USE OF AN ARTICLE IN A SENTENCE
Explanation with Examples
An article though apparently is a small part in a sentence yet it has an important role in providing a sensible meaning of the sentence. It cannot be just dubbed as trivial as it appears to be. So its proper use at an appropriate place in a sentence is very necessary.
An article is an adjective but it is not termed as an adjective. It is categorised under the head determiners.
An article describes or introduces a noun and thus it is placed before a noun. Despite its position, an article is not called an adjective.
POSITION OF AN ARTICLE
--If an adjective precedes a noun, an article is placed before adjective.
For example -
An interesting story.
An interesting story.
In this sentence 'story' is a noun and 'interesting' an adjective and 'an' is an article.
--If an adverb precedes an adjective used prior to a noun the article is placed before the adverb.
For example -
A very interesting story.
Story is a noun, interesting an adjective, very an adverb and an is an article.
-- In case of words like as, so,how, too etc. an article a or an is used between adjective and noun.
For example -
So large a tree, how difficult a sum, so nice a picture, as beautiful a child etc.
-- In case of words like All, both, half or double etc. the article 'the' is used after these words and before noun.
For example --
Both the girls, half the amount, all the boys etc.
But in case of whole or complete 'the' is used before these words.
For example-
The whole luggage, The complete work etc.
-- In case of exclamatory sentences the article is used before adjective.
For example --
What a beautiful scene!
Such an interesting book!
What a lovely weather!
-- In case of comparative degree of an adjective article 'a' is used before it.
For example-
He is a better singer than a painter.
It is a worse situation than that we feared.
An article is different from an adjective in the sense that it describes a noun but it does not describe a pronoun whereas an adjective describes both a noun and a pronoun.
There are two articles used --- A, An, and The.
Articles A and An are used for singular noun which is not specific for example , a book or an apple.
Article The is used to express a specific noun as 'the book'. 'The' describes a particular book. This is clear in the following sentences.
There lived a rabbit in a forest. ........1
The rabbit lived in a burrow near a lion's den in the forest. .......2
In the sentence at Sr. no. 1 'a rabbit' describes any single rabbit and a forest describes a single unspecified forest.
But in the sentence 2 'the rabbit' and 'the forest' describe about a particular rabbit and a particular forest respectively which are refered to in sentence no. 1.
A and An are in a way shortened form of one and are used for single nouns. One acts as an adjective in a sentence.
A and an articles are used for countable nouns.
For example :
I have a book. It means any single book.
I have one book. It means a specified number one of book.
Article The is used for a specific noun. It is used for singular as well as plural nouns. It is used for countable and uncountable nouns.
For example :
He drank the water contained in the jug.
I read the book you gave me.
I read the books you gave me.
Application as well as omission of articles in a sentence is equally important. Just as an omission of an article distorts the meaning of a sentence similarly unnecessary application of an article in a sentence also disturbs its meaning.
A noun used in a general sense does not take any article with it.
For example :
Man is mortal.
In this sentence the word man is used in general terms so carries no article.
But in the following sentence,
I saw a man in the street.
the word man describes any single unspecific man moving in the street.
The man I saw in the street is a shopkeeper.
In this sentence 'the man' describes about a particular man who is a shopkeeper and was seen by me in the street.
Here follow some sentences for explanation.
EXERCISE
ONE
Find error in the following sentence.
1. It is only after the rains are over, farmers come to know how much loss they have caused to crops.
2. A hand that rocks the cradle rules over the world.
3. It is a big relief when the examinations are over.
4. He presented her a copy of latest version of the book.
5. He searched his pocket and found one rupee coin in it.
(ANSWERS)
1. 'The rains' denotes some specific rains whereas it is in a general sense. So 'rains' instead of 'the rains'.
2. Hand is used here in a specific sense i.e. ' the hand of the mother'. So it should be 'The hand' that rocks the .....
3. ' The examinations' means some specific examinations but here it is used in a general sense. So examinations instead of the examinations.
4. A copy of 'the latest' version of the book.
5. And found ' a one rupee coin' .
TWO
FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH ARTICLES A, AN, THE.
There lived two crows on 1......... tree standing on the bank of 2......... pond. In the hollow trunk of 3.......... tree there lived 4...........snake. 5......... snake used to eat eggs of 6........ crows. Both 7........ crows were distressed of it. One day 8 ....... princess with her soldiers came there. They sat on the bank of 9..........pond to take rest . The princess took off her ornaments and placed them on the ground. 10........ crow hit upon 11...... plan. It carried away all 12...... ornaments of the princess in its beak and threw them in the hollow trunk of 13........ tree. The soldiers followed 14....... crow and started searching the trunk of the tree. They found 15........ snake there. They killed the snake and took away 16........ ornaments. The crows thus succeeded in getting rid of 17....... snake. Both 18...... crows started living happily in their nest on 19.....tree.
THREE
1. The teacher advised the students to pay an attention to their studies.
2. We have been visiting this city for last five years but we never went to his place.
3. Whenever he comes to my house he is always in hurry.
4. This candidate appears to be a most likely choice of parties of both the sides.
5. It took them about hour to complete their work and get ready to accompany us.
FOUR
1. He has been living with his family in same house since his childhood.
2. The more a man gets , more he desires.
3. The poor are always contented whereas rich are never happy.
4. The third and the fourth chapters of this book are very interesting.
5. Nobody likes a person with bad temper like him.
6. All the members of the club have been instructed to follow an uniform code of conduct.
7. I can never forget kindness with which he treated me.
8. I found that he was in right whereas his brother was in the wrong.
9. The day before yesterday he left for Europe by the air.
10. There is need of finding out an early solution of the problem to avoid further complications.
(ANSWERS)
THREE
1. to pay attention. 2. the last five years 3. in a hurry. 4. the most likely. 5. about an hour.
FOUR
1. ....the same house 2. ...the more he desires 3. ....the rich are.... 4. ....and fourth 5. ....with a bad temper... 6. .... a uniform code 7. .....forget the kindness 8. .......he was in the right.
9. .... by air. 10 .....a need of .....
TEST EXERCISE
Find error in the following sentence and write answers in Comments box.
1. Suddenly we heard loud noise in the street.
2. He did not go to his office today as he is having headache.
3. Such a alarming situation of unemployment in the country!
4. He being a humble man will certaily extend a helping hand towards you.
FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH ARTICLES A, AN, THE.
Once a saint went into ......... forest. There he saw ......... lion trapped in ...... iron cage. ........lion on seeing ........ saint requested him to free him from ........ cage. The saint taking pity on him decided to free .........lion. He said to .......lion,"I am ready to help you but I am afraid that when you come out you will kill me." The lion replied,"I promise I shall not harm you." Believing upon ......lion the saint opened ....... cage. On coming out of ....... cage, the lion said to ......saint," I have been hungry for ......... last so many days. I shall kill you and eat your flesh." The saint was taken aback. In the meantime ....... fox reached there. Both of them narrated ......... whole incident to her. She, on hearing them, shouted,"I am surprised. How such.... big lion can be trapped in such ....... small cage?" The lion on hearing this jumped and went into ........ cage to prove that he was sitting in that cage. As soon as ....lion went inside the cage, ........ fox closed the door of ........ cage. The saint heaved .......sigh of relief. He thanked.......... fox and went on his way.
CONTD.
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