WHAT IS AN ARTICLE An article is a

WHAT IS AN ARTICLE? An article is a word that modifies or describes the Noun. It is used before the noun to show whether it refers to something specific or not. There are two types of articles in English language. They are: � Indefinite articles (a, an) � Definite article (the)

Indefinite Articles (a, an) Indefinite means something which is not clear, obvious or exact. They are called indefinite because the identity of the thing or person being spoken about is left unclear or indefinite. The indefinite article indicates that the noun is not someone or something in particular. The speaker talks about anyone of that type of things. The indefinite articles in English are “a” and “an. ” For example: � Do you have a pencil? � I want to have an apple. Notice how the speaker is not asking for a particular pencil or apple, but any pencil or apple in the above sentences.

We use a before a consonant sound: � a banana (starts with /b/ sound) � a university (starts with /y/ sound) and an before a vowel sound: � an orange (starts with /o/ sound) � an hour (starts with /au/ sound) Note that the choice of a or an depends on sound, not spelling.

We use the indefinite article, a/an, with singular nouns when the listener/reader does not know exactly which one we are referring to: � Police are searching for a 14 -year-old girl. We do not use an indefinite article with plural nouns or uncountable nouns: � She was wearing blue shoes. (plural noun) � She has short, blonde hair. (uncountable noun) For more rules on Indefinite Articles refer to pg. No. 30 of Grammar Plus (Ratna Sagar), Class VII.

Definite Article (the) Definite means to be clear, exact or obvious about something. It is called definite because it is used in relation to a particular thing or person. “The” is the definite article in English, which is used to refer to particular nouns, the identities of which are known. The definite article indicates that the noun is specific. The speaker talks about a particular thing. For example: � The cat sat on the couch. � The dog attacked me and ran away. Notice how the reference is not left indefinite in both the sentences. It is clear that a particular cat sat on the couch in the first sentence and a specific dog that attacked the speaker is being spoken about in the second example.

When to use ‘the’ : General rules 1. Use the to refer to something which has already been mentioned. E. g. On Monday, an unarmed man stole $1, 000 from the bank. The thief hasn't been caught yet. 2. Use the when you assume there is just one of something in that place, even if it has not been mentioned before. E. g. We went on a walk in the forest yesterday. Where is the bathroom?

3. Use the in sentences or clauses where you define or identify a particular person or object. E. g. The man who wrote this book is famous. I scratched the red car parked outside. 4. Use the before superlatives and ordinal numbers. E. g. This is the highest building in New York. This is the third time I have called you today. 5. Use the with adjectives, to refer to a whole group of people. E. g. The French enjoy cheese. The elderly require special attention. She has given a lot of money to the poor.

6. Use the with decades. E. g. He was born in the seventies. This is a painting from the 1820's. 7. Use the with clauses introduced by only E. g. This is the only day we've had sunshine all week. You are the only person he will listen to. 8. Use the with names of geographical areas, rivers, mountain ranges, groups of islands, canals, and oceans. E. g. They are travelling in the Arctic. Our ship crossed the Atlantic in 7 days.

9. Use the with countries that have plural names E. g. I have never been to the Netherlands. Do you know anyone who lives in the Philippines? 10. Use the with countries that include the words "republic", "kingdom", or "states" in their names. E. g. She is visiting the United States. James is from the Republic of Ireland. 11. Use the with newspaper names. E. g. I read it in the Guardian. She works for the New York Times.

12. Use the with the names of famous buildings, works of art, museums, or monuments. E. g. Have you been to the Vietnam Memorial? We went to the Louvre and saw the Mona Lisa. 13. Use the with the names of hotels & restaurants, unless these are named after a person. E. g. They are staying at the Hilton on 6 th street. We at the Golden Lion. 14. Use the with the names of families, but not with the names of individuals. E. g. We're having dinner with the Smiths tonight. The Browns are going to the play with us.

WHEN NOT TO USE "THE“ 1. Do not use the with names of countries (except for the special cases above). E. g. Germany is an important economic power. He's just returned from Zimbabwe. 2. Do not use the with the names of languages. E. g. French is spoken in Tahiti. English uses many words of Latin origin. 3. Do not use the with the names of meals. E. g. Lunch is my favourite meal. I like to eat breakfast early.

4. Do not use the with people's names. E. g. John is coming over later. Mary Carpenter is my boss. 5. Do not use the with titles when combined with names. E. g. Prince Charles is Queen Elizabeth's son. President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 6. Do not use the after the 's possessive case E. g. His brother's car was stolen. Peter's house is over there.

7. Do not use the with professions E. g. Engineering is a well-paid career. He'll probably study medicine. 8. Do not use the with years E. g. 1948 was a wonderful year. He was born in 1995. 9. Do not use the with uncountable nouns E. g. Rice is an important food in Asia. War is destructive. For more rules refer to Pg. No. 31 & 32 of Grammar Plus (Ratna Sagar) Class VII

ZERO ARTICLE/ NO ARTICLE In English grammar, the term zero article refers to an occasion in speech or writing where a noun or noun phrase is not preceded by an article (a, an, or the). The zero article is also known as the zero determiner. e. g. Dogs are much more playful than cats. This is a very broad statement applied to two groups of animals, so we do not use articles.

ZERO Article with Plural and Uncountable Nouns General meaning � cars, people � life, water Abstract nouns � education, happiness, music ZERO Article with Singular Countable Nouns Names Mary, Bill, Josef �Places: Jupiter, Russia, Bangkok, Heathrow Airport, Cambridge University, Waterloo Station �People:

� Streets: Oxford Street, Wall Street, Picadilly Circus English, Russian � Academic subjects: History, Law, Physics � Days, months: Monday, November � Languages: Games and Sports � football, Meals chess � breakfast, lunch, dinner Noun + Number � platform 3, room 7, page 44

Routine Places � in bed, at home, to school, to work Movement or Transport � on foot, by car, by bus, by air Newspaper Headlines, Notices, User Guides � Plane Crashes On House, Keep Area Clean, Insert battery

Here are some example sentences showing the ZERO/NO article in context: � Cars can be dangerous. � We seldom see courage like that. � I could see clouds in the sky. � There was milk on the doorstep. � I gave it to Mary. � She arrived in Bangkok yesterday. � Do you speak French? � He is good at tennis.

� People will travel to Mars soon. � He is in room 45. � Please turn to page 67. � She's in bed. � Are you at home? � They took her to hospital. � I'm leaving town tomorrow by car. � I go to school by bus. � We usually meet on Monday. � November is quite cold.

** For more rules on NO ARTICLES, refer to Pg. Nos. 35 & 36 of Grammar Plus (Ratna Sagar) Class VII** The following exercises are to be done in the grammar book: Ex. A, B, E, G & H