ARTICLES

What is an article?
◦ Articles are words that define a noun as specific or unspecific. Consider the following examples:

◦ 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.

◦ 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.

◦ Basically, an article is like an adjective. Like adjectives, articles modify nouns.

 Articles in English
◦ English has two articles: the and a/an. The is used to refer to specific or particular nouns; a/an is used to
modify non-specific or non-particular nouns. We call the the definite article
and a/an the indefinite article.

◦ the = definite article

◦ a/an = indefinite article

◦ For example, if I say, "Let's read the book," I mean a specific book.

◦ If I say, "Let's read a book," I mean any book rather than a specific book.
 Articles: Use of “the”

When the identity of the noun has been established by an earlier mention (often with an indefinite article): 
◦ I bought a TV and a music system, but returned the TV.
 
When the noun is modified by a clause or a phrase that makes its reference unique: 

◦ I returned the TV that I bought yesterday.

◦ The job of a psychologist is to . . . 
◦ It is not easy for them to get the food they need.

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When the noun refers to the whole class of objects denoted by it: 
◦ The deer runs very swiftly. 
◦ The dog has a keen sense of smell.
◦ The tiger is in danger of becoming extinct.
 
(Important exception: Man is the only animal with the power of language.)
◦ Also possible: A dog has a keen sense of smell.

But not - A tiger is in danger of becoming extinct.

◦ The generic “a dog” refers to any member of the species, whereas the generic “the tiger” refers to the species as
whole.

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When the noun stands for something unique:
◦ the sun, the moon, the sky, the sea, the earth, the equator, the Reformation, the Renaissance, the Prime Minister, etc.  
When the noun is modified by the superlative degree of the adjective: 
◦ The strongest desire . . .
◦ The most characteristic difference . . . 
When adjectives are being used in the generic sense, to denote a class of people: 
◦ the poor, the unemployed, the young, the handicapped . . .
 With some nationality adjectives:
◦ The Welsh, the English, the French, but Welsh, Englishmen, Frenchmen 
◦ Also note: The inhabitants of France speak French (and not “the French”)

Names of mountain ranges, rivers, oceans, deserts, seasons, the groups of islands, etc.  
◦ the Alps, the Himalayas 
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An institution shared by a community: the television, the media, the press, the newspapers, the parliament,
the defence ministry, etc. 
◦ (What is on the television tonight?)

Educational institutions:
◦ the University of Delhi, but Delhi University, I study at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. (but not *the
IIT Kanpur)
 
With proper nouns:
◦ The Sita of Ramayana, and not the Sita who works in your office . . .
◦ The Calcutta of Ray’s movies . . . 

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 Do not use “the” with

Uncountable nouns like gold, bread, experience, furniture, music, etc., unless they are made specific by a
modifying phrase or clause: 
◦ Experience is the best teacher.
◦ I am enjoying the experience of being in a hostel. 
◦ I love acting, music and dancing.
◦ The acting in the movie was poor but we enjoyed the music.
 

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Nouns like school, hospital, bed, church, etc. when they refer to institutions or practices, and not to
individual objects or buildings: 
◦ Go to bed vs. lie down on the bed
◦ Go to school vs. drive past the school
◦ He is in town vs. he is approaching the town.

Compare: 
◦ He went to the prison
◦ He went to prison.
Contd…
Names of meals, unless a specific occasion is under reference:
◦ He invited me to lunch last week.
◦ The lunch that he gave me was excellent. 
Means of transport:
◦ travel/leave/come by car, by train, by bus vs. sit in the car, enjoy the sight of the
train approaching from a distance, etc.
Times of day and night:
◦ at night, at dawn, at sunset, at dusk vs. in the night, admire the dawn, invisible in
the dusk
Parallel phrases:
◦ They walked arm in arm. vs. He took her by the arm.
◦ We met face to face. Vs. He punched him in the face.

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 Contd…
Use the definite article only with the first noun in phrases containing two or more nouns if they
designate a class. However if their separateness is important, the article must be used with each
noun.
 
◦ The poet and playwright has arrived.
The poet and the playwright have arrived.

◦ The fifth and the sixth chapter

The fifth and sixth chapters

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Indefinite articles: A and An
◦ INDEFINITE ARTICLES: A AND AN
◦ "A" and "an" signal that the noun modified is indefinite, referring to any member of a group. For
example:
◦ "My daughter really wants a dog for Christmas." This refers to any dog. We don't know which dog
because we haven't found the dog yet.
◦ "Somebody call a policeman!" This refers to any policeman. We don't need a specific policeman; we
need any policeman who is available.
◦ "When I was at the zoo, I saw an elephant!" Here, we're talking about a single, non-specific thing, in this
case an elephant. There are probably several elephants at the zoo, but there's only one we're talking about
here.
◦ Remember that these rules also apply when you use acronyms:
◦ Many people want to be an IITian.

◦ Another case where this rule applies is when acronyms or initialisms start with consonant letters but have
vowel sounds:
◦ An SST teacher would have known that.
◦ If the noun is modified by an adjective, the choice between a and an depends on the initial sound of the
adjective that immediately follows the article:

◦ a broken egg
◦ an unusual problem
◦ a European country (sounds like 'yer-o-pi-an,' i.e. begins with consonant 'y' sound)
◦ Remember, too, that in English, the indefinite articles are used to indicate
membership in a group:
◦ I am a teacher. (I am a member of a large group known as teachers.)
◦ Brian is an Irishman. (Brian is a member of the people known as Irish.)
◦ Seiko is a practicing Buddhist. (Seiko is a member of the group of people
known as Buddhists.)