आर्टिकल का प्रयोग – Use of Articles

Use of Articles in English Grammar

Articles are words used before nouns to define them as specific or unspecific. There are three articles in English:
“A” (अनिश्चित पद – Indefinite Article)
“An” (अनिश्चित पद – Indefinite Article)
“The” (निश्चित पद – Definite Article)

 1. Indefinite Articles: “A” & “An” (अनिश्चित पद)

Used when referring to any general, non-specific noun.

 Use of “A”

Use “A” before words that begin with a consonant sound.
Examples:

• A book (एक किताब)

• A cat (एक बिल्ली)

• A university (एक विश्वविद्यालय) → (Sounds like “you-niversity”)

 Use of “An”

Use “An” before words that begin with a vowel sound (A, E, I, O, U).
Examples:

• An apple (एक सेब)

• An elephant (एक हाथी)

• An hour (एक घंटा) → (Silent “h”, sounds like “our”)

 2. Definite Article: “The” (निश्चित पद)

“The” is used when referring to specific nouns.

 When to Use “The”

Before unique things:

• The sun (सूरज)

• The moon (चाँद)

• The Taj Mahal (ताज महल)

Before superlatives:

• The best player (सबसे अच्छा खिलाड़ी)

• The tallest building (सबसे ऊँची इमारत)

Before names of rivers, seas, and mountains:

• The Ganga (गंगा नदी)

• The Himalayas (हिमालय पर्वत)

Before musical instruments:

• He plays the guitar. (वह गिटार बजाता है।)

Before ordinal numbers:

• The first chapter (पहला अध्याय)

• The second row (दूसरी पंक्ति)

 3. When NOT to Use Articles (जहाँ आर्टिकल्स का प्रयोग नहीं होता)

Before proper nouns (names of people, places, etc.)

• I met Rahul yesterday. (Not “The Rahul”)

• She lives in India. (Not “The India”)

Before uncountable or abstract nouns (when generalizing)

• Honesty is important. (Not “The honesty”)

• Milk is good for health. (Not “The milk” – unless specific)

Before plural general nouns

• Dogs are loyal animals. (Not “The dogs” unless specific)

• Cars are expensive. (Not “The cars”)

 Quick Summary Table

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