Examples of Articles: Definition and Sample Questions

Grammar is a crucial part of the syllabus of MBA entrance exams. Be it any exam, Grammar is a compulsorily asked topic of the Verbal Ability section. Hence, it is a must for MBA aspirants to be thorough with the concepts of English Grammar. Articles are one such topic which is considered as one of the foundations of English Grammar. To ensure a high score in the Verbal Ability section, MBA aspirants must focus on building conceptual clarity on Articles and get enough practice. Here we will discuss the concept of Articles with examples as well as exercises for practice purpose.

Also Read: MBA Preparation 2024: Tips to Prepare for MBA Entrance Exams

Articles can be defined as words which modify nouns and help them identify as a specific or non-specific word. Articles act as determiners to identify the type of noun. Articles consist of three words – The, A and An. While ‘the’ is prefixed to a specific noun or word and not a generic one.

Example: Emily lost the umbrella gifted by her mother.

On the other hand, ‘a’ and ‘an’ are used before generic words, which does not have a specific value or significance attached to it. Usage of ‘a’ or ‘an’ depends upon vowel or non-vowel words. While ‘an’ is prefixed to words starting with a vowel letter or letters sounding like vowels, ‘a’ is prefixed to words starting with consonants.

Example: Ron gifted a book of poems to Rita.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

There are broadly two types of Articles – Definite and Indefinite. Let us take a look at each of them.

Definite Articles

The is the only Definite Article. As the name suggests, Definite Article or ‘The’ refers to a specific noun or object. Prefixing ‘the’ to a word infers a specific value or significance. Following are some of the examples which will help students understand the concept of Definite Articles or usage of ‘The’ in a sentence in a better way.

Examples: The President of India graced the event with his August presence.

• The mango tree in my garden was uprooted in last night’s storm.
• The chocolate cake baked by Rose was delicious.
• The apples I bought last week has rotten.
• The concert I attended last evening was disappointing.

Definite Articles are also used for countries which have words like Kingdom, States or Republic in it. For example, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, The Republic of Congo, to name a few.

Indefinite Articles

Indefinite Articles refer to ‘a’ and ‘an’, which are prefixed before nouns or words, which are used in a generic sense. The usage of Indefinite Articles varies according to the words used in a sentence. Indefinite Articles are always used before singular nouns. In the case of plural nouns, either Definite Article or ‘The’ is used or no articles are used.

Examples:

Let us check the above explanations of Indefinite Articles with examples.

Article Usage with singular consonants:

• Please pass me a banana from the fruit basket.
• Always keep a pen and paper handy while attending a meeting.
• Let’s gift the kid a ball.
• I had a great time at the party last night.
• My mother is a doctor.

Article Usage with singular vowels:

• I will give you an ice cream if you finish your homework on time.
• Eat an egg every day for good health.
• Writing with an ink pen can improve your handwriting.
• It is an open and shut case.
• There is an oval shape table in the room.

Exceptions

There are certain exceptions while using Indefinite Articles. Even though ‘a’ precedes consonants and ‘an’ precedes vowels, there are certain consonants which sound like vowels, where ‘an’ is used instead of ‘a’. Sample these:

Examples

• Rajesh is an honest man.
• Pursuing an MBA from a top college can give a boost to your career.
• Marriage is a union of two souls.
• Sonali is a university topper.
• It took me a year to recover from the disease.

Although Articles are widely used across sentences, it is not mandatory to put Articles in every sentence. The instances, wherein you can omit Article usage are as follows:

Nouns referring to abstract ideas.

Examples 

• Let’s go out for dinner tonight.
• Cricket is my favourite sport.

Notably, using ‘a’ or ‘the’ before dinner or cricket is not applicable.

Nouns referring to uncountable things.

Examples

• Please give me some water.
• Throw some light on the matter.

Since water or light are uncountable matters, instead of 'a', 'some' is used to quantify the noun.

Article usage is also omitted in case of mentioning language or country or nationality, but there are exceptions in this as well, which depends on the usage of the word in a sentence.

Examples:

• I studied Hindi for four years in my schools.
• The northern part of India is a Hindi speaking belt.

Also Read:

• Reading Comprehension preparation tips

• Verbal Ability preparation tips

• Pronouns with exercises

• Parajumbles with exercises

Q1: All I need now is _ hot cup of coffee. 

Q2: Where is _ letter sent by your teacher? 

Q3: This perfume has _ mild fragrance. 

Q4: I admire _ photographs you clicked in Paris. 

Q5: Let’s go for _ vacation in _ mountains. 

Q6: Have you seen _ charger of my laptop? 

Q7: The book is _ anthology of poems by Rabindranath Tagore. 

Q8: Goa was _ Portuguese colony in India. 

Q9: Pather Panchali is _ Oscar-winning movie directed by Satyajit Ray. 

Q10: There is _ important announcement to be made today. 

Q11: Where is _ book I gave you last week? 

Q12: What is _ breed of your dog? 

Q13: France is _ European country. 

Q14: The report gives _ interesting insight into the current market situation.

Q15: I reached the venue _ hour ago. 

Q16: Can you bring me _ umbrella hanging on the wall?

Q17: It was a thunderous night and __ palm tree in my backyard was swaying furiously.

Q18: Would you like to read __ book on World War II?

Q19: Where is ___ purse I gave you last week?

Q20: I reached the centre _____ hour ago.

Q21: Paris is ___ European city.

Q22: The weather is so hot outside. It is impossible to go out during _ day.

Q23: Where can I find _ good book on Industrial Revolution?

Q24: Where is _ ticket counter for the carnival?

Q25: _ tissue paper was found in the food container.

Q26: “It is important to revise the chapters,” _ teacher said.

Q27: Sharon will be leaving from office early. She has _ appointment with dentist.

Q28: We saw monkeys hiding behind _ wall of our school. 

Q29: I am not sure of _ origin of this fable. 

Q30: It is always recommended to consult _ specialist for medical treatment.

Answers:

Q1: a Q2: the Q3: a Q4: the Q5: a, the Q6: the Q7: an Q8: a Q9: an Q10: an Q11: the Q12: the Q13: a Q14: an Q15: an Q16: the Q17: the Q18: a Q19: the Q20: an Q21: a Q22. the Q23.a Q24.the Q25. a Q26. the Q27. ad Q28. the Q29. the Q30. a

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