Importance of Articles in English Grammar

In English grammar, articles play a major role in giving some specific information about the noun they precede. A, an and the are recognized as articles in English language. ‘The’ is known as a definite article that identifies, specifies and describes a noun. It also identifies a specific class or group in the sentence. On the other hand, ‘a’ and ‘an’ are called as indefinite articles, which refer a noun in the general sense. ‘a’ precede noun and start with a consonant or a semivowel, whereas ‘an’ precede noun and start with a phonetic vowel. Both ‘a’ and ‘an’ are also used to state an individual’s profession. Let us understand the articles and its importance in detail.

Articles are small words, which can make a phrase meaningless, if not used correctly. These are used to distinguish things or ideas. Whether a writer or speaker, everyone use articles to refer to nouns. ‘The’ is used to refer to certain nouns, including singular and plural nouns. For example:

•    Please collect the book from the library.

•    Please collect all the books from the library.

Let see the use of ‘a’ and ‘an’, which are usually used to refer to non-specific nouns. For example:

•    Please give me a pen.

•    I am going to an event.

In the above sentences, article ‘a’ is referring to any pen. Similarly, article ‘an’ is referring to any event. In English grammar, articles are broadly categorized into two different types one is the definite article and another is indefinite articles, which are used in writing as well as in conversation in order to refer to a noun or a group of nouns. Here, the articles are discussed in details.

1. Definite article: ‘The’ is a definite article, which is mainly used for uncountable nouns and specific singular nouns and plural nouns. For instance, The wrinkles on my face (The wrinkles are specific and uncountable) or The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the seven wonders of the world (Here the leaning tower of Pisa is one such wonder, so it is a specific noun)

2. Indefinite article: ‘An’ and ‘a’ are indefinite articles that are primarily used to introduce unspecified noun. In simple words, these articles point out any person, thing, place or idea. For instance, A rose plant has lots of thorns (Here, rose plant could be any rose plant) or An elephant has a long trunk (Here, the elephant could be any elephant).