Articles for Class 2

What are Articles?

Articles are small words that appear before nouns (people, places, objects or concepts) to show whether the noun is specific or not.

For example:

1. He has a book.
2. Susan has an umbrella.
3. The Kids visited the zoo

In the above-mentioned examples, the placement of a, an and the in the sentences are called articles.

They are classified into indefinite and definite articles.

Indefinite articles: 'A' is used before words that begin with a consonant sound. 'An' is used before words that begin with a vowel sound.

Definite article: 'The' is used before plural or proper nouns.

Before understanding it further, better take a look at vowels and consonants.

Vowels: Vowels are the letters in the English alphabet that make sounds with an open mouth and no obstruction in the airflow. You can recall them by saying "AEIOU."

Consonants: Consonants are the letters in the English alphabet that make sounds with some kind of obstruction in the airflow. They do not have a clear, pure sound on their own, just like vowels. They often need a vowel to make a complete sound. All the letters in the alphabet that are not a, e, i, o, or u are consonants.

Examples of Articles

→ A cat is a cute pet.
→ She likes an umbrella.
→ The Sun sets in the west.
→ An elephant is a giant animal.

Uses of A, An and The

1. A

We use the article "a" before a consonant.

For example:

→ There is a man and a woman in the park.
→ We have a cat at home.

2. An

We use the article "an" before a vowel sound.

For example:

→ Ronny is an honest boy.
→ He found an umbrella.

3. The

We use the article "The" on a specific or particular thing.

For example:

→ He throws the ball.
→ The lady with a hat.