Welcome to the world of GOLN English Grammar Book! Whether you are a student embarking on a language-learning journey, an educator seeking comprehensive resources, or a language enthusiast eager to delve into the intricacies of the English language, this book is designed to be your reliable companion.

English Grammar: A Comprehensive Guide is crafted with the aim of providing a clear, accessible, and thorough exploration of the rules and structures that govern the English language. The study of grammar is often perceived as a daunting task, but this book endeavors to make it an engaging and enriching experience. As the foundation of effective communication, a strong grasp of grammar empowers individuals to express themselves with precision and clarity.

In this book, you will find a structured and systematic approach to understanding English grammar. Each chapter is dedicated to a specific grammatical concept, starting with the fundamentals and progressing to more complex topics. The explanations are accompanied by examples, exercises, and practical insights to reinforce your understanding and application of the rules.

 

Key Features:

Clear Explanations: Concepts are explained in a straightforward manner, making complex grammatical rules accessible to learners at various levels.

Practical Examples: Real-world examples illustrate how grammar is used in everyday communication, enhancing your ability to apply what you learn.

Exercises and Activities: Reinforce your understanding through a variety of exercises that cater to different learning styles and preferences.

Common Pitfalls: Learn to navigate common pitfalls and avoid common errors through targeted guidance.

Usage Tips: Gain valuable insights into the nuances of English grammar, including tips on usage, style, and effective communication.
Whether you are a student, teacher, or language enthusiast, embark on this grammar journey with curiosity and confidence. English

Grammar: A Comprehensive Guide is designed not just to teach you the rules but to empower you to use them effectively in your everyday communication. So, let’s explore the intricacies of the English language together and unlock the doors to clearer, more compelling expression. Happy learning!

 

GOLN English Grammar Book

Introduction

1.1 Understanding Grammar
1.2 The Importance of Grammar in English

The Basics

2.1 Parts of Speech
2.2 Sentences, Clauses, and Phrases

Nouns

3.1 Types of Nouns
3.2 Proper Nouns
3.3 Common Nouns
3.4 Countable and Uncountable Nouns
3.5 Collective Nouns

Pronouns

4.1 Types of Pronouns
4.2 Subject Pronouns
4.3 Object Pronouns
4.4 Reflexive Pronouns
4.5 Relative Pronouns
4.6 Interrogative Pronouns
4.7 Demonstrative Pronouns
4.8 Indefinite Pronouns

Verbs

5.1 Types of Verbs
5.2 Regular and Irregular Verbs
5.3 Auxiliary Verbs
5.4 Modal Verbs
5.5 Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
5.6 Verb Tenses

Adjectives

6.1 Types of Adjectives
6.2 Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
6.3 Adjective Order

Adverbs

7.1 Types of Adverbs
7.2 Comparative and Superlative Adverbs
7.3 Adverbs of Manner, Time, Place, and Frequency

Prepositions

8.1 Types of Prepositions
8.2 Prepositions of Time, Place, and Movement

Conjunctions

9.1 Coordinating Conjunctions
9.2 Subordinating Conjunctions
9.3 Correlative Conjunctions

Interjections

Articles

Determiners

 

 

Sentence Structure
13.1 Subject-Verb Agreement
13.2 Types of Sentences
13.3 Active and Passive Voice
13.4 Direct and Indirect Speech

Punctuation
14.1 Types of Punctuation Marks
14.2 Using Punctuation in Sentences

Common Mistakes in English Grammar

Improving Your Grammar
16.1 Tips and Strategies
16.2 Practice Exercises

Glossary of Terms

Index

We are going to discuss about Types of Nouns. Nouns form an integral part of our everyday language, acting as the cornerstone of sentences by identifying the people, places, things, or ideas being discussed. This essay aims to elucidate the various types of nouns, delving into their definitions, examples, and usage.

Types of Nouns

 

Nouns can be classified into several categories, including proper nouns, common nouns, concrete nouns, abstract nouns, countable nouns, uncountable nouns, collective nouns, compound nouns, and possessive nouns.

1. Proper Nouns

Proper nouns are used to identify unique entities and are always capitalized. They can denote individuals, cities, countries, organizations, brands, and more. For instance, consider names like “Alice,” “London,” “United Nations,” or “Nike.” Each refers to a specific entity, distinguishing it from others in its category.

2. Common Nouns

Opposite to proper nouns, common nouns refer to general, non-specific categories of entities. They’re not capitalized unless they start a sentence. Words like “girl,” “city,” “organization,” and “shoe” are common nouns. They refer to broad categories or classes of entities, but they do not refer to specific ones.

3. Concrete Nouns

Concrete nouns denote things that we can experience with our five senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste. They represent tangible objects or phenomena. Words like “apple,” “rain,” “music,” “perfume,” and “fabric” are concrete nouns, referring to things we can respectively see, feel, hear, smell, and touch.

4. Abstract Nouns

Abstract nouns contrast with concrete nouns, representing intangible concepts, feelings, or ideas. They denote things we cannot perceive through our senses. Words like “love,” “time,” “freedom,” “wisdom,” and “childhood” are abstract nouns. These words represent feelings, concepts, states, qualities, and other intangible entities.

5. Countable Nouns

Countable nouns (or count nouns) refer to entities that can be counted. They can take both singular and plural forms. For example, “book,” “pen,” “child,” “idea,” and “day” are countable nouns. You can have a book or books, a pen or pens, a child or children, an idea or ideas, a day or days.

6. Uncountable Nouns

Uncountable nouns (or mass nouns) represent entities that cannot be counted because they’re often seen as wholes or mass. They usually don’t have a plural form. Words like “water,” “music,” “information,” “rice,” and “happiness” are uncountable nouns. You don’t say waters, musics, informations, rices, or happinesses.

7. Collective Nouns

Collective nouns refer to groups of individuals, animals, objects, or ideas as a single entity. Examples include “team,” “flock,” “bouquet,” “family,” and “class.” These words refer to groups of people, birds, flowers, relatives, and students, respectively. Though referring to multiple entities, collective nouns are often treated as singular.

8. Compound Nouns

Compound nouns are formed by combining two or more words, which can be connected by space, hyphen, or nothing. Compound nouns can be made up of nouns, verbs, adjectives, or prepositions. Examples include “toothpaste,” “mother-in-law,” “swimming pool,” “sunrise,” and “football.”

9. Possessive Nouns

Possessive nouns indicate ownership or possession. They are formed by adding an apostrophe and an “s” to the end of a noun, or just an apostrophe for plural nouns ending in “s.” Examples include “girl’s,” “boy’s,” “teacher’s,” “dogs’,” and “children’s.” These words denote that something belongs to the girl, the boy, the teacher, the dogs, or the children, respectively.

As we delve deeper into the world of nouns, we encounter another classification system that recognizes singular nouns, plural nouns, and collective nouns.

1. Singular Nouns

Singular nouns refer to one entity: one person, one place, one thing, or one idea. Examples include “book,” “girl,” “cat,” “beach,” and “concept.”

2. Plural Nouns

Plural nouns represent more than one entity. They are typically formed by adding “s” or “es” to singular nouns. However, some plural nouns are irregular and change their spellings or retain the same form as the singular. Examples include “books,” “girls,” “cats,” “beaches,” and “concepts” as regular plurals, and “children,” “sheep,” “oxen,” “mice,” and “phenomena” as irregular plurals.

3. Collective Nouns

As already mentioned, collective nouns refer to groups or collections of entities. Examples include “family,” “team,” “flock,” “government,” and “audience.”

In conclusion, the richness of English nouns lies in their diversity. They provide speakers with a multitude of ways to refer to entities, enabling precise and nuanced expression. Understanding the different types of nouns and their usage helps in constructing grammatically correct and meaningful sentences, thereby enriching communication.

 

Class title: Understanding Sentences, Clauses, and Phrases

Hello, class! Today we’re going to explore the fundamental building blocks of English grammar: sentences, clauses, and phrases. These are the essential components that make up our language and give it structure and meaning.

Understanding Sentences, Clauses, and Phrases

I. Sentences

Let’s begin with sentences. A sentence is the basic unit of language which expresses a complete thought. It does this by combining words in a structured way. There are different types of sentences based on their purpose:

• Declarative sentences make a statement or express an opinion. Example: “The sun rises in the east.”
• Interrogative sentences ask a question. Example: “What time is it?”
• Imperative sentences give a command or make a request. Example: “Please close the door.”
• Exclamatory sentences express strong emotion. Example: “What a beautiful sunset!”

Now, let’s break down sentences even further to understand their components.

 

 

II. Clauses

A sentence is made up of clauses. A clause is a group of words that includes a subject and a verb (predicate). There are two types of clauses: independent and dependent.

Independent Clauses:

These can stand alone as a complete sentence because they express a complete thought. For example, “The cat sat on the mat.” Here, ‘The cat’ is the subject, and ‘sat on the mat’ is the predicate.

Dependent Clauses:

These cannot stand alone as they do not express a complete thought. They must be linked to an independent clause to make sense. For example, in the sentence “The cat sat on the mat, which is blue,” ‘which is blue’ is a dependent clause that describes the mat. It cannot stand alone as a sentence.

 

 

III. Phrases

Phrases are another integral part of sentences. A phrase is a group of words that work together to convey a particular concept. Unlike a clause, a phrase does not contain a subject and a predicate. Here are the main types of phrases:

• Noun Phrases: These are phrases where a noun is the main word, accompanied by modifiers. Example: “A bunch of flowers.”
• Verb Phrases: These are phrases where a verb is the main word, accompanied by auxiliaries, modifiers, complements, or objects. Example: “is playing soccer.”
• Adjective Phrases: These are phrases where an adjective is the main word, accompanied by modifiers or complements. Example: “happy with her results.”
• Adverbial Phrases: These are phrases where an adverb is the main word, accompanied by modifiers. Example: “very slowly.”
• Prepositional Phrases: These are phrases beginning with a preposition and ending with a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase. Example: “on the sunny beach.”

Understanding the differences between sentences, clauses, and phrases can help us write more effectively. When we know how these elements work together, we can structure our thoughts more clearly and make our writing more engaging. Let’s keep practising these concepts in our writing exercises.

 

 

IV. Further Understanding Clauses:

We have already identified two types of clauses: independent and dependent. However, it’s important to note that there are different types of dependent clauses. These include:

Adverbial Clauses:

These act like adverbs, modifying the verbs in the independent clause. They answer questions like when, where, why, how, to what degree, and under what condition. For example, “She went out to play when the rain had stopped.”

Relative (Adjective) Clauses:

These act like adjectives, modifying a noun or pronoun. They usually start with a relative pronoun like ‘who’, ‘which’, ‘that’, etc. For example, “The man who lives next door is a doctor.”

Noun Clauses:

These act like nouns and can be subjects, objects, or complements. For example, “I wonder if it will rain tomorrow.”

 

 

V. Phrases Revisited:

Let’s further explore prepositional phrases, which we have already touched upon.

Prepositional Phrases consist of a preposition, an object of the preposition (a noun or a pronoun), and any modifiers. They are very versatile and can act as adjectives or adverbs. When they act as adjectives, they modify nouns or pronouns. For example, “The book on the shelf is mine,” where ‘on the shelf’ modifies ‘book.’ When they act as adverbs, they modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, for example, “He ran with great speed,” where ‘with great speed’ modifies ‘ran.’

 

 

VI. Building Complex Sentences:

We can now use our understanding of clauses and phrases to build complex sentences. A complex sentence has one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. For example, “Although it was raining, she went out to play.” Here ‘she went out to play’ is an independent clause, and ‘Although it was raining’ is a dependent (adverbial) clause.

Complex sentences can also contain phrases. Let’s look at this sentence: “Despite the heavy rain, the woman, who was very determined, went out to play.” This sentence includes the independent clause ‘the woman went out to play’, the dependent clause ‘who was very determined’, and the phrase ‘Despite the heavy rain.’

 

 

Sentences are the most significant grammatical unit and express complete thoughts. They are made up of clauses, which contain a subject and a predicate and can be independent or dependent. Phrases, conversely, are groups of words without an issue and predicate that work together to convey a concept. These three elements—sentences, clauses, and phrases—form the backbone of our language, allowing us to communicate effectively and efficiently.

 

Degrees of Comparison In this video “English Grammar” is discussed about Degrees of Comparison (Degrees of Comparison) or Comparison of Adjectives (Comparison of Adjectives) or Degree in English Grammar (Degree in English Grammar).

 

Degrees of Comparison

In the English language, a degree of comparison is a form of adjective that is used to compare a person or thing possessing the same quality with another. It is related to the adjective or adverb in a sentence. The Collins Dictionary defines the ‘degree of comparison’ as “the listing of the positive, comparative, and superlative forms of an adjective or adverb.” In other words, it can be said that one can use the degree of comparison to make a comparison between nouns having comparable quality or qualities.

The Three Degrees of Comparison in English Grammar

As you have already seen, the degrees of comparison are used to make comparisons. In English grammar, there are three degrees of comparison and they are,

• Positive Degree of Comparison
• Comparative Degree of Comparison
• Superlative Degree of Comparison

Let us now look at each of the above-mentioned degrees of comparison in detail.

Positive Degree of Comparison

The positive degree of comparison is basically the original form of the adjective. This degree does not allow you to make any comparison. It only gives the audience the information about a particular quality possessed by a noun.

For example:

• Lisa is happy.
• This dress is pretty.
• He looks handsome.
• Meena is tired.
• The sun is bright.

Comparative Degree of Comparison

The comparative degree of comparison is used to compare between two nouns that have the same quality or the particular quality of a noun at two different times. It shows which one of the two has the greater or lesser degree of the particular quality being referred to.

For example:

• Tina looks sadder than Katie.
• This bed is more comfortable than the other bed.
• The sun is brighter than yesterday.
• Your hair is longer than hers.
• My brother is taller than me.

Superlative Degree of Comparison

The superlative degree of comparison is the highest degree of comparison. It is used to compare the similar qualities shared by more than two nouns. It shows which of these nouns being compared has the greatest or least degree of the mentioned quality or qualities.

For example:

• We climbed the highest mountain.
• The last group was the best of all.
• The Himalayas are the longest mountain ranges.
• Sanjana is the tallest girl in our gang.
• Adharsh is the most silent boy in class.

 

How Do You Use Degrees of Comparison? – Rules and Points to Remember

Like every other grammatical component in English, there are some rules and points you will have to remember when using the degrees of comparison. Take a look at the following.

• The first thing that you should remember about degrees of comparison is that they are used to compare adjectives and adverbs.
• The positive degree of comparison is the base form of the adjective or adverb and does not allow any comparison.
• The comparative degree of comparison is used to compare two nouns that possess or do not possess the same qualities. It is mostly indicated by the addition of ‘-er’ to the end of the adjective.
• The comparative degree of comparison is always indicated by the addition of ‘than’ after the comparative form of the adjective.
• The superlative degree of comparison is used to show which of the nouns possess the greatest or least of the quality or qualities. It is indicated by the use of the article ‘the’ before the adjective and the addition of ‘-est’ to the end of the adjective.
• Make sure you retain the adjuncts that are there in the sentence when you are using the comparative or superlative degree of comparison.

 

Details about Degrees of Comparison – English Grammar :

 

Subject Verb Agreement Its classes are divided into two phases. The purpose of these classes is mainly to help the contestants of competitive exams (eg BCS preparation, university admission classes or university admission preparation classes) in English subject preparation. However, this lesson will also help those who are English grammar learners in other classes. Our lessons will help you improve your English at any moment of your life.

 

Subject Verb Agreement

The term ‘subject-verb agreement’, just like the name suggests, refers to the agreement between the subject and the verb. This is mainly with reference to singular and plural nouns/pronouns that act as subjects. According to the Collins Dictionary, “concord refers to the way that a word has a form appropriate to the number or gender of the noun or pronoun it relates to. For example, in ‘She hates it’, there is concord between the singular form of the verb and the singular pronoun ‘she’.”

The general rule of subject-verb agreement according to Garner’s Modern English Usage is “to use a plural verb with a plural subject, a singular verb with a singular subject. This rule holds true for most cases. However, there are exceptions to this rule. Check out the next section to learn how verbs have to be conjugated in order to agree with the subject.

 

Rules of Subject-Verb Agreement with Examples

The concept of subject-verb concord matters the most when using the present tenses. The simple past and simple future tenses have the same verbs used irrespective of the subject in the sentence. Knowing and following the rules of subject-verb agreement will help you write error-free sentences. Go through the following rules and also go through the examples to understand how each rule is applied.

Rule 1

The first rule is what we have already discussed – the use of a singular verb with a singular subject and a plural verb with a plural subject. The subject can be a noun, a pronoun or even a noun phrase. If it is a pronoun, the subject-verb agreement is done with reference to the person of the pronoun.

For example:

• Rachel spends her free time listening to music. (Singular subject with singular verb)
• Blaine and Kurt play the piano. (Plural subject with plural verb)
• She likes to have a dessert after every meal. (Third person singular pronoun with singular subject)

Rule 2

When using the ‘be’ form of verbs, there is an exception. In this case, the verb is used according to the number and person of the subject. Check out the following table to see how it works with different pronouns.

 

 

Person	Pronoun	Verb	Example
First person singular	I	am	I am confident.
First person plural	We	are	We are confident.
Second person singular/plural	You	are	You are confident.
Third person singular	He	is	He is confident.
	She	is	She is confident.
	It	is	It is amazing.
Third person plural	They	are	They are confident.

Furthermore, when used with other nouns and noun phrases, the rule applies. The same works even with simple past, present continuous and past continuous tenses when the ‘be’ form of verbs are used as the principal verb/helping verb. Check out the following examples to understand.

• Santana is a singer.
• The girls are waiting for you.
• We were happy with the review of our first movie.
• Michael Jackson’s songs are still enjoyed by millions.
• I was reading the latest book by Rudyard Kipling.

Rule 3

The use of ‘have’ and ‘has’ in the present perfect tense, the present perfect continuous tense and as a main verb is also dependent on the subject. All singular subjects use ‘has’ and all plural subjects use ‘have’.

For example:

• I have a younger brother.
• You have taken the wrong cut.
• Swetha has a pet dog.
• William Shakespeare has written around 37 plays.
• Finn has been waiting to talk to you about the test results.

 

 

Rule 4

Compound subjects combined using the conjunction ‘and’ take a plural verb.

For example:

• Krish and Radha are on their way to the airport.
• Caren, Sheela and Akash have completed their assessments.

Rule 5

When more than one noun is joined by the conjunction ‘or’, the subject is considered to be singular and a singular verb is used.

For example:

• Celery or spring onion works fine.
• Your mom or dad has to be here in an hour.

Rule 6

Sentences with pronouns such as anybody, anyone, no one, somebody, someone, everybody, everyone, nothing and nobody are treated as singular subjects and will therefore use a singular verb.

For example:

• Nobody has understood anything.
• Everyone was happy with the outcome.
• Nothing fits me well.
• No one finds the movie interesting.

Rule 7

For sentences using ‘either..or’ and ‘neither..nor’, the verb should agree with the noun or pronoun that comes just before it.

For example:

• Neither Ricky nor Gina is here yet.
• Either the teacher or the students have to take an initiative to keep the classroom clean.
• Neither the children nor their parents are aware of the consequences.

Rule 8

When sentences have subjects like police, news, scissors, mathematics, etc. (nouns that are plural by default), the verb used should be plural.

For example:

• The news of demonetisation shocks the entire nation.
• The police have been looking for the culprits.

 

 

Rule 9

When a negative sentence is written, the ‘do’ verb is used and it has to match the subject.

For example:

• The children do not like working out trigonometry problems.
• My father does not work at the bank anymore.

Rule 10

Interrogative sentences also take the help of the ‘do’ verb. As far as the subject-verb agreement of interrogative sentences is concerned, the first verb (‘be’ verb or ‘do’ verb) has to be aligned with the subject of the sentence.

For example:

• Do you read thriller novels?
• Doesn’t she know you already?
• Is Tina happy with the new house?
• Were you looking for me?
• Has Sharon submitted her final project yet?

Rule 11

When you have sentences that begin with ‘here’, ‘there’, ‘this’, ‘that’, ‘those’, ‘these’, etc., always remember that the subject follows the verb and therefore the verb has to be conjugated with reference to the subject.

For example:

• Here is your book.
• There lies your shirt.
• That was a great movie.
• There have been many changes in the timetable.

Rule 12

Abstract nouns and uncountable nouns are considered as singular subjects, so make sure you use a singular verb along with it.

For example:

• Honesty is the best policy.
• Love makes people do crazy things.
• Good friendship keeps your mind and body healthy.

Rule 13

When the subject refers to a period of time, distance or a sum of money, use a singular verb.

For example:

• 1267 kilometres is too long for us to travel in half a day.
• 10 years is not considered optimum to go on the water slide.
• Don’t you think 1000 rupees is a little too much for a portrait?

 

 

Rule 14

The next rule is based on the use of collective nouns as subjects. Remember that when you have a collective noun as the subject of the sentence, the verb can be singular or plural based on the sentence and the context.

For example:

• My family is settled in Australia.
• All groups of participants have arrived.

Rule 15

In sentences that have adjectives such as ‘all’, ‘a lot of’, ‘lots of’ or ‘some’ are used along with nouns to form a phrase that acts as the subject of the sentence, the verb is used according to the noun just before it.

For example:

• All of my dresses have become tight.
• A lot of food is left out.
• Some of the books are torn and damaged.

Rule 16

When a sentence begins with ‘each’ or ‘every’ as the subject, it is considered singular and so the verb has to be singular too.

For example:

• Each student has been asked to provide a consent letter.
• Every teacher, parent and student is expected to work together.

Rule 17

When you are using a sentence to express a wish or a sentence expressing a request, verbs are used a little differently from other sentences.

For example:

• I wish I were a bird.
• If you were here, I would not be sad.
• We request that everyone make their choices now.

Furthermore, go through the article on tenses to learn how verbs are conjugated according to the tense of the sentence.

 

Details about Subject Verb Agreement – English Grammar :

 

Modal Verbs The purpose of these classes is mainly to help the contestants of competitive exams (eg BCS preparation, university admission classes or university admission preparation classes) in English subject preparation. However, this lesson will also help those who are English grammar learners in other classes. Our lessons will help you improve your English at any moment of your life.

 

Modal Verbs

Modal verbs are helping verbs that are used along with main verbs to represent the ability, possibility and probability of a subject to do an action and emphasise the necessity of an action.

 

Examples of Modal Verbs

Let us look at some examples of modal verbs used as auxiliary verbs and their functions.

Modal Verb	Function
Can	Used to denote the ability of the subject to perform an action or to request permission to perform an action
Could	Used to denote the ability of the subject to perform an action or an offer made by the subject to perform an action
May	Used to denote the probability of an action taking place or to request permission to perform an action
Might	Used to denote the probability of an action taking place or to make suggestions
Will	Used to denote the surety of an action taking place or the assurance of the subject to perform a particular action
Would	Used to show politeness when requesting or asking if an action can be done by the subject.
Shall	Used to denote the surety of an action taking place or the assurance of the subject to perform a particular action
Should	Used to denote the necessity of an action to be done by the subject
Must	Used to denote the strong obligation or necessity for the subject to do or not do an action
Ought to	Used to denote the obligation of the subject to perform a particular action

How to Use Modal Verbs in Sentences

Given below are a few examples of how modal verbs can be used to indicate the possibility or probability of an action taking place.

• It might rain in the evening.
• I think they will reach Coimbatore by 8 pm.
• Can you pick up my brother from school on your way home tomorrow?
• I could make some time to help you with your assignments.
• Your friends may come to visit you next week.
• It would not be possible for you to complete all of it by tomorrow evening.

Here are some examples of modal verbs being used to show the necessity and obligation of the subject to perform a particular set of actions.

• All students of this institution ought to abide by the rules and instructions provided.
• All employees should follow the dress code strictly.
• You must get yourself checked before the situation becomes worse.
• Your sister will have to apply for a leave request if she wants to take a month’s leave.

 

 

Modal verbs can be used to make offers, suggestions and requests. Check out the examples given below for know-how.

• It would be better if you did it the other way.
• I could help you if you want.
• Shall I bring you some water to drink?
• Could you please pass me the science record?
• Will you please take care of my son for an hour? I have some grocery shopping to be done.

 

Details about Modal Verbs – English Grammar :

 

What is Article this class is mainly designed to prepare Bengali speaking candidates who are willing to participate in competitive exams (eg BCS preparation, university entrance classes or university entrance preparation classes) in English subject. However, this lesson will also help those who are English grammar learners in other classes. Our lessons will help you improve your English at any moment of your life.

 

What is Article

An article is a short monosyllabic word that is used to define if the noun is specific or not. Articles are normally used before nouns and since they are used to speak about the noun, they can be considered as adjectives.

Look at how various dictionaries define an article to have a much clearer idea of what they are.

 

Definition of an Article

An article, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is defined 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.” According to the Collins Dictionary, “an article is a kind of determiner. In English, ‘a’ and ‘an’ are called the indefinite article, and ‘the’ is called the definite article.” 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 to a general example of something. The indefinite article is ‘a’ or ‘an’ and the definite article is ‘the’.”

Types of Articles

There are three articles in English – ‘a’, ‘an’ and ‘the’. These articles are divided into two types namely:

• Definite Article
• Indefinite Article

Definite Article

Among the three articles, ‘the’ is said to be the definite article. A definite article is used to determine something that is specific or particular. It is also used before plural nouns and to indicate the superlative degree of comparison. Furthermore, it can be used before collective nouns as well.

 

 

For example:

• The Sun sets in the west.

In the above sentence, the nouns ‘Sun’ and ‘west’ are proper nouns and are specific and so the definite article has to be used.

• The children are playing cricket.

In the above sentence, the definite article is used to determine the plural noun, ‘children’.

• This is the world’s longest river.

In the above sentence, the definite article is used to denote the superlative degree of comparison.

• The crowd sang along with the band.

In the above sentence, the definite article is used before the collective nouns, ‘crowd’ and ‘band’.

 

Indefinite Article

The articles ‘an’ and ‘an’ are termed as indefinite articles. An indefinite article, as the name suggests, is used to indicate something that is not definite or specific. It can also be used before singular nouns.

Among the indefinite articles, ‘an’ is used before singular nouns that start with vowel sounds and ‘a’ is used before singular nouns that begin with consonant sounds.

For example:

• I had an apple for breakfast.
• Do you have an eraser?
• I saw an aeroplane.
• She has a pet dog.
• My father is a doctor.
• My brother gave me a calculator.

 

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