Importance of articles in English, kinds of articles

Articles:

The origin of the word “article” is a Latin word “articulus” which means a little joint. In the same language the word artus means limb. In English, it points out persons or things like a demonstrative Adjective. There are no articles in Urdu like those in English.

Kind of Articles:

There are three Articles ‘a’ “an” and ‘the” in English.

(1)     Indefinite Articles:

“A” and “An” are called the indefinite Articles because they only generalize a noun for example, a boy a girl.

(2)     Definite Article

“The” is called “Definite Article” because it points out some particular person or thing; as the doctor, the teacher. The use of indefinite Article.

“A” is used before:

(i)                Words beginning with a consonant; as, a book, a pen, etc.

(ii)             Words beginning with “u” given the consonant sound of “You” as “ A university”, a useful method, a unique idea, a utensil etc.

(iii)           Words beginning with “O” giving the consonant sound of “WU”, such as a one sided view, a one rupee note etc.

(iv)           Words beginning with a vowel sound like “you”, as “A European”, university etc.

An is used before:

(i)                Words beginning with a vowel as “An honour’, an heir, an honest friend etc.

“A” or “An” is used

          A before a noun to denote any indefinite person or thing; as, “He saw a cat in the room”. “A man is sitting under the tree”.

Before a common noun that shows a class; as

(i)                            An ox is a useful animal.

(ii)                         A man is a mortal being.

(iii)                       A man is a mortal being.

(iv)                       A lion is a dangerous animal.

(v)                         An idle person cannot succeed.

The use of definite article:

          “The” is called the “Definite Article”. It is used:

(i)                When we refer to some particular person or thing; as, let us go to the market (i.e. the market where they usually go). The man standing near the street is a beggar. The house you have bought is very expensive.

(ii)             When we are talking about some person or thing we have already talked about, for example:
A thief entered a house. But the owner of the house woke up and caught the thief.

(iii)           With the names of rivers, seas. Oceans, gulfs, groups of islands, and mountain rangers; as, the Ravi, the British Isles, and the Himalayas.

(iv)           Before the names of books and news papers; as the Holy Quran, the Jung.