In English grammar, articles give information about the nouns or noun phrases they modify. While it seems like an easy concept to understand, many people (particularly, multilingual writers) find it hard to choose the correct article to use.
Using different types of articles can change the meaning of a sentence and how your readers will understand it. Let’s take a closer look at this often-used part of speech.
What Are Articles?
An article is a word that modifies a noun, which also makes it an adjective. But while an adjective normally modifies nouns by describing them, an article modifies nouns by defining whether they’re specific or unspecific.
Consider these two sentences:
- A glass of cold water sounds delicious.
- The glass of cold water sounded delicious.
The first sentence is a general statement, implying that any glass of cold water is delicious. The second sentence is more particular, saying that one specific glass of cold water sounded delicious.
English only has three articles—“a”, “an”, and “the.” These are some of the most common words you use, whether verbally or nonverbally. As such, it is necessary for you to know how to use them correctly.
Types of Articles
There are two types of articles: definite and indefinite. Let’s discuss them in detail below.
Definite Articles
“The” is your definite article. You use it when the noun or noun group it refers to is specific or particular. Like in these sentences:
- The cat scratched my arm. (Not just any cat, but the one that scratched my arm.)
- She quickly glanced at the spooky building. (Not just any building, but the spooky one.)
- They tried to find where the sound was coming from. (Not just any sound, but a specific one.)
Indefinite Articles
“A” and “an” are your indefinite articles. You use them when the noun or noun group they refer to is general rather than particular.
- She is a teacher. (She’s a member of a large group of people known as teachers.)
- An American visited the station. (The visitor is a person from America.)
- He came home with a broken arm. (He broke his arm, but it’s not specified which arm was broken.)
How to use Articles Correctly
Like most elements in grammar, articles are governed by rules that affect how they are used. Here are a few:
1. Countable Nouns
As implied by their name, countable nouns are nouns that are countable. They can be in singular or plural form.
Indefinite articles can only be used for countable nouns. Also, remember that indefinite articles are only used for nonspecific nouns.
- I bought a video game that looks interesting.
Use definite articles when the noun is singular, countable, and specific.
- I bought the video game because it looked interesting.
2. Uncountable Nouns
Uncountable nouns are nouns that can’t be divided into separate units. They are always used in singular form unless accompanied by another modifier. Pairing them with articles is more complex.
“The” can be used to modify a noncount noun or it can be dropped entirely. You can also use other words such as some to modify the noun.
- I sailed over the water. (A specific body of water.)
- I love sailing over water. (Any water.)
- I love sailing over some water.
Uncountable nouns can become countable when they are described by some unit of measurement. In this case, the rules for countable nouns are followed.
- She drank a bottle of water.
- They each had a piece of equipment.
- He held a jar of dirt.
Also, note that some nouns can be uncountable or countable depending on context.
- The jungle is full of danger. (uncountable, a possibility of something bad happening in a variety of ways.)
- He is a danger to himself and others. (countable, one person who might inflict harm.)
3. Choosing A or An
Use “a” when it precedes a word that starts with a consonant.
- A boy tripped in the playground during recess.
Use “an” if it precedes a word that starts with a vowel.
- An apple fell onto his head.
Similarly, you use “a” when it precedes a word that starts with a vowel but is pronounced with a consonant sound.
- She comes from a European country. (The initial syllable of European has a consonant “y” sound.)
“An” is used when it precedes a word that starts with a consonant but is pronounced with a vowel sound.
- An honest man has nothing to hide. (The “h” in honest is silent, making the first syllable start with the vowel “o” sound.)
4. Articles that appear before adjectives
Sometimes articles modify nouns that are already modified by adjectives. This usually goes as article+adjective+noun.
“The” will always be used if the noun is definite. If the noun is indefinite, follow tip #2 and base the article on the word it immediately follows.
- An elegant ball will be held for her 18th birthday.
- A large elephant escaped captivity.
5. Geography
Geographical names can be confusing because some require the use of articles while others don’t.
Use “the” for gulfs, forests, large regions, deserts, peninsulas, oceans, mountain ranges, points on the globe, united countries, and group of islands.
- The Amazon
- The Persian Gulf
- The Gobi Desert
- The North Pole
- The Eastern Hemisphere
- The United Nations
- The Faroe Islands
Don’t use “the” for most countries, territories, streets, parks, cities, towns, states, counties, bays, lone lakes, lone mountains, lone islands, and continents.
6. Possessive Pronouns
Like articles, possessive pronouns such as my, his, her, its, and their indicate specificity. Only use one or the other to avoid confusing your readers. Which one you use depends on your intended meaning.
- You can take the car to the hospital.
- You can take my car to the hospital.
7. Omitting Articles
Some nouns don’t require articles before them. Instead, these articles (called zero articles) are implied. Nouns with zero articles are nationalities, languages, sports, academic subjects, and those that convey abstract concepts.
- Japanese is considered one of the hardest languages to learn. (Only use articles when referring to a specific population: The Japanese are known for their work culture.)
- I like playing soccer.
- He was always bad at mathematics.
Key Takeaways
Articles are a basic, but important aspect of the English language. They signify the specificity of a noun, which helps in clarifying what the noun means. By doing so, you can change the meaning of a sentence or give focus to a particular subject.
Many, even native English speakers, can get confused about which article to use or whether to use one at all. As articles are some of the most common words used, mistakes in their usage can be obvious. By knowing how to correctly use them, you make your writing more confident and coherent.
What part about articles in grammar confuses you? Share it in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- Starting Sentences with Conjunctions: Is It Ever Okay?
- How to Use Interjections in Writing
- Parentheses: How and When to Use Them
- Mixed Constructions: What They Are and How to Avoid Them
Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!
