Articles for Class 7

What Do You Mean by Articles?

An article is a word that comes before a noun. Articles are a type of determiner in English grammar. Determiners are words that go before nouns to provide more information about the nouns. Articles are like little helpers that tell us whether we are talking about a specific thing or something in general.

An article is a type of adjective that tells the reader whether the noun (or noun equivalent) with which it is associated is general or specialised.

They are classified as definite and indefinite articles:

Definite Article

It refers to a specific thing or person that is known to the reader or listener.

Examples:

→ The cat is sleeping on the sofa. (Here, we're talking about a specific cat and a specific sofa that the reader knows about).
→ The street light was left on by mistake. (Here, we're talking about a specific street light and not just any other street light).
→ Stacy waited for the divine miracle to happen to come out of the peculiar situation.
→ I have seen the fingerprints on the vase, which can lead us to the culprit. Here, we're talking about the specific fingerprints).

Indefinite Articles

These articles refer to non-specific things or people.

→ We use "a" before words that start with a consonant sound.

Example: She ordered a delicious dessert at a fancy restaurant. (Here, we are not talking about a specific dessert).

→ We use "an" before words that start with a vowel sound.

Example: He bought an expensive car after winning the lottery. (Here, again we are not talking about a particular car).

→ He found a rare artefact while exploring the ancient ruins.

→ I need to find a reliable source for my research paper.

Uses of Articles

1. Indefinite Articles: "a" and "an"

→ We use "a" before a consonant sound.

Example: We saw a car while returning home.

→ We use "an" before a vowel sound.

Example: We saw an amazing car while returning home.

2. Definite Article: "the"

We use "the" before nouns to refer to a specific thing or person that both the speaker/writer and the listener/reader can identify.

Example:

→ The chaos led the ruling government to resign.
→ The weird dream made Elvis quite uneasy.

Let's look for a broader perspective:

→ We use it while defining specific noun phrases: For example, The intricacies of the human brain are still not fully understood.
→ We use it while talking about unique entities. For example, The Eiffel Tower is an iconic symbol of France.
→ We use it while talking about specific geographic locations. For example, I visited the Grand Canyon last summer."
→ We use it while talking about specific historical events. For example, The American Revolution had a profound impact on the United States."

NOTE: The following are some common uses for articles:

→ While making a broad statement regarding plural nouns, we do not use any article before them. For example, Dogs are loyal animals.
→ While making a general statement, we do not use an article before uncountable nouns. For example, Water is essential for life.

Omission of Articles

While learning articles, it's important to be introduced to the omission of articles. This means one should know when not to use an article. Article omission, or the conscious decision to exclude articles in particular situations, might be significant for a number of reasons such as to adopt a more casual, conversational tone, say for example in social media posts. Sometimes articles are sacrificed for the sake of brevity. However, the omission is not recommended for formal, official writings or communication.

Here are some rules and examples of when articles can be omitted:

1. Before Uncountable Nouns: We omit articles before uncountable nouns that cannot be counted individually often.

Examples:

→ My mother needs water to quench her thirst. (we can't use "My mother needs the water")
→ Shelly has exhibited exemplary courage, hasn't she? (we can't use "Shelly has a courage")

2. Before Plural Nouns Used in a General Sense: We omit articles when referring to plural nouns in a general sense. 

Examples:

→ Dogs are cute animals. (we can't use "The dogs are cute animals")
→ Books are a great source of knowledge. (we can't use "The books are a great source of knowledge")

3. Before Proper Nouns: We omit articles before proper nouns (names of specific people, places, or things).

Examples:

→ My spouse visited Paris last weekend. (we can't use " My spouse visited the Paris last weekend")
→ His name is John. (we can't use "His name is a John")

4. Before Abstract Nouns: We omit articles before abstract nouns that are used in a general sense.

Examples:

→ Love is a powerful emotion, indeed. (we can't use "The/A love is a powerful emotion.")
→ Honesty is important. (we can't use "The honesty is important.")

5. Before Meals: We omit articles before meals.

Examples:

→ I had breakfast at 6 AM. ( we can't use "I had a breakfast at 6 AM.")
→ My parents enjoy having dinner together. ( we can't use "My parents enjoy the dinner together.")