English Articles: Exercises with Answers, Types of Articles & Grammar Rules

In English grammar, articles are words ("a," "an," and "the") that precede nouns to indicate whether the noun is specific or general. Articles can hence, be labelled as adjectives as well. In the following sections, students can learn in-depth about Articles, their various types, exceptions, common mistakes, and examples. But before we begin, let’s look at three examples for each of the articles listed above:

• An apple a day is certainly not enough.
• This is the dish everyone’s gushing about.
• I’m just a mile away from the destination.

As per the Collins Dictionary, “In grammar, an article is a kind of determiner. In English, 'a' and 'an' are called the indefinite article, and 'the' is called the definite article.”

Additionally, as per the Oxford Dictionary, articles are defined as “​(grammar) the words a and an (the indefinite article) or the (the definite article)”.

Word Origin: Middle English (denoting a separate clause of the Apostles' Creed, a formal statement of Christian beliefs): from Old French, from Latin articulus ‘small connecting part’, diminutive of artus ‘joint’.

Pronunciation of Article: "aa·ti·kl"

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There are two types of Articles in the English grammar. These are “Definite” and “Indefinite”. Further bifurcating them, we can understand both types as follows:

Definite Articles

Amongst the three articles mentioned above, “the” is considered a definite article and is used to refer to a specific or one that is already known or mentioned. In other words, it is used when the speaker and listener already know about the specific noun which is being referred to. Additionally, it is also used before plural nouns or to indicate the superlative degree of comparison. To understand this better, students can take a look at the following examples:

• “The dog wagged its tail while looking at me.”
• “The boy over there is waving at me.”
• “Sahar won the painting contest.”
• “The sun rises in the east.”
• “This is the sweetest dish I’ve ever had.”

Note: We also use definite articles in front of countries which contain words, such as Kingdom, Republic, States, etc. For example, The Republic of Korea, The United Kingdom, The United States of America, etc.

You can look at the flowchart below to learn about the usage of Definite articles in a sentence:

The other type of article is indefinite i.e., “a/an” is used when referring to a general or non-specific term. Unlike the definite article, they don’t point at any particular or specific noun. Instead, the indefinite articles are used to denote the non-specific. When one uses indefinite articles, they are referring to something one of a kind. But, it is not something that the listener knows of.

Ever wondered when to use a/ an? The indefinite article “a” is used before words that begin with a consonant sound. Meanwhile, “an” is used before words that start with a vowel sound. The below-mentioned examples list some examples for indefinite articles:

• “This is an amazing outfit.”
• “This is an oil-free moisturiser.”
• “I saw an elephant in the jungle today.”
• “She has a nice set of crockery.”

You can check out the following images to learn about the usage of Indefinite articles in a sentence:

Now that we have gotten a bit of understanding regarding the articles and their usage, it is time to learn about the special cases and exceptions while applying articles. Although, it may sound simple since the general statement for indefinite articles implies that words starting with consonant sounds use “a” in front, while “an” is used for vowel sounds, however, there are certain exceptions. The same exception is also followed when using an acronym or initials.

Exception #1: Words Starting with a Silent Letter

These exceptions are seen when dealing with words that have a silent letter at the beginning or the start of the word that sounds different than how it is spelt. The following examples can offer better insight about this rule:

Example 1: An hour has passed since I last saw him.

Here the word “hour” begins with the sound of “O”, thus making a vowel sound. Hence, ‘an’ is used before it.

Example 2: A kingdom without an heir is prone to attacks from the enemy.

The word “heir” is pronounced similarly to air, thus making a vowel sound although the letter ‘H’ is a consonant.

Example 3: Mr. Kim needs a unit of blood for his surgery.

In this example, ‘a’ is used instead of ‘an’ in front of the word “unit”. This is because unit is pronounced as yoo-nit, making the first letter sound like a consonant.

Example 4: Rohan recently purchased an X-Ray machine for his hospital.

While saying X-Ray, we pronounce it as ‘ex-ray’. Hence, in the above-mentioned example, ‘an’ is used in front of the word.

Exception #2: Acronyms

To decide whether ‘a’ or ‘an’ needs to be used while pronouncing certain acronyms or initials, pay attention to how the first letter sounds while speaking.

Example 1: I’m currently pursuing an MCom degree from Delhi University.

In this sentence, MCom is pronounced as ‘em-com’ which starts with a vowel sound, hence, ‘an’ is used.

Example 2: This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me.

In the above sentence, the word once is pronounced as ‘vuhns’, thus making it a consonant sound.

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Now that we’ve discussed the usage of articles in English grammar, it’s time to learn about when to omit articles in English sentences. There are certain words in front of which articles are generally omitted. In total, there are about ten such scenarios where we do not use any article in front of certain words. These exceptions are as follows:

1. When talking about abstract nouns (uncountable nouns) used in a generic sense:

Example 1: Love wins over everything.

Example 2: Freedom of speech is a fundamental right.

Example 3: Patience is the key to success.

2. Before plural nouns used in a general sense:

Example 1: She likes sweets.

Example 2: There are books everywhere in my home.

3. In front of most of the proper nouns, such as names, places, countries, continents, etc.

Example 1: Govind is looking rather pale today.

Example 2: Europe is a beautiful place to visit.

4. Before the name of the meals

Example 1: What are we having for lunch today?

Example 2: I’m going out for dinner.

Note: If there’s an adjective before meals, we use “a/an”. Eg.: I had an early lunch today.

“The” is used when specifying the meal, Eg.: The breakfast we had back in Goa was delicious.

To master how and when to use articles in English grammar, practising consistently is essential. The first step is to understand the rules and exceptions as mentioned above. Once you understand the logic behind the usage of definite and indefinite articles, it’ll become fairly easy to identify which article needs to be used and when. For better understanding, you can try solving practice papers and grammar exercises which will ultimately help you understand the rules better.

Here’s how you can improve your English grammar:

• Read as Much as Possible and Observe When Articles are Used in a Sentence

Reading a variety of books and other literary items is certainly a helpful guide in improving overall grammar learning. The more one reads, the more exposed one becomes to various sentences, including usage of grammar in the same. Over the course of continuous reading, one can start picking up the common rules and usage of Articles in English grammar. Not only does reading improve your grammar, it’ll also aid you in widening your vocabulary and knowledge.

• Learn the Rules and Exceptions for Articles in English Grammar

Although it is relatively easy to learn how and when to use articles in an English sentence, learning the rules and exceptions provides added benefits. Not only will learning the rules aid in know-how, but also come in handy in case of entrance tests, if a specific question related to the rules is asked.

• Play Grammar Quizzes to Master the Usage of Articles in English Grammar

Applying the rules can be quite tricky if not understood properly. It can also be somewhat confusing. In such cases, playing grammar quizzes can be a quick and fun way to practice the usage of articles in English grammar. There are a variety of online quizzes which are fun and helpful. Alternatively, you can also play such games with your friends to simultaneously have fun and improve your knowledge.

Reading books can help one improve not only their reading abilities but also basic grammar, including how to use articles in sentences. Some of the books that might be of help to master articles in English are as follows:

Book	Author/ Publication
Practical English Usage	Michael Swan
Mastering A, An, The: English Articles Solved	Douglas Porter
English Grammar and Composition	S.C Gupta
The Article Book: Practice Toward Mastering A, An, The	Tom Cole

You can find a variety of other such books in offline markets, online PDFs, and more. 

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