Types of Articles

In English, two types of articles are recognized in writing and refer to nouns (or a group of nouns). They are called the definite and indefinite articles.

Rules for Articles

The proper use of articles in the English language is quite straightforward.

1. The Use of Definite Article “the”:

The definite noun “the” refers to specific nouns or groups of nouns.

2. The Use of Indefinite Articles “a” and “an”:

Some trouble may, however, arise when one is trying to determine which indefinite article—”an,” “a”—to use. At times like this, it’s imperative to remember that the choice of indefinite article will depend on the sound at the start of the noun being referred to. There’s a way to remember this.

Use “an” if the noun after the indefinite article has a first letter with a vowel sound. The vowel sounds in the English language are sounds that are created by any of the five vowels: “a,” “e,” “I,” “o,” and “u.”

Example:

i) An adversary of the people (“a” begins this noun, which is a vowel).

ii) An elder in the religious group (“e” begins this noun, which is also a vowel).

Use the article “a”’ when the noun that is after it has its first letter as a consonant sound. In English, consonant sounds come from the letters of the alphabet other than the five vowels.

Example:

i) My brother wants a novel for his birthday.

ii) A woman brought a dog to church today.  

Types of Articles

1. Definite Article

As stated earlier, the definite article ‘the’ in the English Language directly refers to specific nouns or groups of nouns.

Examples:

i) The hair on his on his head.

ii) The Louis Vuitton crocodile bag in my closet.

iii) The flash fiction magazines on her table.

It should be noted that the definite article ‘the’ in these examples refers directly to the noun or groups of nouns in these examples.

2. Indefinite Articles

On the other hand, the indefinite articles are the two words “a” and “an.” Like the definite article, these two articles are used in English to refer to nouns. However, the nouns being referred to in this case—persons, places, objects, or ideas—are neither specific nor direct. The function of indefinite articles in pointing out nouns is unclear, as it can be any noun or a group of nouns.

Examples:

i) A mango from the tree.

ii) An envelope from the shelf.

iii) A BMW from the car park.

Note that the nouns referred to are not precise in each of the three cases. The mango could be any mango ripe for plucking from the tree. Similarly, the envelope could be anyone from the shelf, or the BMW could be any car of the same make parked in the car park.