ARTICLE

‘A’ ‘an’ and ‘the’ are known as Articles they are in fact demonstrative adjectives.

Table of Contents

KINDS OF ARTICLES

There are two types of articles

Definite Articles: – An article which is used to refer to a particular person or thing is known as the definite article. Example ‘the’
Indefinite Article: – An article which does not refer to any particular person or thing is known as the indefinite articles. Example ‘a, an’

The selection between ‘a’ and ‘an’ is determined by sound.

Hints

A – Is used before a word beginning with a consonant sound. Examples, a boy, a man, a human, being, a table, a horse, a yard, a young man.
A – Is used before a word beginning with ‘h’ ‘y’ and ‘u’. examples – a historical vowel, a human being, a youth, a year, a yellow paper, a university, a useful thing, a unit, a European, a uniform, a union etc.
A – Is used before a word beginning with ‘w’ sound. Examples: a one legged sailor, a one man tribunal, a one dollar note, etc.
An – Is used before a word beginning with vowel sound. Examples: an hour, an honour, an heir, an heir loom, an honest citizen etc.

The indefinite article A or An is used in sense of ‘one of a’. Example I met a friend (means one of a certain friend)
It is used to represent a whole class or in the sense of all or any. Example; (i) A student should be obedient, (ii) A doctor must love his patients
It is used to convert a proper noun into a common noun. Example: He is a Clinton (a great political leader) (ii) She is a mother Theresa (a great social worker)
In certain expressions

a, Couple, a thousand, a great number of, a dozen, a million, a good deal of etc.

If is used in exclamatory sentences. Example: What a pretty girl, What a shame, What a clever boy, What a hot day

A or An is not used with plural noun. Example dogs, books girls.
With uncountable nouns. Example advice, furniture, knowledge, news, information, luggage etc. But, these words may be used with: some, any, a little, a piece of, a bit of, an item of. Example: some advice, any news, a piece of information. Note: A knowledge of English is useful (correct)
With abstract noun. Example: happiness, pleasure, courage, beauty, love, intelligence, hope, fear etc.

Unique Things: – The definite articles “the” is used with unique things in nature. Example; the sun, the sea,, the sky, the moon, the earth. The sun rises in the east. The earth moves rounds the sun.
Particular Persons or Things: – ‘The’ is used to talk about particular persons or things. Example: The man you met yesterday is my uncle. The lady you saw at the theatre is my wife
Persons or Things Mentioned for the second time: – ‘The’ is used to talk about persons or things mentioned for the second time. Example: I met a girl. The girl is very tall. I went to a hosted. The hostel is very neat.
Singular Nouns:- representing the whole class. Example: The rose is a lonely flower. The scientist should love mankind. The teacher should know the psychology of the students.
Proper Noun:– Used as common noun. ‘the’ when used before a proper noun makes it a common noun. Example; Jos is the Manchester of Nigeria. Rawlings is the savour of Ghana. Calabar is the Switzerland of Nigeria.