How Many Articles are There in English

Introduction

There are 2 kinds of articles in English. Have you ever wondered what category the articles fall under in a sentence? Are they pronouns, adverbs, or adjectives, in your opinion? You'll learn everything you need to know from this article, so that's good. Learn about articles, their types, uses, and definitions while also getting examples of how to use them.

An Article: What is it?

A short, monosyllabic word called an article is used to indicate whether a noun is specific or not. Normally, articles come before nouns, and because they are used to describe the noun, they can be thought of as adjectives.

To get a better understanding of what an article is, look at how different dictionaries define it.

Understanding Articles

A kind of determiner, an article is described as "any of a small set of words or affixes (such as a, an, and the) used with nouns to limit or give definiteness to the application" by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. The Macmillan Dictionary defines an article as "a type of determiner (=word used before a noun) that shows whether you are referring to a particular thing or a general example of something." In English, "a" and "an" are known as indefinite articles, and "the" is known as a definite article. The definite article is "the," while the indefinite article is "a" or "an."

Types of Articles

There are three articles in English – ‘a’, ‘an’ and ‘the’. These articles fall into one of two categories, namely:

1. Definite Article

2. Indefinite Article

1. Definite Article

The definite article "the" is thought to be the most important of the three. When referring to something specific or unique, definite articles are used. Additionally, it is used to denote the superlative degree of comparison before plural nouns. Additionally, it can be positioned before collective nouns.

For instance:

• The Sun sets in the west.

The definite article must be used because the nouns "Sun" and "west" in the previous sentence are proper nouns and specific.

• The children are playing cricket.

The definite article is used to indicate the plural noun "children" in the preceding sentence.

• This is the world’s longest river.

The definite article indicates the superlative degree of comparison in the preceding sentence.

• The crowd sang along with the band.

In the previous clause, the collective nouns "crowd" and "band" a

Indefinite Article

The words "an" and "an" are considered to be indefinite articles. As the name implies, an indefinite article is used to denote something that is not specific. Additionally, it can come before singular nouns.

An is used before singular nouns that begin with vowel sounds and an is used before those that start with consonant sounds among the indefinite articles.

For instance:

1. I saw an aeroplane.

2. My brother gave me a calculator.

3. I had an apple for breakfast.

4. She has a pet dog.

5. Do you have an eraser?

6. My father is a doctor.

Things to Remember When Using Articles

Using articles correctly is an important aspect of English grammar, and it can be tricky at times. Here are some things to remember when using articles:

• Use "a" or "an" before singular countable nouns when you are talking about one of something: "a cat," "an apple."

• Use "the" when you are talking about a specific noun that both the speaker and listener know about: "the cat in the garden," "the apple on the table."

• Don't use any article before plural countable nouns: "cats," "apples."

• Use "the" before singular and plural nouns that are unique or represent a category: "the sun," "the ocean," "the elderly."

• Don't use any article before uncountable nouns: "water," "money."

• Don't use any article before proper nouns: "John," "London."

• When in doubt, consider the context of the sentence to determine whether or not to use an article.

Remembering these rules can help you use articles more effectively and improve your overall English grammar skills.

A or An?

It is customary to use the article "an" before words that start with vowel sounds. This is frequently misunderstood to mean that it can be used before words that begin with a vowel. See the examples below to get an idea of how this functions.

• I have an umbrella.

• This is an orange.

• An elephant was crossing the road.

Your exposure will increase significantly if you study at a university.

This is a distinctive method of conversing with birds.

In the examples below, even though MBA and hour are words with consonant beginnings, "an" is used before both words. This is so because the letter "m" in the word "MBA" has an initial vowel sound (em). The letter "h" in the word "hour" is also silent, giving it a vowel sound at the start.