Start here · the first lesson of Articles
Articles
Grammar: Voice, Narration, Tenses + Rule Bank · for IPMAT Indore, IPMAT Rohtak and JIPMAT
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The idea
English has two articles: a/an (indefinite: one of many, not yet identified) and the (definite: this particular one). Exams test three things: choosing a or an by sound, the rule that a singular countable noun needs an article, and the list of places where the is used or left out (Rohtak 2020 Q19: The war of Mahabharata → The war of the Mahabharata).
Textbook vs exam method
Textbook method
A or an (article-a-an-sound): decide by the first sound, not the first letter.
| an (vowel sound) | a (consonant sound) |
|---|---|
| an hour, an honest man, an heir | a house, a hotel, a horse |
| an MLA, an MBA, an FIR, an X-ray (em-, em-, ef-, ex-) | a university, a European, a unique chance, a useful book (yoo-) |
| an apple, an umbrella, an early lunch | a one-day match, a one-way street (wun-) |
A singular countable noun needs a determiner (article-singular-countable): She wants to become a doctor. Not become doctor.
Using "the" (article-the-specific, article-the-names)
| Use "the" | No article |
|---|---|
| unique things: the sun, the moon, the world, the sky | things in general: Honesty pays; Milk is good for health |
| superlatives, "only", ordinals: the best, the only person, the first day | names of people and cities: Ravi, Pune |
| something already mentioned or clear from context: the book I lent you | single mountains, lakes: Mount Everest, Dal Lake |
| rivers, seas, oceans: the Ganga, the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean | languages, subjects: Hindi, physics |
| mountain ranges, deserts, island groups: the Himalayas, the Thar, the Andamans | meals, games: after lunch, play cricket |
| holy books and epics: the Gita, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata | most countries (but the USA, the UK, the Netherlands) |
| newspapers, famous buildings: the Hindu, the Taj Mahal |
Exam method
- Find each noun. in the sentence; ask: singular countable? Then it needs a determiner.
- A or an?. Say the next word aloud.
- The?. Is the thing unique, superlative, "only", already identified, or a river/sea/range/epic? Then "the".
- Extra "the"?. General statements, names of people and cities, languages, meals take none.