What are Articles ?
1. What are Articles ?
Articles are words used before nouns. They show whether the noun is general or specific.
Article āĻšā§āĻā§ āϏā§āĻ āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻ āϝāĻŋ noun (āύāĻžāĻŽāĻĒāĻĻ) ā§° āĻāĻāϤ āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤ āĻ āϏāĻžāϧāĻžā§°āĻŖ (general) āύ⧠āύāĻŋā§°ā§āĻĻāĻŋāώā§āĻ (specific) āĻŦāϏā§āϤā§/āĻŦā§āϝāĻā§āϤāĻŋ āĻŦā§āĻāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
1. Article: A
Rule:
- "A" is used before singular countable nouns that begin with a consonant sound.
- "A" āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻā§°āĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ āĻāĻāĻŦāĻāύ āĻāĻŖāύāĻžāϝā§āĻā§āϝ āύāĻžāĻŽāĻĒāĻĻā§° āĻāĻāϤ, āϝā§āϤāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻž āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāĻā§ consonant sound ā§°ā§ āĻā§°āĻŽā§āĻ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
Examples : a boy → āĻāĻāύ āϞ’ā§°āĻž, a pen → āĻāĻāĻž āĻāϞāĻŽ, dog → āĻāĻāĻž āĻā§āĻā§ā§°, a book → āĻāĻāύ āĻāĻŋāϤāĻžāĻĒ
Special Examples : a university, a European country
Reason (āĻāĻžā§°āĻŖ): University āĻā§°ā§ European āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻ “yu” sound ā§°ā§ āĻā§°āĻŽā§āĻ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤ āϏā§āϝāĻŧā§āĻšā§ A āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
2. Article: AN
Rule :
- "An" is used before singular countable nouns that begin with a vowel sound.
- "An" āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻā§°āĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ vowel sound ā§°ā§ āĻā§°āĻŽā§āĻ āĻšā§ā§ąāĻž āĻāĻāĻŦāĻāύ āĻāĻŖāύāĻžāϝā§āĻā§āϝ āύāĻžāĻŽāĻĒāĻĻā§° āĻāĻāϤāĨ¤
Examples: an apple → āĻāĻāĻž āĻāĻĒā§āϞ, an egg → āĻāĻāĻž āĻĄāĻŋāĻŽ, an orange → āĻāĻāĻž āĻāĻŽāϞāĻž
Special Examples : an hour, an honest man
Reason (āĻāĻžā§°āĻŖ): Hour āĻā§°ā§ honest āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāϤ h silent, āϏā§āϝāĻŧā§āĻšā§ āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāĻā§ vowel sound ā§°ā§ āĻā§°āĻŽā§āĻ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
3. ARTICLE: THE
Rule :
- "The" is used for a specific person, place, or thing that both the speaker and listener know about.
- "The" āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻā§°āĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ āύāĻŋāϰā§āĻĻāĻŋāώā§āĻ āĻŦā§āϝāĻā§āϤāĻŋ, āϏā§āĻĨāĻžāύ āĻŦāĻž āĻŦāϏā§āϤ⧠āĻŦā§āĻāĻžāĻŦāϞā§, āϝāĻžāĻ āĻāĻĨāĻž āĻā§ā§ąāĻž āĻā§°ā§ āĻļā§āύāĻž āĻĻā§āϝāĻŧā§ āĻāĻžāύā§āĨ¤
Examples : the sun → āϏā§ā§°ā§āϝ, the moon → āĻāύā§āĻĻā§ā§°, the book on the table → āĻā§āĻŦā§āϞ⧰ āĻāĻĒā§°ā§° āĻāĻŋāϤāĻžāĻĒ, the teacher → āϏā§āĻ āĻļāĻŋāĻā§āώāĻ
Important Point: Articles depend on sound, not spelling. : Article āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° spelling āύāĻšāϝāĻŧ, sound āĻ āύā§āϏāĻžā§°ā§ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
Example
1. a university : Correct, an university : Wrong
Reason: “University” begins with the /yu/ sound (a consonant sound). So we use A, not AN.
āĻāĻžā§°āĻŖ: “University” āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāĻā§ /yu/ āϧā§āĻŦāύāĻŋā§°ā§ āĻā§°āĻŽā§āĻ āĻšāϝāĻŧ, āϝāĻŋ consonant soundāĨ¤ āϏā§āϝāĻŧā§ A āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
Example: She studies at a university. : āϤāĻžāĻ āĻāĻāύ āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āĻŦāĻŦāĻŋāĻĻā§āϝāĻžāϞāϝāĻŧāϤ āĻ āϧā§āϝāϝāĻŧāύ āĻā§°ā§āĨ¤
2. an hour : Correct, a hour : Wrong
Reason: In “hour”, the H is silent, so the word begins with a vowel sound. Therefore we use AN.
āĻāĻžā§°āĻŖ: “Hour” āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāϤ H silent, āϏā§āϝāĻŧā§ āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāĻā§ vowel sound ā§°ā§ āĻā§°āĻŽā§āĻ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤ āϏā§āϝāĻŧā§ AN āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
Example: I waited for an hour. : āĻŽāĻ āĻāĻāĻŖā§āĻāĻž āĻ āĻĒā§āĻā§āώāĻž āĻā§°āĻŋāĻāĻŋāϞā§āĻāĨ¤
Important Rule : Articles depend on sound, not spelling. : Article āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° spelling āύāĻšāϝāĻŧ, sound āĻ āύā§āϏāĻžā§°ā§ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
Point for Students :
- Correct use of articles makes sentences clear and grammatically correct. : Article āϏāĻ āĻŋāĻāĻāĻžā§ąā§ āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻā§°āĻŋāϞ⧠āĻŦāĻžāĻā§āϝ āϏā§āĻĒāώā§āĻ āĻā§°ā§ āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§°āĻŖāĻāϤāĻāĻžā§ąā§ āϏāĻ āĻŋāĻ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§°āĻŖā§° āĻā§ā§°ā§āϤā§āĻŦāĻĒā§ā§°ā§āĻŖ āĻŦāĻŋāώāϝāĻŧ : SSC / HSLC / Banking āĻĒā§°ā§āĻā§āώāĻžā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻ āϤāĻŋ āĻā§ā§°ā§āϤā§āĻŦāĻĒā§ā§°ā§āĻŖ : View Paper
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20 Tricky Article Examples (A / AN)
1. a university : Correct, an university : Wrong
Reason: university starts with “yu” sound. : university āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāĻā§ yu āϧā§āĻŦāύāĻŋā§°ā§ āĻā§°āĻŽā§āĻ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
2. an hour : Correct, a hour : Wrong
Reason: h is silent, so vowel sound. : hour āϤ h āύāĻŋāĻāĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāĨ¤
3. an honest man : Correct, a honest man : Wrong
Reason: honest → h silent. : honest āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāϤ h āĻāĻā§āĻāĻžā§°āĻŖ āύāĻžāĻĨāĻžāĻā§āĨ¤
4. a European country : Correct, : an European country : Wrong
Reason: European begins with yu sound. : European = yu āϧā§āĻŦāύāĻŋāĨ¤
5. an MBA degree : Correct, a MBA degree : Wrong
Reason: M pronounced “em” (vowel sound). : M āĻāĻā§āĻāĻžā§°āĻŖ āĻāĻŽāĨ¤
6. an MLA : Correct, a MLA : Wrong
Reason: The letter M is pronounced “em”, which begins with a vowel sound. Therefore, we use AN. : M āĻāĻā§°āĻā§ āĻāĻā§āĻāĻžā§°āĻŖ āĻšāϝāĻŧ “āĻāĻŽ”, āϝāĻŋ vowel sound ā§°ā§ āĻā§°āĻŽā§āĻ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤ āϏā§āϝāĻŧā§āĻšā§ AN āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻā§°āĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
7. a one-rupee coin : Correct, an one-rupee coin : Wrong
Reason: one starts with “w” sound. : one = ā§ąāĻžāύ (w sound)āĨ¤
8. a uniform : Correct, an uniform : Wrong
Reason: “Uniform” begins with /yu/ sound, which is a consonant sound. So we use A. : “Uniform” āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāĻā§ /yu/ āϧā§āĻŦāύāĻŋā§°ā§ āĻā§°āĻŽā§āĻ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤ āĻ consonant sound, āϏā§āϝāĻŧā§ A āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
9. an umbrella : Correct, a umbrella : Wrong
Reason: “Umbrella” begins with a vowel sound. : “Umbrella” āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāĻā§ vowel sound ā§°ā§ āĻā§°āĻŽā§āĻ āĻšāϝāĻŧ, āϏā§āϝāĻŧā§ AN āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
10. a UGC rule : Correct, an UGC rule : Wrong
Reason: The letter U here is pronounced “yu”, which is a consonant sound. : UGC āϤ U āĻāĻā§°āĻā§ āĻāĻā§āĻāĻžā§°āĻŖ āĻšāϝāĻŧ “yu”, āϏā§āϝāĻŧā§ A āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
11. an X-ray : Correct, a X-ray : Wrong
Reason: The letter X is pronounced “ex”, which begins with a vowel sound. : X āĻāĻā§°āĻā§ āĻāĻā§āĻāĻžā§°āĻŖ āĻšāϝāĻŧ “ex”, āϝāĻŋ vowel sound ā§°ā§ āĻā§°āĻŽā§āĻ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
12. a useful book : Correct, an useful book : Wrong
Reason: “Useful” begins with /yu/ sound. : “Useful” āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāĻā§ yu āϧā§āĻŦāύāĻŋā§°ā§ āĻā§°āĻŽā§āĻ āĻšāϝāĻŧ, āϏā§āϝāĻŧā§ A āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
13. an heir : Correct, a heir : Wrong
Reason: The h in “heir” is silent, so the word begins with a vowel sound. : “heir” āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāϤ h āύāĻŋāĻāĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻ, āϏā§āϝāĻŧā§ āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāĻā§ vowel sound ā§°ā§ āĻā§°āĻŽā§āĻ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
14. a historical place : Correct, an historical place : Wrong
Reason: The h in “historical” is pronounced. : “historical” āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāϤ h āĻāĻā§āĻāĻžā§°āĻŖ āĻšāϝāĻŧ, āϏā§āϝāĻŧā§ A āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
15. an honourable person : Correct, a honourable person : Wrong
Reason: The h in “honourable” is silent, so vowel sound. : “honourable” āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāϤ h āύāĻŋāĻāĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻ, āϏā§āϝāĻŧā§ AN āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
16. a union leader : Correct, an union leader : Wrong
Reason: “Union” begins with /yu/ sound. : “Union” āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāĻā§ yu āϧā§āĻŦāύāĻŋā§°ā§ āĻā§°āĻŽā§āĻ āĻšāϝāĻŧ, āϏā§āϝāĻŧā§ A āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
17. an SBI officer : Correct, a SBI officer : Wrong
Reason: The letter S is pronounced “es”, which begins with a vowel sound. : S āĻāĻā§°āĻā§ āĻāĻā§āĻāĻžā§°āĻŖ āĻšāϝāĻŧ “es”, āϝāĻŋ vowel soundāĨ¤
18. a NASA scientist : Correct, an NASA scientist : Wrong
Reason: “Nasa” begins with n sound, a consonant sound. : “Nasa” āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāĻā§ n āϧā§āĻŦāύāĻŋā§°ā§ āĻā§°āĻŽā§āĻ āĻšāϝāĻŧ, āϝāĻŋ consonant soundāĨ¤
19. an FIR filed : Correct, a FIR filed : Wrong
Reason: The letter F is pronounced “ef”, which begins with a vowel sound. : F āĻāĻā§°āĻā§ āĻāĻā§āĻāĻžā§°āĻŖ āĻšāϝāĻŧ “ef”, āϝāĻŋ vowel sound ā§°ā§ āĻā§°āĻŽā§āĻ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
20. a hotel : Correct, an hotel : Wrong
Reason: The h in “hotel” is pronounced. : “hotel” āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāϤ h āĻāĻā§āĻāĻžā§°āĻŖ āĻšāϝāĻŧ, āϏā§āϝāĻŧā§ A āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
Important Rule
Articles depend on sound, not spelling. Use A / AN based on Sound, not spelling.
Article āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° sound āĻ
āύā§āϏāĻžā§°ā§ āĻšāϝāĻŧ, spelling āĻ
āύā§āϏāĻžā§°ā§ āύāĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤ Article āϏāĻĻāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻā§° sound āĻ
āύā§āϏāĻžā§°ā§ āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻšāϝāĻŧ, spelling āĻ
āύā§āϏāĻžā§°ā§ āύāĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
- āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§°āĻŖā§° āĻā§ā§°ā§āϤā§āĻŦāĻĒā§ā§°ā§āĻŖ āĻŦāĻŋāώāϝāĻŧ : SSC / HSLC / Banking āĻĒā§°ā§āĻā§āώāĻžā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻ āϤāĻŋ āĻā§ā§°ā§āϤā§āĻŦāĻĒā§ā§°ā§āĻŖ : View Paper