An 'article' is a word that is used to indicate that a noun is a noun without describing it.
Articles are considered to be one of the most important parts of grammar.
An 'article' is a word that is used to indicate that a noun is a noun without describing it.
There are two different types of articles that we use in writing and communicating to refer to a noun or group of nouns. They are as follows:
● Definite article
● Indefinite article
Definite article is the word 'the', and it refers directly to a specific noun or groups of nouns.
For example -
A definite article is used before a noun to indicate data identity of the noun is known to the reader.
There are two indefinite articles: 'a' and 'an'.
Article 'a' is used before consonants (words which don't start with a, e, i, o, u) and
Article 'an' is used before vowels (words which start with a, e, i, o, u)
For example:
- I saw a dog at the park. (In this sentence we have used the indefinite article 'a' )
-I ate an orange today (In this sentence we have used the indefinite article 'an' )
Exceptions:
We have some exceptional words where we decide to use articles by the sounds and the way we pronounce the first letter.
Example:
honest / European
1. I bought a book - the word book starts with a constant sound 'b' so we use article 'a'
2. She eats an egg every day- the word egg starts with a vowel sound 'e', hence article 'an' is
used.
However, 'honest' starts with a vowel sound 'o' since the letter 'h' is not pronounced. Therefore, we use 'an' before honest.
Example-
He is an honest man.
Similarly, 'e' in the word 'European' is silent and is pronounced as 'yu'. It is different from egg or the engine as 'e' in egg is pronounced as 'e' only and 'e' in engine is pronounced as 'e' only.
Therefore, it is ‘a' European rather than an European.
Where are Articles not required?
We do have some sentences and words where articles are not required. For example: in non-countable nouns.
Example - sugar, air, water, anger, darkness, light etc.
Uncountable nouns do not require articles and they cannot be plural because there is no way one can count them.
We also do not use articles before the names of countries, people, continents, cities, rivers and lakes.
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