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An article is a word (or prefix or suffix) that is used with a noun to indicate the type of reference being made by the noun.
There are two types of articles:

• Indefinite article
• Definite article

Indefinite article

A and An is called the indefinite article because It is used when we do not speak of any particular person or thing; as:

• I saw a boy in the market.
• I found an umbrella lying in the room.

Correct use of 'A'

A is used before :

• Words beginning with the sound of a consonant: as - a boy, a woman, a cow, a year.
• Such vowels as have the sound of 'yu'; as - a ewe, a useful person, a unit, a university, a European, a uniform, a utensil, a union.
• 'O’ when it Is sounded as 'wa'; as - a one-rupee note, a one-eyed giant, such a one. a one way-road.

Correct use of 'An'

• An Is used before words beginning with a vowel (a. e. I, o. u) or with a letter ‘h’ which Is not sounded; as - an army, an eye. an Idiot, an orange, an umbrella, an hour, an heir, an honest man. an honourable man.

Use of the Indefinite articles:

The Indefinite article is used:

(i) in the sense of one; as:

• He sew seven at a (one) blow.
• In a (one) day or two.

(ii) In the sense of a Certain; as:

• I met a beggar who pretended to be dumb.
• A Jackson (a certain man named Jackson) is suspected by the police.

(iii) In the tense or any (when an individual is meant to represent a class); as

• A soldier should obey his commander.
• A horse s a useful animal.

(iv) To make a common noun of a proper noon; as:

• A Daniel (a very wise judge) came to judgment.
• He thinks he is a Napoleon (a man like Napoleon).

(v) In such expressions; as:

• twice a month, a rupee a dozen. sixty kilometers an hour, four times a day, half an hour.

Definite article

The is called the definite article because it is used when we speak when we speak of some particular person or thing; as:

• This is the man when I saw yesterday.
• This Is the beggar who pretended to be dumb.

Use of the definite article:

'The' is used:

(i) When we re'er to some particular person or thing; as:

•  The house have just bough t is a spacing one.
• Call the boy standing outside.

(ii) When a singular common noun is used to indicate a whole c ass: as:

• The cow is a useful animal. (AII cows a'e useful animals)
• The tiger s a fierce animal. (All tigers are fierce animals)

(iii) As an adverb with comparatives in such sentences; as:

• The more one has the more one wants.
• The fewer the better.

(iv) Before rivers, ranges of mountains and group of islands; as:

• The Changes, the Indus, the I harries, the Himalayas, the Alps, the British Isles, the Andamans.

(v) Before oceans, seas, gulp's, bays and straits; as:

• The Indian Ocean, the Atlantic, the Red Sea. Ore Bay of Bengal, the Persian Gulf, the Straits of Gibraltar

(vi) Before the names of some countries; as:

• The United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the United States, the Soviet Union, the U-S.S.R.

(vii) Before the names of newspapers, magazine, etc; as:

• The Titties of India, the Statesman, The Modem Language Review, the Illustrated Weekly

(viii) Before the names of certain well-known book as:

• The Queen Elizabeth is a famous British liner.
• The Deccan Queen is an express train which runs from Pune to Bombay each day.

(ix) Before names of public buildings, Institutions, associations, etc; as:

• The University of London, the Foreign Office, the British Museum, tire Taj Mahal, the United Nations, the Ministry of Education

(x) Before the names of certain well known books; as:

• The Bible, the Vedas, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Panchatantra, the Arabian Nights