Articles
- a, an
- The
Use of ‘An’
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Before words beginning with vowel sounds
E.g. an apple, an egg, an owl.
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Before words beginning with silent H
E.g. an hour, an honest man, an heir, an honourable man.
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Before abbreviations which start from consonants which have sound of
Vowel in the beginning like F, H, L, M, N, R, S, X
E.g. an M.L.A, an R.A.F, an N.C.C officer.
Use of ‘A’
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Where to use one
E.g. He couldn’t speak a word to save himself. (One is not used because a have the same meaning and sense in this context)
E.g. a one-man show, a one-rupee note.
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Before word beginning with a consonant sound
E.g. a boy, a box, a rat.
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With vowels having consonant value
E.g. a university, a unique article, a unit.
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With units and rate (per)
E.g. He earns rupees five lakhs a month.
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In exclamatory expressions before singular countable nouns.
E.g. What a pretty girl!
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When two subjects or articles are thought of as a single unit
E.g. He was ready with a cup and a saucer.
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With certain expressions of quantity
E.g. a lot of, a dozen, a great deal of, a couple.
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With a person’s name to indicate that the person is perhaps unknown to the person addressed.
E.g. a Mr Roy is at the door.
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With a special mean(to celebrate something or in someone’s honour)
E.g. I called my friends to a lunch to celebrate my success.
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To make a common noun of a proper noun.
E.g. this man is ‘a second Newton’.
Use of ‘The’
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When we speak of a particular person or thing already referred to.
E.g. I dislike the follow.
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When a singular noun represent a whole class
E.g. the mango is considered the king among fruits.
- With name of gulfs, rivers, islands, mountains, certain books like ‘the vedas, the puranas’, musical instruments, the inventions, parts of body, religious groups, names enforcing law, political parties, aeroplanes, ships, trains, empire, dynasty, historical event, clubs, foundations, common nouns denoting unique things.
- With superlatives, ordinals.
- Before the comparative degree.
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Before an adjective when the noun is understood
E.g. the poor would favour him.
