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What Is An Article

Articles are determiners that indicate whether a noun is general or specific, with 'a' and 'an' being indefinite articles used for nonspecific singular countable nouns, while 'the' is a definite article for specific references. Many languages struggle with article usage, making it a challenging concept for multilingual writers to master. Understanding countable and uncountable nouns, as well as the rules for using 'a' and 'an,' is essential for accurate article usage.

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Origami toturial by Abhijeet
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28 views5 pages

What Is An Article

Articles are determiners that indicate whether a noun is general or specific, with 'a' and 'an' being indefinite articles used for nonspecific singular countable nouns, while 'the' is a definite article for specific references. Many languages struggle with article usage, making it a challenging concept for multilingual writers to master. Understanding countable and uncountable nouns, as well as the rules for using 'a' and 'an,' is essential for accurate article usage.

Uploaded by

Origami toturial by Abhijeet
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What is an article?


Articles ("a," "an," and "the") are determiners or
noun markers that function to specify if the noun
is general or specific in its reference. Often the
article chosen depends on if the writer and the
reader understand the reference of the noun.

The articles "a" and "an" are indefinite articles.
They are used with a singular countable noun
when the noun referred to is nonspecific or
generic.

The article "the" is a definite article. It is used to
show specific reference and can be used with
both singular and plural nouns and with both
countable and uncountable nouns.

Many languages do not use articles ("a," "an," and "the"),


or if they do exist, the way they are used may be different
than in English. Multilingual writers often find article
usage to be one of the most difficult concepts to learn.
Although there are some rules about article usage to help,
there are also quite a few exceptions. Therefore, learning to
use articles accurately takes a long time. To master article
usage, it is necessary to do a great deal of reading, notice
how articles are used in published texts, and take notes that
can apply back to your own writing.

To get started, please read this blog post on The Argument


for Articles.

A few important definitions to keep in mind:


Countable noun: The noun has both a singular
and plural form. The plural is usually formed by
adding an "–s" or an "–es" to the end of it.
o
one horse, two horses
o
one chair, two chairs
o
one match, two matches
Countable nouns may also have irregular plural
forms. Many of these forms come from earlier
forms of English.
o
one child, two children
o
one mouse, two mice

Uncountable noun: The noun refers to
something that cannot be counted. It does not
have a plural form.
o
Information
o
Grammar

Proper noun: The name of a person, place, or
organization and is spelled with capital letters.
o
Tim Smith
o
McDonalds

Please see this webpage for more about countable and


uncountable nouns.

"A" or "An"

When to Use "A" or "An"

"A" and "an" are used with singular countable nouns when
the noun is nonspecific or generic.
o
I do not own a car.
o
In this sentence, "car" is a singular countable
noun that is not specific. It could be any car.
o
She would like to go to a university that
specializes in teaching.
o
"University" is a singular countable noun.
Although it begins with a vowel, the first
sound of the word is /j/ or “y.” Thus, "a"
instead of "an" is used. In this sentence, it is
also generic (it could be any university with
this specialization, not a specific one).
o
I would like to eat an apple.
o
In this sentence, "apple" is a singular
countable noun that is not specific. It could be
any apple.
"A" is used when the noun that follows begins with a
consonant sound.
o
a book
o
a pen
o
a uniform (Note that "uniform" starts with a vowel,
but the first sound is /j/ or a “y” sound. Therefore
"a" instead of "an" is used here.)

"An" is used when the noun that follows begins with a


vowel sound.
o
an elephant
o
an American
o
an MBA (Note that "MBA" starts with a
consonant, but the first sound is /Ɛ/ or a short “e”
sound. Therefore, "an" instead of "a" is used
here.)

Sometimes "a" or "an" can be used for first mention (the


first time the noun is mentioned). Then, in subsequent
sentences, the article "the" is used instead.
o
He would like to live
in a large house. The house should have at least
three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
o
In the first sentence (first mention), "a" is
used because it is referring to a nonspecified
house. In the second sentence, "the" is used
because now the house has been sp

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