letters; however, house attracts a, and hour attracts an. This is because house starts with a consonant sound, but hour starts with a vowel sound.)
  • A uniform row 
  • An unidentified man 
  (Uniform and unidentified start with the same three letters; however, uniform attracts a, and unidentified attracts an. This is because uniform starts with a consonant sound (yoo), but unidentified starts with a vowel sound.)
  Be especially careful with abbreviations:
  • An MOT 
  (The letter "em" starts with a vowel sound.)
  • An LRS 
  (The letter "el" starts with a vowel sound.)
  • A US diplomat 
  (The letter "yoo" starts with a consonant sound.)

a boy, an apple

◊ Sometimes an adjective comes between the article and noun:

an unhappy boy, a red apple

• The plural form of a or an is some. Use some to indicate an unspecified, limited amount (but more than one).

an apple, some apples

Rule #2 - Specific identity known: Use the definite article the with any noun (whether singular or plural, count or noncount) when the specific identity of the noun is known to the reader, as in the following situations:

Using Definite Article: the

Rule 1:

‘The’ is used to indicate a particular person(s) or thing(s) in the case of common nouns. Proper nouns generally do not take an article.

Example:

• The man is running. (A particular man)
• I saw the boy stealing.
• Where is the pen I gave you last year?
• I gave him a ball, but he lost the ball. (‘a ball’ became ‘the ball’ in the second clause because that ball was not a random ball anymore.)

• Use the article the when a particular noun has already been mentioned previously.

I ate an apple yesterday. The apple was juicy and delicious.

• Use the article the when the noun refers to something or someone that is unique.

the theory of relativity
the union budget 

Rule #3 - All things or things in general: Use no article with plural count nouns or any Uncountable  nouns used to mean all or in general.

Trees are beautiful in the fall. (All trees are beautiful in the fall.)
He was asking for advice. (He was asking for advice in general.)
I do not like coffee. (I do not like all coffee in general.)

Rule 2:

Sometimes ‘the’ is used to generalize a group/whole class.

Example:

• The dog is a faithful animal. (Refers to the whole species of dog.)
• The English are industrious. (Refers to the people of England as a nation)

Examples of the Definite and Indefinite Articles

Here are some more examples of the articles in use:

• I fell over the chair again.
(The chair is specific. It is known to the audience.)
• Can you pass me a chair?
(This means an unspecific chair, i.e., any chair.)
• I loved the apple pie after the meal.
(In this example, the audience knows which apple pie is being praised, e.g., the one at last night's dinner.)
• I love an apple pie after dinner.
(The audience understands that the speaker likes to eat an apple pie after dinner (any apple pie will do).)

Additional Information Regarding the Use of Articles

• 1.When indicating an unspecified, limited amount of a count or Uncountable  noun, use some.

My cousin was seeking some advice from a counselor (not advice in general or advice about everything, but a limited amount of advice).

I would love some coffee right now (not coffee in general, but a limited amount of coffee).

We might get rain tomorrow. Some rain would be good for the crops (a certain amount of rain, as opposed to rain in general).

There are some drops of water on the table (a limited number, but more than one drop).

• 2 .Uncountable nouns are those which usually cannot be counted. Following are some common examples:

◊ Certain food and drink items: beef, bread, butter, cabbage, candy, cauliflower, celery, cereal, cheese, chicken, chocolate, coffee, corn, cream, fish, flour, fruit, ice cream, lettuce, meat, milk, oil, pasta, rice, salt, spinach, sugar, tea, water, wine, yogurt

◊ Certain nonfood substances: air, cement, coal, dirt, gasoline, gold, paper, petroleum, plastic, rain, silver, snow, soap, steel, wood, wool

◊ Most abstract nouns: advice, anger, beauty, confidence, courage, employment, fun, happiness, health, honesty, information, intelligence, knowledge, love, poverty, satisfaction, truth, wealth

◊ Areas of study: history, math, biology, etc.

◊ Sports: soccer, football, baseball, hockey, etc.

◊ Languages: Chinese, Spanish, Russian, English, etc.

◊ Other: clothing, equipment, furniture, homework, jewelry, luggage, lumber, machinery, mail, money, news, poetry, pollution, research, scenery, traffic, transportation, violence, weather, work

• Geographical names are confusing because some require the and some do not.

◊ Use the with: united countries, large regions, deserts, peninsulas, oceans, seas, gulfs, canals, rivers, mountain ranges, groups of islands

the Gobi Desert
the United Arab Emirates
the Sacramento River
the Aleutians

◊ Do not use the with: streets, parks, cities, states, counties, most countries, continents, bays, single lakes, single mountains, islands

Japan
Chico
Mt. Everest
San Francisco Bay

Rule 3:

A or an - sometimes makes a Proper Noun a Common Noun. Proper nouns generally do not take any articles, but when a proper noun needs to be used as a common noun, you must bring a or an - for it.  

Example: 

• He thinks he is a Shakespeare. (Here, ‘Shakespeare’ does not refer to the actual person but someone like him.)
• He seems to be an Australian. (‘Australia’ is a proper noun but ‘Australian’ is a common noun because there is only one Australia but a million of Australians.)

Rule 4:

Sometimes indefinite articles are used to refer the number ‘one’/’each’/’per’.

Example:

• I earned a thousand dollar in that job. (One thousand dollar)
• I have a car. (One car)
• It goes 50 miles an hour. (Per Hour)

Rule 6:

‘A’ sometimes comes before determiners, for example,  a few, a little, a lot of, a most, etc. but in the case of many, a or an - comes after.

Example:

• I have a few friends coming over.
• There is a little milk in the jar.
• Many a fan welcomed

Rule 3:

To particularise a non-count noun ‘the’ is required before it.

Example:

• The water of the Arctic ocean is freezing.
• Please return the money I lent you last year.

Rule 4:

‘The’ is mandatory before a thing which is only one of a kind in the universe.

Example:

• The moon is shining tonight.
• The earth is moving around the sun.

 ‘The’ must not precede:

• Names of continents: Asia, Europe, Australia, Africa, South America, North America, Antarctica.
• Names of countries: Australia, Bolivia, England, France, Spain, etc.
• Names of states, cities, or towns: Los Angeles, Alaska, Sydney, London,
• Names of streets: George street, Albion Street, New town street,
• Names of singular lakes and bays: Lake Carey, Lake Eyre, Lake Hillier, Shark Bay,
• Names of single mountains: Mount Everest, Mount Solitary, Mount Bindo, Mount Fuji, etc.
• Names of single islands: Easter Island, Bare Island, Bird Island, Fatima Island,
• Names of languages: Spanish, Russian, English,  (When ‘the’ precedes these nouns, they refer to the population of those languages.)
• Names of sports: cricket, football, basketball,
• Names of discipline/subject of studies: biology, history, computer science,mathematics,  

Note:

‘The’ is a widely used article in English. Except for the list mentioned above and proper nouns, ‘the’ is used before almost all the nouns which mean something definite/particular. The above list has some opposite factors also. Those factors are explained in the following list:     

‘The’ must precede:

• Names of oceans, gulfs, seas, and rivers: the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Coral Sea, the Timor Sea, the Persian Gulf,the Nile, the Murray River, the Darling River, etc.
• Names of countries with united states or islands: the United States of America (the USA), the UK, the UAE, the Philippines, etc.
• Names of great lakes: the Great Lakes, the African Great Lakes
• Names of mountain ranges: the Himalayas, the Alps, the Andes, etc.
• Names of a group of Islands: the West Indies, the Andamans, etc.

Examples of the Use of Articles

I do not want a gun in my house (any gun).
The gun is in his closet (implies there is a specific gun).
I am afraid of guns (all guns in general).

She sent me a postcard from Italy (an unspecific postcard - not a letter, not an e-mail).
It's the postcard that I have in my office (one specific postcard).
Getting postcards makes me want to travel (any postcard in general).

I have a dog (one dog).
The dog is very friendly (the dog that I have already mentioned).
Dogs make great pets (dogs in general).

Greta needs furniture in her apartment (furniture is a uncountable  noun).
She is going to select the furniture that she needs (the specific furniture that she needs).
She hopes to find some furniture this weekend (an unspecified, limited amount of furniture).

We are going to see the Statue of Liberty this weekend (the only Statue of Liberty).

Omission of the articles

Before uncountable nouns

We do not use articles before uncountable and abstract nouns used in a general sense.

• Honey is sweet. (NOT The honey is sweet.)
• Sugar is bad for your teeth.
• Wisdom is better than riches.
• Virtue is its own reward.

Note that uncountable nouns take the article the when used in a particular sense.

• Would you pass the sugar? (= the sugar on the table)

Before plural countable nouns

We do not use articles before plural countable nouns used in a general sense.

• Children usually rush about.
• Computers are useful machines.

Note that plural nouns take the article the when they are used in a particular sense.

• Where are the children? (Which children? Our children)

Before proper nouns

We do not use articles before the names of countries, people, continents, cities, rivers and lakes.

• India is a democratic country. (NOT The India …)
• Paris is the capital of France. (NOT The Paris …)

Before the names of meals

We do not use articles before the names of meals.

• Mother is cooking lunch.
• Dinner is ready.

We use a when there is an adjective before breakfast, lunch, dinner etc. We use the when we are talking about a particular meal.

• I had a late dinner yesterday.
• The lunch we had at the restaurant was very good.

Before languages

We do not use articles before the names of languages.

• Can you speak English? (NOT Can you speak the English?)
• They speak French at home.

Before school, college, university, church, bed, hospital, prison etc.

• His dad is still in hospital.
• We learned English at school.
• He is at university.

The is used before these words when the reference is to the building or object rather than to the normal activity that goes on there.

• I met her at the church. (Here the reference is to the building and not to the activity that is going on there.)
  
• I went to the hospital to see my friend

Before Proper Nouns

We omit the articles that come before names. It can be the names (proper nouns) of people, places, countries, things etc. The articles in such cases will be omitted. Let us look at some examples.

It was Alex whole ate the candy (Not ‘the Alex’)
It was his wish to visit London one time in his life. (Not the/a London)
India is the largest democracy in the world. (Not the India)
French is a tough language to master
Dinner will be served shortly
• I was never very good at Maths

Before Nouns used in the Broadest Sense

When common nouns are used in a very broad sense then we can omit the articles before them. Some examples of this are as follows.

• Man is a social animal. (Man is a common noun, but here it is used in the commonest sense)
• Metal is very important for progress. (Metal is a common noun, but  the use of it does in the sentence merits omission of the article)

Solved Questions for You

Q: Choose the option that best corrects the sentence: “The aunt May went out shopping yesterday evening.”

1. A aunt May went out shopping yesterday evening.
2. An aunt May went out shopping yesterday evening.
3. Aunt May went out shopping yesterday evening.
4. No Change

Ans: Generally, an article is not required before names of relations, especially when the relation is mentioned along with a name, hence Option C is correct.