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Young students learning articles in grammar are often unclear about their usage. Sometimes, these can be confusing for older students as well. Articles make up an essential part of the sentence structure. The correct usage reflects a sound knowledge of grammar and is equally important in everyday communication. In the following sections, we will discuss the proper usage of articles for class 7 students, how to choose the correct article in a sentence, and more. If you are a student or parent looking up resources on articles for class 7 online, you will find the necessary detailed information here and you can also BOOK a FREE Class with our Expert!
What Are Articles?
An article is a word that is used before a noun. A noun is an object, place, person, or idea. An article is technically an adjective[a][b][c] and tells the reader whether the noun (or noun equivalent) with which it is used is general or specific. Articles are a type of determiner.
Example
An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
The sentence mentioned above is the perfect example of the usage of articles. It uses all three articles - a, an, and the. Here, the use of the words ‘a’ and ‘an’ specifies that the fruit apple eaten on any given day (general) will keep the doctor (specific) away.
Types Of Articles
Articles can be definite (the) or indefinite (a, an).
Definite article: The definite article is the most commonly used word in the English language. ‘The’ is the only definite article used in English. It is used to point out a specific thing or person. The definite article is used when the identity of the noun is known to the reader, or it has already been introduced in a previous sentence. Singular, plural, or nouns denoting things that cannot be counted (uncountable nouns) come before definite articles. The following examples will help you learn articles for class 7.
Examples:
The sun
The birds
The man
The sea
It may be separated from the noun by one or more other words.
Examples:
The next morning
The red beetle
Here, the definite article ‘the’ is used with the noun ‘morning’ and is separated by the adverb ‘next’. In the following sentence, ‘the’ is used with the noun ‘beetle’ and is separated by the adjective ‘red’.
Indefinite article: The indefinite article refers to a general noun or when it is introduced. ‘A’ and ‘an’ are indefinite articles. An indefinite article is used before a word or a phrase that denotes a person, thing, or place and is not identified or specified. The definite article is used with singular nouns. ‘An’ is used before nouns that start with vowels.
Examples:
A girl
A jacket
A house
An idea
An egg
Rules For Usage
There are some common rules that class 7 English students can apply for the correct use of articles. This set of guidelines will help you choose the correct article that can be used in a specific sentence.
When To Use A Definite Article?
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Use an indefinite article before a specific thing, person, or place. The noun here can be singular or plural.
Examples:
This is the boy who plays cricket near my house.
The birds sing at sunrise every day.
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Always use ‘the’ before common nouns that denote unique things or those that are one-of-a-kind.
Examples:
The sun rises in the east.
The earth is made of 75 percent water.
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Use ‘the’ when the reader knows what you are talking about. ‘The’ is used in sentences or clauses where you define/identify a particular object or person.
Examples:
The apples in the kitchen are rotting.
There’s a vacancy in our organization. The job requires you to work 8 hours every day.
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Use ‘the’ with adjectives to generalize/denote an entire class or group of people.
Examples:
The Japanese introduced us to Sushi.
The rich live in this part of our city.
The meek shall inherit the earth.
-
Use ‘the’ to define geographical points.
Examples:
The North Pole
The Equator
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Use ‘the’ before geographical nouns. These include oceans, countries, island groups, canals, lakes, rivers, mountain ranges, and other specific areas.
Examples:
The ship will sail across the Atlantic Ocean.
He has climbed the Himalayas twice.
I love the Alps.
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Use ‘the’ before the superlative degrees of an adjective and with ordinal numbers.
Examples:
That is the highest building in Mumbai.
Mira is the most beautiful girl in our family.
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Use ‘the’ before names of famous buildings, newspapers, holy books, historical events, newspapers, and ships.
Examples:
The Bhagavad Gita gives us many life lessons.
I read the Times of India every day.
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Use ‘the’ with clauses that start with ‘only’.
Examples
You are the only friend I have.
July is the only month when our city gets rain.
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‘The’ is also used before dates of months, directions, musical instruments, body parts, political parties, etc.
Examples:
The Congress has a strong presence in our state.
She is arriving on the 10th of February.
My brother loves to play the piano.
The sun sets in the west.
The heart keeps our blood running.
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Use ‘the’ before proper nouns, material nouns, abstract nouns to use them like common nouns.
Examples:
Mita is the Lata Mangeshkar of our school.
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When Not To Use A Definite Article?
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Do not use ‘the’ before country names unless they include the words ‘states’, ‘kingdom’, or ‘republic,’ or are in the plural.
Examples:
Have you ever been to the United Kingdom?
I have heard a lot about the Netherlands.
My cousin lives in the Republic of Ireland.
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Do not use ‘the’ for uncountable nouns.
Examples:
Rice is grown widely in the southern part of our country.
Milk is popular as a beverage around here.
-
Do not use ‘the’ with names of people, languages, shops, or meals.
Examples:
I am going to Tiffany’s today.
Sonali is coming over today.
Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.
-
Do not use ‘the’ with names of single mountains, hills, lakes, or islands.
Examples:
Lake Pichola
Mt Everest
Long Island
To study CBSE class 7 English grammar in detail, students can use our online resources and BOOK a FREE LIVE Class with our expert to discuss Grammar related doubts too! The following section discusses the use of indefinite articles at length.
When To Use Indefinite Articles?
The guidelines mentioned in this section elaborate upon the rules for using indefinite articles for class 7 students. Students can apply these common rules for the correct use of articles in English grammar. This will help you choose the correct indefinite article for a specific sentence or clause.
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Use an indefinite article to introduce something or when you refer to something for the first time. It can be used for a specific member of a class/group/profession.
Examples:
There is a man who visits the park every day.
My uncle is a journalist.
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Use the article ‘a’ before a word that starts with a consonant or any vowel with a consonant sound.
Examples:
This is a great piece of news!
Would you like a cup of tea?
My friend has found a unique place in Mumbai.
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Use ‘an’ before vowels (words beginning with a, e, i, o, u), or any word that starts with a consonant spoken like a vowel.
Examples:
I have eaten an apple.
It was an honour to meet the president.
She holds an M.Sc. degree in Physics.
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Use ‘a’ or ‘an’ to denote numbers.
Examples:
You owe me a hundred rupees (in place of one hundred rupees).
He is one in a million.
-
Use an indefinite article before descriptives.
Examples:
This is a nice book.
She is a smart girl.
When Should You Not Use Indefinite Articles?
There are exceptions to every rule. Students should be aware of sentences and clauses where indefinite articles should not be used. These should be kept in mind if you are studying articles for class 7 grammar.
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Do not use ‘a’ or ‘an’ when referring to a plural noun.
Examples:
There are elephants in the jungle.
I have eaten apples.
-
When uncountable nouns are being talked about.
Examples:
My father does not eat rice.
Water is scarce in this region.
-
Do not use any articles before proper nouns, such as the names of places or people.
Examples:
Sara is a good girl.
The name of my teacher is John.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What are articles in the English language?
‘A’, ‘an’ and ‘the’ are articles used in the English language. These are used to denote if a noun is general or specific.
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What is an example of definite articles?
There is only one definite article in English, which is ‘the’. An example of a sentence with definite article is The girl next door is my friend.
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When should I not use articles?
Do not use articles ‘a’ and ‘the’ before uncountable nouns, plural nouns, or names of places or people.
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What are the indefinite articles in English?
An indefinite article denotes that a noun is general or used when a noun is introduced. ‘A’ and ‘an’ are indefinite articles.
-
When is the indefinite article ‘an’ not used before a vowel?
The indefinite article ‘a’ is used instead of ‘an’ before a vowel with a consonant sound—for example, a university.
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When is the indefinite article ‘a’ not used before a consonant?
Use ‘an’ instead of ‘a’ before words that begin with any consonant with a vowel sound—for example, an honorable moment.
Summary
An article is a word that combines with a noun (object, place, person, or idea) to determine whether it is general or specific. The English language has two types of articles - definite (the) and indefinite (a, an). As a general rule, indefinite articles are used before singular nouns. The article ‘a’ comes before words that start with a consonant (or a vowel that sounds like a consonant). ‘An’ appears before words that start with a vowel or a consonant that has a vowel sound.Learn about the English Language from an ITTP trained Expert! BOOK a FREE class NOW!
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