How to Learn Basic Rules of INDEFINITE ARTICLES 'A' AND AN ( Part - 2)

 

INDEFINITE ARTICLES 'A' AND AN

F. A/an' is used in negative expressions and after prepositions.

Examples:

• Wear your coat. I do not have a coat,
• Do not step out of the house without a guard.

G. A/an' is used to refer to the types of jobs people do, or how to make use of things.

Examples:

• I am a doctor.
• He is a teacher.
• I used my doll as a model.

IV. EXCEPTIONS

Articles are not used in certain cases.

A. There are no articles when a possessive 's' is used before nouns.

Examples:

• Correct: This is Rita's car.
• Incorrect: This is the Rita's car/ This is Rita's the car. 

However in certain cases, a possessive noun can have an article.

Example: The general's wife was in the house. 

B. When a noun modifies a noun, the first noun does not have an article.

 Examples:

• Correct: I want you to give him piano lessons.
• Incorrect: I want you to give him the piano lessons. 

• Correct: There are blackheads on your face.
• Incorrect: There are the blackheads on your face.

C. The' is not used after "both"

Examples:

•  Correct: Both men were good wrestlers.
•  Incorrect: Both the men were good wrestlers.

D. "The' is not used between 'all' and a number

Examples:

• Correct: All seven dwarfs met Snow White in the garden.
• Incorrect: All the seven dwarfs met Snow White in the garden.

E. "The' is not used after 'all' in expressions like all day, all week, all month, all year

      summer and all winter.

Examples:

• Correct: He had been away all winter. 
• Incorrect: He had been away all the winter.

• Correct: I have not seen Judy all day. 
• Incorrect: I have not seen Judy all the day.

 F. The' is not used when the day before or after a day is spoken about.

Examples:

• Correct: What are your plans next September? 
• Incorrect: What are your plans the next September?

• Correct: Where were you last Friday? 
• Incorrect: Where were you the last Friday?

• Correct: I will meet you on Sunday. 
• Incorrect: I will meet you on the Sunday.

While referring to seasons, you can choose whether to use an article or not.

Examples:

• Correct: The valleys in Kashmir look beautiful in (the) winter.
• Correct: I love (the) summer.

G. Titles do not have articles.

Examples:

• Correct: King Alexander rode on his horse. 
• Incorrect: The King Alexander road on his horse.

• Correct: I was summoned by President Lincoln.
• Incorrect: I was summoned by the President Lincoln. 

• Correct: I was lucky to meet Queen Elizabeth.
• Incorrect: I was lucky to meet the Queen Elizabeth.

H. The complement of a sentence does not have an article 'the when a position gained by someone is indicated.

Examples:

• Correct: I was appointed Head of Science Department in 1906.
• Incorrect: I was appointed the Head of Science Department in 1906.

• Correct: He was elected Prime Minister in 1993.
• Incorrect: He was elected the Prime Minister in 1993. 

1. The' is not used to talk about a person's body parts or his possessions.

Examples:

• Correct: He nodded his head in agreement.
• Incorrect: He nodded the head in agreement.

• Correct: Have you broken your arm? 
• Incorrect: Have you broken the arm?

"The' is used to talk about body parts if it comes after prepositions.

Examples:

• Correct: I was shot in the arm. 
• Correct: He hit me on the nose.
• Correct: I was injured above the eye.

J. Articles are not used in abbreviated formats.

Examples:

• Headings: Introduction Chapter three Section A 
• Newspaper headlines: TATA LAUNCHES NEW PLAN
• Picture captions: Root and Stem
• Dictionary entries; Head- part of the body.
• Labelling and numbering: Turn to page 30.
• Enter through Gate A.

K. A/an' is not used after expressions like kind of, type of, sort of etc.

Examples:

• Correct: What kind of man is he?
• Incorrect: What kind of a man is he?

• Correct: Can you show me a cheaper sort of lamp?
• Incorrect: Can you show me a cheaper sort of a lamp?

• Correct: A wide range of fabric is available in this store. 
• Incorrect: A wide range of a fabric is available in this store.

L. 'Man' and 'woman' can be used with or without an article. 

Examples:

• Correct: Man and woman were created by God.
• Correct: A man is incomplete without a woman.
• Correct: Men and women are considered equal today. 

from: 

Prof. Vinita saxena

saxenavinita02@gmail.com