29/10/2020
ARTICLES
The word articles generally refers to 'a' ,'an' and 'the'. Articles play important roles in English language, like identifying nouns, especially compound nouns. We have three articles in English language, which can be splitted into two groups;
--The indefinite article ('a' and 'an').
--The definite article ('the').
The indefinite article ('a' and 'an')
These indefinite articles are used to tell of an object that is common in a group. These articles go well or are used with common nouns mainly. And they are used when an object is being introduced to an audience or being spoken of for the first time in a sentence.
Note that it only introduces an object in a sentence, a new and foreign character/object not known by the object and is just being spoken of for the first time in that sentence.
Example
i. A boy came to this house today.
ii. An entourage came to this house today.
iii. I was told that a boy came here today.
iv. I was told that an entourage came here today.
If you notice in those sentences above, they both speak of a boy. There are many boys, right? You may be asking which boy? Which one? But the sentences say 'a boy'. They both speak of an indefinite subject 'a boy'. They don't tell you a particular one, they are telling you of an indefinite boy. There may be ten boys you suspected came, but you're not given any hint on which boy came to your house, the subject 'a boy' is indefinite because it carries the indefinite article 'a'. That's the job of an indefinite article, it gives you an indefinite character (subject or object)/ description or an idea.
EXAMPLES
i. Sarah, a boy in that group broke your phone.
ii. Sarah an Ostrich among those broke your phone.
Again you're going to ask, which boy?, which Ostrich? That's because 'a boy' and 'an Ostrich' is indefinite due to the presence of article 'a' or 'an' with it.
DIFFERENCE IN THE USE OF ARTICLE 'A' OR 'AN'
-Article 'a';
Is used/to be used when the word(noun) after it has a consonant sound beginning its pronunciation.
-Article 'an'
Article 'an' is to be used only when the word(noun) being pronounced has a vowel sound beginning its pronunciation.
The definite article 'the'
Is an article used only when the character(object) being introduced or talked about (occupying whether subject or object position) has been spoken of before, or is well known by the character (occupying the object position), whom is being spoken to or told of an occurrence.
EXAMPLES
i.The God of the universe.
ii. I learnt the earth is the only planet that has life on it.
iii. The president of Nigeria is a muslim.
iv.The boy putting on red suit came to this house today.
v. I was told the boy putting on red suit came here today.
vi. Sarah, the boy with black trousers in that group broke your phone.
The definite article 'the' tells you clearly what you're dealing with, it gives you definite description of what is being talked about.
NOTE;
That the articles ('a' , 'an' and 'the') are used to identify a noun as they proceed a noun;
EXAMPLES
A boy, a man, a car, an orange,.....
Only adjectives can come between an article and a noun.
EXAMPLES
i. A pretty lady.
ii. A beautiful car.
iii. An orange umbrella......
