CHAPTER-12
98. A or An and The are usually called Articles.They are really Demonstrative
Adjectives.
A or An is aclled the Indefinite Article because it is used when we do not
speak of any particular or definite person or thing;as,
>) I saw a boy in the bazaar.
>) I found an umbrella lying in the room.
*) The is called the Definite Article,because it is used when we speak of some
particular person or thing;as,
>) This is the man whom I saw yesterday.
>) This is the beggar who pretended to be dumb.
99. As a general rule,a Singular Noun which is countable when it is mentioned
for the first time and represents no particular person or thing must have an
Article before it;as,
>) A dog is an animal.
>) A house has a roof.
>) A cat catches a mouse.
*) A is not normally used before nouns standing for things that cannot be
counted,i.e.,before nouns that have no plural;as,ink,water,milk,wood,meat.
>) Fill your pen with ink.
>) We drink water.
>) Milk is a perfect food.
>) A chair is made of wood.
>) A cat eats meat.
100. A or an is used before a singular countable noun which is used to
represent a class of things;
>) A cow has horns(i.e., All cows have horns).
>) An elephant never forgets.
101. The names of professions and occupations take the indefinite article;as,
>) His brother is a teacher(not,is teacher).
>) I hope to be a doctor(not,to be doctor).
*) The same thing applies to nouns such as hero,genius,fool,thief and liar.
>) He fought like a hero(not,like hero).
>) His son is a genius(not, is genius).
>) He behaved like a fool(not,like fool).
>) Beware of that man;he is a thief(not,he is thief).
>) Don't trust that fellow;he is a liar(not,he is liar).
*) CORRECT USE OF 'A" AND "AN"
102. A is used before-----
(1) Words beginning with the sound of a consonant;as,
a boy,a woman,a cow,a year.
(2) Such vowels as have the sound of 'yu';as,a ewe, a useful person,a unit,
a university, a European,a uniform,a utensil, a union.
(3) 'O' when it is sounded as'wa';as, a one-rupee-note,a one-eyed giant,
such a one, a one-way-road.
103. An is used before words beginning with a vowel or with a letter 'h '
which is not sounded ;as,an eye,...an ox,...an idiot,...an umbrella,....
and army.....,an hour....,an heir...,an honest man,.....an honourable man.
*) USE OF THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE
104. The Indefinite Article is used-----
(1) In the sense of one;as,
>) He slew seven at a [=one] blow.
>) Not a[=one] word was said.
>) A[=one] word to the wise is sufficient.
>) In a [=one] day or two.
(2) In the sense of a certain;as,
>) I met a beggar who pretended to do dumb.
>) A jackson[a certain man named Jackson] is suspected by the police.
(3) In the sense of any (when an individual is meant to represent a class);as,
>) A soldier should obey his commander.
>) A horse is a useful animal.
(4) To make a Common Noun of a Proper Noun ;as,
>) A Daniel[=a very wise judge] came to judgement.
>) He thinks he is a Napoleon[= a man like Napoleon]
(5) In such expressions;as,
twice a month; a rupee a dozen; sixty kilometres an hour; four times a day;
half an hour a hundred ; a thousand; a million; a lot of;
a great many; a great deal of.
Exercise 31. Fill in the blanks with A or An where necessary:---
>) --------apple is----fruit.
>) ----fly is-----insect.
>)-------teacher is------man or------woman.
>) I shall be back in half------hour.
>)------American is not-----------European.
>)-----handkerchief is made of------piece of cloth.
>) She ate------egg,-------orange, and-----piece of bread.
>) --------honest man is liked by all.
>) Beware of that fellow;he is--------thief.
>) -----elephant is-----strong animal.
>)---------umbrella is-----useful thing.
>) Is there------hotel in the town?
>) His father i------honorary magistrate.
>) Sri Lanka is-------island.
>) ---------eye fir-------eye;-----------tooth for---------tooth.
>) He married-----------ugly woman.
>) I bought---------------ox,----------buffalo----------and----------horse.
>) He is----------honour to his country.
>) I first met her----------------year ago.
>) I have---------pen and-----------inkpot.
*) USE OF THE DEFINITE ARTICLE
105. The definite Article The is used:-----
(1) When we refer to some particular person or thing;as,
>) The house I have just bought is a spacious one.
>) Call the boy standing outside.
(2) When a Singular Common Noun is used to indicate a whole class;as,
>) The cow is a useful animal. (==All cows are useful animals)
>) The tiger is a fierce animal. (=All tigers are fierce animals.)
If the Noun is changed into the plural form,then the Definite Article is
omitted;as,
>) Tigers are fierce animals.( Not,the tigers...)
NOTE:-The only exceptions to this rule are the words man and woman.
*) Man may be used in the Singular without the Definite Article as
representing all men;as,
>) Man is mortal.
*)Woman may be used in the Singular without the Definite Article meaning
all women;s,
>) Woman is weaker than man (=Women are weaker than men.)
(3) As an Adverb with Comparatives in such sentences;as,
>) The more one has the more one wants.
>) The fewer the better.
(4) Before rivers,ranges of mountains,and groups of islands;as,
>) The Ganges,the Indus,the Thames.
>) The Himalayas,the Alps.
>) The British Isles,the Andamans.
>) The Ganges is a holy river. ( Not,Ganges is....)
>) London is on the Thames. ( Not,on Thames.)
NOTE:--But individual mountains do not have the placed before them;as,
>) Mount Everest(not,The Mount Everest) is the hghest mountains in the world.
(5) Before oceans,seas,gulfs,bays, and straits;as,
>) The Indian Ocean,the Atlantic ,the Red Sea,
>) The Bay of Bengal,the Persian Gulf,the straits of Gibraltar.
(6) Before the names of some countries;as,
>) The United Kingdom, The Netherlands,The United States,
The Soviet Union,the U.S.S.R.
(7) Before the names of newspapers,magazines,etc;as,
>) The Times of India,The Statesman,The Modern Language Review,
The Illustrated Weekly.
(8) Before the names of certain well-known books;as,
>) The Bible,the Vedas, the Koran,the Ramayana,the Mahabharata,
the Panchatantra,The Arabian Nights.
But we say:----
>) Homer's Iliad,Valmiki's Ramayana.
(9) Before names of ships and trains;as,
>) The Queen Elizabeth is a famous British liner.
>) The Deccan Queen is an express train which runs from Pune to
Bombay each day.
(10) Before names of public buildings,institutions,association,etc;as,
>) The University of London,the Foreign Office, The British Museum,
the Taj Mahal,the United Nations,the Ministry of Education.
(11) Before Plural Proper Names,such as names of people(nations)
and families;as,
>) The French live in France (not, French live in France)
>) The Russians sent up the first earth satellite.(not,Russians sent up....).
>) The Smith used to live in this house.
Similarly:--
>) The English,but Englishmen.
>) The French,but Frenchmen.
>) The British,but britons.
>) The Spanish,but Spaniards.
>) The Irish,but Irishmen.
NOTE:---(1) Plural Nouns standing for the poeple of a particular country
are not preceded by the if the people in question are thought
of individually;as,
>) Indians are fond of sweets.
>) Russians drink vodka.
(2) The is not used before the names of languages;as,
>) The poeple of France speak French.( not,the french)
>) English is spoken in England (not,the English)
>) Hindustani is spoken in India. ( not ,the Hindustani)
>) Do you speak German?
But--
>) Do you speak the German languages?
(12) Before Common Nouns which are names of things unique of their kind;as,
>) The sun,the moon,the earth,the sky,the sea,the ocean,the world,
the air,the universe
>) The earth moves round the sun.
>) The world is a happy place.
(13) Before Ordinals;as,
>) The first of Match; on the third occasion; the fifth time.
(14) Before Superlative;as,
>) This is the best book on English Grammer.
>) He is the worst boy in the class.
>) Everest is the highest mountain in the world.
>) This is the least price I shall accept.
(15) Before an Adjective when the Noun is understood;as,
>) The rich should help the poor.
>) We pity the blind and the deaf.
(16) Before a ProperNoun when it is qualified by an Adjectiv,or a Phrase
or a Clause used as an Adjective;as,
>) The immortal Shakespeare; the great Caesar ; the wise Solomon ;
the famous Napolean.
*) OMISSION OF THE ARTICLE:---
106. The Article is omitted in the following cases;as,
(1) Before Common Nouns used in their widest sense;as,
>) Man is mortal.
>) Woman is the ornament of the home.
>) What kind of flower is this? (not,kind of a flower)
>) What sort of man is he? (not,sort of a man)
(2) Before Proper Nouns;as,
>) Russia is a great country.
>) Delhi is the capital of India.
>) Asoka and Akbar were great kings.
NOTE:-- When the Article is placed before a Proper Noun it becomes
a Common Noun;as,
>) Bombay is the Manchester of India.
>) He was the Napoleon of his age.
>) Kalidas was the Shakespeare of India.
(3) Before Abstract Nouns used in a general sense;as,
>) He loved truth and wisdom.
>) He was a man of justice and mercy.
But we can say:
>) The bravery of the Rajputs is still known.
>) The wisdom which he showed was praiseworthy.
(4) Before Plural Nouns when they are used in general sens;as,
>) Apples are grown in Himachal Pradesh.( not,the apples)
>) Books are made of paper.(not,the books)
>) Aeroplanes can fly very fast.(not,the aeroplanes)
But we can say:---
>) The apples of Himachal Pradesh are better than those of Kashmir.
>) The books you gave me are very interesting.
(5) Before Material Nouns;as,
>) Silver and gold are found in India.
>) Houses are built of stone and brick.
>) Cotton,jute and wheat are grown in our country.
>) Bread is made of flour.(not,the bread ....the flour)
(6) Before the names of games;as,
>) I play football.(not,the football)
>) Cricket is played in India.( not,the cricket)
(Similarly: tennis,hockey,polo,basebal,cards.)
(7) Before the names of meas,if they refer to the meals generally;as,
>) Breakfast is ready. ( not,the breakfast)
>) When do you have dinner? (not,the dinner)
>) Have you had lunch yet? (not,the lunch)
But we can say:---
>) We enjoyed the breakfast she gave us.
>) The dinner was not properly served.
(8) In such expressions as (all day) and (all night).
>) I have worked hard all day.( not,all the day).
>) The patient has not slept all night.(not,all the night).
But we can say:--
>) (all the morning),(all the afternoon),(all the evening),(all the week)
*) It has been raining all the morning.
*) He has been sleeping all the afternoon.
(9) In such expression as (by land),(by sea),(by air),(by train),(by bus),
(by aeroplane),(by taxi).
>) We are going to Bombay by train.
>) She goes to wok by bus.
>) The fastest means of travel is by aeroplane(or by air).
(10) In such expressions as (go to school),(go to market),(go to church),
(go to hospital), (go to prison).
>) The children go to school to learn.
>) If he is seriously ill he will have to go to hospital.
BUT:
>) I am going to the hospital to visit a sick friend.
We always say: go to work,but go to the office.(not,go to office).
(11) In certain well-established phrases;as,
(a) At home;in debt;in bed; at school; by day; by night; at daybreak; at dawn; at sunrise
At noon; at sunset; at night; at sight; on demand; at interest; in heaven; on earth; by name;
On horseback; on foot; on deck;to prison; in jail; by hand; in jest; at dinner; at table; at ease;
Under ground; above ground; in love; in motion; at rest; in court; for money; by post;
In hand; at fault; in trouble.
(b) to leave school; to catch fire; to take breath; to give battle; to send word; to bring word
to give ear; to leave school; to lose heart; to set sail; to leave home; to strike root;
to take offence; to lay siege.
>) His clothes caught fire.
>) She sent word that she was coming.
>) Give ear to what your teacher says.
>) He took offence at my remark.
>) He lost heart very soon.
>) We leave home at 7 o' clock.
*) REPETITION OF THE ARTICLE
107. Compare the two sentences:---
(a) 1. He has a black and white horse.
2. He has a black and a white horse.
*) The first sentence means that he has only one horse which is partly
black and partly white.
*) The second sentence means that he has two horses,one black and
the other white
(b) 1. The Secretary and Treasurer was present there.
2. The Secretary and theTreasurer were persent there.
*) The first sentence shows that only one person who was both Secretary
and Treasurer was present there.
*) The second sentence shows that two persons,one Secretary and the other
Treasurer,were present there.
So ,we get the following rules:--
Rule 1. When two or more Adjectives qualifying the same Noun are connected
by and,the Article is used before the first Adjective only;
but when they qualify different Nouns,expressed
or understood,the Article is used before each Adjective.
Rule 2. When two or more Nouns connected by and refer to the same person
or thing,the Article is used before the first Noun only;but when they
] refer to different persons or things,the Article is repeated with each Noun.
108. When two Nouns in a comparion refer to the same person or thing ,
the Article is used before the first Noun only;as,
1) Jack is a better gardener than photographer.[It means--Jack is both gardener and photo-
grapher,but he is not as good as photo grapher as he is a gardener.]
2) She is a better singer than dancer.
But when two Nouns in the comparison refer to two different persons or things,the Article
must be repeated with each Noun;as,
>) John is a better writer than a painter[ would make].
>) He would make a better judge than a lawyer[would make].
109. Say-----
Either : The third and the fourth chapter.
The English and the German language.
Or : The third and fourth chapters.
The English and German languages.
Exercise 32. Fill up the blanks in the following sentences with A ,AN or The:---
1). ------sun rises in----east.
2)--------Ganges is------river.
3). ---------Himalayas lie to-------north of India.
4). Kalidasa is--------Shakspeare of India.
5). Kashmir is---------Switzerland of India.
6). ----------Ramayana is-------- holy book of-----Hindus.
7).----------Lion is------king of beasts.
8). French is------easy langauge.
9). ---------French defeated---------Germans.
10). English is-----langauge of--------people of England.
11). -----------honest man is-----noblest work of God.
12). Everest is-----------highest mountain in--------world.
13). Raman is-------cleverest boy in-----class.
14).----------moon is shining in-------sky.
15).-----------earth moves around---------sun.
16). He is not--------honourable man.
17). He is----------------honour to his profession.
18). We waited for her for------hour.
19). He is-------Indian but his wife is---------European.
20) Which is-------longest river in India.
21). She was killed in--------accident.
22). She is --------ugly woman.
23). Iron is------useful metal.
24). -------------Andamans are---------group of islands in-----Bay of Bengal.
25).-------------Taj Mahal is--------finest mausoleum in-------world.
26).------------pen is mightier than--------sword.
27).Please pass me---------------sugar.
28) We stayed at---------hotel in------centre of-----------town.
29). Get me--------------kilo of sugar from--------nearest grocer.
30). ----------------word to-----------wise is sufficient.
Exercise 33.Insert or omit Articles where necessary:-----
1) where there is will there is way.
2) The man is mortal.
3) He is postman.
4) Honest man will speak truth.
5) Don't play fool.
6) The honesty is best policy.
7) She told lie.
8) Banyan is kind of a fig tree.
9) Rose is sweetest of all the flowers.
10) Novel you gave me is out of the print.
11) How blue sky looks!
12) Have you heard about accident?
13) Only best quality is sold by us.
14) What beautiful scene this is!
15) Wsidom of King Vikramaditya is famous.
16) Wisdom is gift of the heaven.
17) There is great deal of the water in pond.
18) School will soon close for Puja holidayz.
19) Guide will show you way.
20) America is richest country in world.
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