Rule No: 5
This rule deals with articles. You are aware that there are
two kinds of articles in the English language. They are 1. Definite Article and 2.
Indefinite Article.
Articles are a kind of Adjectives. They modify nouns.
1. Definite Article: ‘The’ is the Definite Article.
The is used to refer to specific or particular nouns.
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.
Here's another way to explain it: The is used to refer to a
specific or particular member of a group. For example, "I just saw the
most popular movie of the year." There are many movies, but only one
particular movie is the most popular. Therefore, we use the.
2. Indefinite Articles: ‘a’ and ‘an’ are Indefinite
Articles.
a/an is used to modify non-specific or non-particular nouns.
using a or an depends on the sound that begins the next
word. So...
a + singular noun beginning with a consonant: a boy; a car;
a bike; a zoo; a dog
an + singular noun beginning with a vowel: an elephant; an
egg; an apple; an idiot; an orphan
a + singular noun beginning with a consonant sound: a user
(sounds like 'yoo-zer,' i.e. begins with a consonant 'y' sound, so 'a' is
used); a university; a unicycle
an + nouns starting with silent "h": an hour
Important:
Countable and Uncountable Nouns
The can be used with uncountable nouns, or the article can
be omitted entirely.
"I love to sail over the water" (some specific
body of water) or "I love to sail over water" (any water).
"He spilled the milk all over the floor" (some
specific milk, perhaps the milk you bought earlier that day) or "He
spilled milk all over the floor" (any milk).
"A/an" can be used only with count nouns.
"I need a bottle of water."
"I need a new glass of milk."
Most of the time, you can't say, "She wants a
water," unless you're implying, say, a bottle of water.
Geographical use of the
There are some specific rules for using the with
geographical nouns.
Do not use the before:
names of most countries/territories: Italy, Mexico, Bolivia;
however, the Netherlands, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, the United
States
names of cities, towns, or states: Seoul, Manitoba, Miami
names of streets: Washington Blvd., Main St.
names of lakes and bays: Lake Titicaca, Lake Erie except
with a group of lakes like the Great Lakes
names of mountains: Mount Everest, Mount Fuji except with
ranges of mountains like the Andes or the Rockies or unusual names like the
Matterhorn
names of continents (Asia, Europe)
names of islands (Easter Island, Maui, Key West) except with
island chains like the Aleutians, the Hebrides, or the Canary Islands
Do use the before:
names of rivers, oceans and seas: the Nile, the Pacific
points on the globe: the Equator, the North Pole
geographical areas: the Middle East, the West
deserts, forests, gulfs, and peninsulas: the Sahara, the
Persian Gulf, the Black Forest, the Iberian Peninsula
Omission of Articles
Some common types of nouns that don't take an article are:
Names of languages and nationalities: Chinese, English,
Spanish, Russian (unless you are referring to the population of the nation:
"The Spanish are known for their warm hospitality.")
Names of sports: volleyball, hockey, baseball
Names of academic subjects: mathematics, biology, history,
computer science
You can find several online exercises with different difficult levels here: Click here for exercises
