Grammar: Articles

Articles are placed before nouns or noun modifiers (like adjectives) and are essential in
sentence construction.
Kinds of articles:
1) Indefinite article (a/an)
a) Preceding a noun or a noun modifier
b) Specific to anything.
2) Definite article (the)
a) Preceding a noun or a noun modifier
b) Implying a specific or known instance.

The Indefinite Article a/an:

The form a is used before a word beginning with a consonant, or a vowel with a consonant
sound. E.g., a woman, a Russian, a university, a hat, a two-way street etc.

The form an is used before words beginning with a vowel (a, e, I, o, u) or words beginning
with a mute consonant, or before individual letters spoken with a vowel sound.
E.g., an orange, an ice-cream, an MBA, an hour, etc.

Use of an/an:
1) Before a singular noun which is countable, when it is mentioned for the first time
and represents no particular person or thing. Eg. I want a glass of water, I need an
aero-plane

2) Before a singular countable noun, which is used as an example of a class of things. A

mother loves her child. (all mothers)

3) In certain expressions of quantity, with certain numbers and in expressions of price.

E.g., a lot of, a couple, Rs.100 a liter etc.

4) Before half when half follows a whole number. However, a half cake, a half salary, a
half share are possible.

5) a can be placed before Mr./Mrs./Miss or a proper noun when we have a vague idea
about the identity of the person.

6) a/an is used in the following cases. eg. in an assembly of 30 people, show an interest
in, to give an assurance, in a majority of cases, a breach of peace, lack of a quorum,
on a charge of murder, run a temperature, etc.

The Definite Article the :

A)
1) Unique object/s eg., the earth, the equator, the moon, the sun, the stars, the yellow
trees, etc.
2) Sometimes before proper nouns like water bodies, regions, famous buildings,
books, newspapers and abbreviations eg., the Pacific, the Himalayas, the Bible, the

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 Grammar: Articles

LTTE, etc.
3) Scientific instruments and inventions or musical instruments eg. the guitar, the
wheelchair etc.

B)
1) Already mentioned things or people eg. The boy was rude.
2) Noun made definite by a phrase or a clause eg., the girl in red etc.
3) Noun by virtue of locality refers to specific thing eg. My dad was in the living
room.
4) Nouns denoting a position that can be held by one person at one time eg. The
chairman

C)
1) Superlatives and words like first, second, etc.
2) It is used before adjectives or pronouns and before only. eg., the first week,
the only way, the best plan, etc.
3) As an adverb in a comparative form eg. the sooner the better

D)
1) The + singular noun can represent a class of animals or things eg. The cow is a
holy animal.
2) The + adjective represents a class of persons eg. the middle class etc.

E) Others:
1) the benefit of the doubt
2) at the point of the knife
3) of the opinion
4) in accordance with the law

Common mistakes
1) No article after kind of : What kind of attitude is this?
2) Sometimes omitted before common nouns like school, college, church, etc.,
when these nouns are used to denote regular activities. Eg. I go to church
everyday, (to pray)
3) Not Before names of relations eg. Uncle is asking for you.
4) In some phrases like to catch fire, to take breath, to take offence, etc.
5) In certain phrases where the preposition is followed by an object like by train, on
demand, at home, etc.
6) Man, when used to represent the human race, takes no article. Example:
Man is mortal

Insert suitable articles wherever necessary.

1) _____youngest boy has must started going to________school; _______eldest boy is

at___college.
2) I am on _____night duty. When you go to ____bed, I go to ___ work.
3) He said, As____matter of ____ fact, there was _____short circuit in ___last house I
visited; and Mr.Agarwal, ___owner of___house, was burnt in ___face.

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 Grammar: Articles

4) I said in ____surprise that____meter readers usually put___readings down in

___book.
5) Most people like to rest after____hard days ork, but ha ta u see ed to ha e___
in-exhaustible supply of energy.
6) Intelligence is___greatest virtue; everybody respects___intelligent man.
7) All___matters regarding the housing fraud should be looked into in ___detail.
8) There is an intimate relationship between____soaring prices and changes in demand
and supply.
9) ___old man who is my neighbor is as wise as___owl.
10) ___British ruled India for many years.
11) ___college building has been declared____historical monument.
12) Please set___ clock; it is___hour too fast.
13) She found____one-rupee note in___book she was reading.
14) ___Daniel had come to judgment on___judgment day.
15) She studies in ___university, ___ university of Rhode Island.
16) Are all holy books like___Bhagavat Gita___Quran, ___Bible reflections of scientific
temper?
17) Is not this___ best thing to happen?
18) ___old in many parts of ___European continent does not get sufficient respect
from___young.
19) ___more you read, ___ better you learn.
20) The three-star hotel had___garage and___car-parking facility.

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 Grammar: Adverbs

The Adverb
A word that modifies the meaning of a verb, an adjective, or another adverb is called an
adverb.

Kinds of Adverbs:
1) Adverbs of Manner: e.g., bravely, fast, happily, hard, quickly, well, etc.
2) Adverbs of Time: eg., now, soon, still, then, today, yet, etc.
3) Adverbs of Place: eg., by, down, here, near, up, there, etc.
4) Adverbs of Frequency: eg., always, never, occasionally, often, twice, etc.
5) Adverbs of Affirmation or Negation: eg., certainly, definitely, luckily, surely, etc.
6) Adverbs of Degree: eg., fairly, hardly, rather, quite, too, very, etc.
7) Adverbs of Interrogation: Eg.when, where, why.
8) Adverbs of Relation: These refer to words that refer back to their antecedent noun
forms. E.g., when, where, why etc. This is the school where I studied as a child.
9) Adverbs of Reason: These refer to words that justifies an antecedent cause. He was thus
dismissed from job, he was, hence, infuriated.

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