ARTICLES IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE
An article is a part of speech that indicates, specifies and limits a noun.
Or
Article is a part of speech that indicates whether the noun mentioned is definite or indefinite.
Or
The words ‘a, an and the’ are special adjectives called articles.
An article can come before a noun or before another adjective.
For example;
The ball hit an old woman
A girl narrated an interesting story in the church.
USES OF ARTICLES
i. Articles make the noun clear.
ii. They tell us which particular item or noun is referred to.
iii. Help to identify a particular thing from a general one.
Example>
When we say> A boy is outside- it means that nobody knows the boy.
But in contrast, when we say- The boy is outside- It means everybody knows the boy.
There are three types of articles;
1. Indefinite articles (a, an)
2. Definite article (the)
3. Zero article (θ)
INDEFINITE ARTICLES
Indefinite article is an article that does not refer to any particular person or thing. These are ‘a’ and ‘an’.
Here it means that the noun mentioned is not known to both the speaker and hearer.
THE USES OF INDEFINITE ARTICLES
a) Indefinite article “a” is used before countable singular nouns beginning with a consonant sound. (Not a consonant letter).
For example; a boy, a house, a European fashion, a one way ticket, a Ugandan athlete.
b) Indefinite article “an” is used before countable singular nouns beginning with a vowel sound. (not a vowel letter)
An hour, an honour, an honest man, an orange, an umbrella, an heir
c) A/an is used when mentioning something or a person for the first time. The assumption is that the listener/reader is not yet aware of whom/what we are referring to. After the first mention we use ‘the’.
I saw a car moving toward the restaurant. Then a man got out of the car. The man was my uncle.
d) A/an is used to refer to things that are not clear or not known to us. This is where the concept of indefinite comes in.
A boy is calling you (who?)
A book is lost. (Which book?)
e) A/an is used when describing somebody’s nationality.
He is a Ugandan.
She is Japanese.
Nataraj is an Indian.
f) A/an can also be used before some abbreviations.
He is a CCM member.
I lost an ATM card.
I have a B.A (ed)
g) A/an can be used to change a proper noun into a common noun.
Magufuli is a Nyerere of our time.
Arusha is a Geneva of Africa.
DEFINITE ARTICLES
A definite article is an article which is used to refer to a particular person or thing.
Therefore, is a article that is used when the noun mention is known to both speaker and hearer.
This is article ‘the’
THE USES F DEFINITE ARTICLE
i. Unique reference.
‘The’ is used with things that are unique in nature; something that is the only one in the world or in a certain place. For example;
The sun, the moon, the president, the kitchen, the earth, the manager, the office, the library, the washroom, the church, the chapel.
ii. Generic reference
‘The’ is used for singular nouns representing the whole class.
For example;
We must educate the girl of this nation [all/every girl]
The elephant is a beautiful animal. [all/every elephant]
The teacher should be respected by the society.[all/every teacher]
iii. Backward reference/second mention
‘The’ is used when mentioning something you have mentioned earlier. It is used to talk about things/persons mentioned for the second time.
For example;
I bought a book. The book was written by Sir. Emily
She came with a man. The man was wearing an expensive suit.
iv. Forward reference
‘The’ is used with nouns that are clarified later in the sentence. Something mentioned is unknown but it is made known by the words that come after it –the post modifiers.
For example;
The book that you gave me is very nice. [Which book? =the one you gave me]
The school my son is studying is called Heritage. [Which school? =Heritage]
The man you saw at the roadside is my teacher. [Who? =the one you saw]
v. ‘The’ is used before the Names of rivers, gulfs, sea, group of islands, chains of mountains
The Nile, The Indian ocean, The Appalachian mountains, The Persian gulf,
vi. ‘The’ is used before the Well known books.
The bible, the Quran, the Encyclopedia Britannica, the Oxford Dictionary, The Webster Dictionary.
vii. ‘The’ is used before the Superlatives.
For example;
The highest, the most interesting, the best, the largest,
Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa.
Ashura is the most beautiful girl in form three.
viii. ‘The’ is used before the Double comparatives.
For example;
The higher you go the cooler it becomes.
The fitter you are the longer you will live.
The more I earn the more I spend.
The more the books you read, the more the knowledge you get and the higher you will achieve in your life.
ix. ‘The’ is used before the Adjectives used as nouns.
For example;
The poor, the rich, the weak, the needy,
We must help the poor and the needy.
The young must obey the old.
x. ‘The’ is used In compass directions.
The north, the east, the south, the west, the North-east, the south-west.
xi. ‘The’ is used before the press; Newspapers and magazines
The Citizen, The Daily News, The Guardian,
xii. ‘The’ is used before the Famous historical events. For example;
The Majimaji War, The MAUMAU Movement, The Great Economic Depression, The Arusha Declaration.
xiii. ‘The’ is used before the Nationalities and communities.
For example;
The kuryans, the Indians, the Kenyans, the Khoi-sans,
xiv. ‘The’ is used before the names of some countries and provinces. For example;
The United Republic of Tanzania, The United Kingdom, The Soviet Union, The United Arab, The United States Of America.
ZERO ARTICLES
Zero article is the omission of article before a noun. That is no article used.
USES OF ZERO ARTICLES
a) It used with plural countable nouns
Examples
Women need better pay.
Beans are good for you.
b) It is used with uncountable nouns which are always singular.
Examples
I like butter.
Life is short.
c) With languages
Examples
English is a world language.
d) Activities
Examples
Swimming is good for you.
e) It is used with proper nouns
Examples
Emily
Anna
Antony
Prepared by:-
Emily A Mwambola
Tel: +255757290816
Email: emilyam016@gmail.com
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