What are Articles in English Grammar? Definition and Examples

Articles in English grammar are tiny words that do a lot of work in sentences. Articles are how we understand whether somebody is talking about a specific noun or just any old noun. Sound confusing? Using articles in English grammar is easy. It’s the difference between a glass of water and the glass of water.

Indefinite Articles

Indefinite Articles (A/An) are used before singular, countable nouns when referring to something non-specific, indefinite, or mentioned for the first time. Example:

1. She wants to buy a dog this weekend. (Indefinite-Could be any dog)
2. She needs an umbrella. (Any umbrella, not a specific one)

• Rule 1.1: Use “a” before words that begin with a consonant sound. Example: a book, a dog, a truck.
• Rule 1.2: Use “an” before words that begin with a vowel sound. Examples: an apple, an egg, an insect.
• Rule 1.3: Sound-based exceptions: “a house” (H is pronounced), but “an hour” (H is silent). “a university” (U sounds like “you”), but “an umbrella” (U has a vowel sound).

**** Same rule applies to adjectives before nouns: an easy lesson, a very lazy person, an interesting idea, a cold day.

One Rule

The rule for whether “a” or “an” is to be used depends on the sound that follows, not necessarily on the letter. Since the word “one” begins with the phoneme /w/, which is a consonant sound and not a vowel, “a” is appropriate. For example, He saw a one-eyed man.

Definite Article (The)

Definite Article (The) is general rule used when referring to something specific or already mentioned.

• Rule 2.1: Singular Count Nouns
  • “A” or “An” for the first mention.
  • “The” when referring to something specific or previously mentioned. Example: I saw a dog in the park. The dog was very friendly.
• Rule 2.2: Plural Count Nouns
  • Use “the” for specific references. Example: The flowers in her garden are beautiful.
  • No article for general references. Example: She loves flowers
• Rule 2.3: Non-Count Nouns
  • Use “the” if the non-count noun is specific; no article is needed if used generally. Example: He has the experience necessary for the job. (Specific) He has experience. (General)

Special Uses of “The”

• Rule 3.1: Unique Objects
  • Examples: The Sun, The Moon, The universe, The Earth, The World, The human race
• Rule 3.2: Names of Countries
  • No article for most countries: America, Japan, China.
  • Use “the” for plural names, names with adjectives, or names containing “of.”
  • Examples: The United States, The Soviet Union, The Republic of Congo.
• Rule 3.3: Institutions (Schools, Universities)
  • Use “the” when “of” is in the name. Examples: The University of London, The University of Arizona.
  • No article when “of” is not in the name. Examples: Lincoln High School, Arizona State University.
• Rule 3.4: Cities & Streets: Use no article
  • Chicago, Fifth Avenue, San Francisco, Highway 5, London, Kennedy Boulevard
• Rule 3.5: Titles of People
  • Titles with a name: No article. Examples: President Michael, Queen Mary, Professor Scott.
  • Titles without a name: Use “the.” Examples: The president, the queen, the professor.
• Rule 3.6: Numbers
  • Cardinal numbers (1, 2, 3): No article. Examples: World War 2, Page 7, Chapter 1.
  • Ordinal numbers (1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd): Use “the.” Examples: The Second World War, the first chapter, the fifth paragraph.
• Rule 3.7: Rivers, Oceans, Seas, Groups of Mountains & Islands: Use “the.”
  • the Amazon, the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, the Cascades, the Hawaiian Islands, the Bahamas
• Rule 3.8: Adjectives as Nouns:
  • When referring to a group of people using an adjective, use “the.”
  • The elderly, the disabled, the unemployed, the rich, the sick, the needy
• Rule 3.9: Part of a larger group, use “the.”
  • One of the students, All of the students, None of the students, Both of the students

Capitalization

What is Capitalization? Capitalization occurs when the first letter in a word is an uppercase letter. For example, the first word in this sentence contains a capital F.

1. CHIPS: 

• C (Calendar Words): days of the week and months of the year (not the seasons) 
• H (Holidays): Christmas, Eid-ul-Fitr, Earth Day, Rose Day (As a specific day) 
• I (I by myself): My friend and I were going to school. 
• P (Name of people and pet): Moin is a student. He has a pet named Trumpy. 
• S (Beginning of a sentence/speech): The boy ran fast. He said, “I like mangoes.”

2. Titles: Capitalize titles of heads of state, royalty, and nobility when they are used with names, in place of names, or as appositives. Members of the nobility are often called by their titles. Therefore, the title becomes an alternate name and is capitalized. Titles of nobility are also capitalized when they are the names of titles of state or nobility.

Queen Elizabeth, Emperor Akbar, Duke Gunnar, President George Washington. Good Morning, Prime Minister, the Imam of BaitulMukarram, President of Bangladesh.

*Do not capitalize them if they do not replace the name. The queen lives in a castle near the river. The president of the club is my sister.

3. Name of things, Institutions, buildings, monuments, cars, trains, ships: Bashundhara City, Statue of Liberty, Meghna Bridge, Mastermind School

“When people start a company, and give it a name, they then put the name on their products. Capitalize the brand names of products, but not the word that tells us what the product is, unless it is part of the product’s name. Kleenex tissue, Nike sneakers, Ford cars (Ford Mustang), Sony television

Common Mistake

Unless it is specified, “the” is not used before an uncountable noun.

• Correct: Milk is nutritious. –> Incorrect: The milk is nutritious.
• Correct: The milk is spoiled. –> Incorrect: Milk is spoiled.

Plural countable nouns can be used without articles, especially when it is talking about things in general.

• Correct: Spiders have eight legs. –> Incorrect: The spiders have eight legs.
• Correct: Apples are red. –> Incorrect: The apples are red.