THE ROLE OF ARTICLES

 

THE ROLE OF ARTICLES 

Grammatically, articles are the words ‘a’, ‘an’ and ‘the’.   The words ‘a’ and ‘an’ are indefinite articles while the word ‘the’ is a definite article.       

We usually use the indefinite articles (a, an) first to mention a person or thing.  By doing that, we don’t have to be clear about which particular person or thing we are referring to.  When we refer to the same person or thing again, we use the definite article (the), as ‘the’ is used to indicate the person or thing already mentioned.

Now, let us use the following information to illustrate the explanation:

‘There is a newspaper which connects the Urhobo people with other ethnic groups in Nigeria and in the Diaspora.  The newspaper is The Urhobo Voice.  The Urhobo Voice has an amiable publisher.  The publisher is Ogbemure Imene’.

          In the illustration above, a and an are indefinite articles (as they were used to first mention the newspaper and publisher) while the is a definite article (as it was used to specify, identify or refer to the newspaper and publisher already mentioned).

                Let us now veer into more details on Indefinite Article and Definite Article.

Indefinite Article:  A, An

The indefinite articles a and an are used to introduce something that has not been mentioned before. The indefinite articles are not used before a plural noun. We use a before a word that begins with a consonant. We use an before a word that begins with a vowel, or a word that begins with a silent consonant but has a strong vowel sound or sounds e.g. honest, hour, honour, etc.            Generally, we use a in the following instances:   -         When we mention something for the first time Example:  I saw a fox in the garden. -         Before a word which begins with a consonant Example:  A lad is waiting for you. -         Before a word with a long sound of u Examples:  A university, a uniform, a European, a unique opportunity. -         Before the word one because one sounds as if it begins with a W (wun)  Examples:  A one-eyed king; a one-way street; a one-year programme; a one-week vacation, etc.  -         Before a proper noun (in some cases).   Example:  It happened on a Monday morning                   A/One:           The indefinite article a can also be used to mean one.  We can therefore, use a or one in the following examples: -         He keeps a/one dozen books on his book-shelf. -         I have told you a/one hundred times to be serious with your studies. Note:  It is not every time that we can use a as alternative to one.  Sometimes, it is better to use a instead of one. An:            An is used generally in the following instances:   -         Before a noun which begins with a vowel sound Example:  Please give me an apple. -         Before a singular noun (person or thing) to mean only one in quantity Example:  He is an only child. -         Before a noun that is representative of a group, species, etc Example:  An ostrich has only two toes on each foot. -         Before a noun that begins with a silent ‘h’ Examples:  an hour, an honest man, an honourable man, etc -         Before abbreviations, some of which begin with a consonant  Example:  I had an X-ray of my chest many years ago.  Definite Article: The              The definite article, the, is one of the most common words in English. The word the identifies a definite or a particular noun that we know of because it has been mentioned.  It is not used for a noun that has not been mentioned beforehand or a noun that we are unaware of, as was shown in the illustration at the beginning of this write-up.            However, the, as a definite article, is used generally in the following instances: -         When there is only one such person, place or thing Examples:  The Pope, the President of Nigeria, the North Pole, the earth. -         Before names of famous buildings, centres, etc Examples:  The Eagle Square, the Eiffel Tower, the Great Wall of China.  -         Before a singular noun that refers to a whole class or group of people or things etc Examples:  The middle class, the homeless, the African-Americans, the Hindus, the Christians, the Muslims. -         Before the special names of rivers, seas, oceans, mountain ranges, groups of islands. Examples:  The Nile, the Dead Sea, the Pacific Ocean, the Niger Delta.  -         Before certain organisations, political parties, and countries Examples:  The Urhobo Progress Union , the United Nations, the Labour Party, the Peoples Democratic Party, the African Union, the US. -         Before nouns such as places which we know of Examples:  We arrived early at the motor park for our trip to Lagos. We went to the stadium, after which we went to the beach. -         Before abbreviations and initials of organisations and countries             Examples:  The BBC,  the VOA, the EU, the AU, the UK, the US.

 

Zero Article (No Article):

          There are times when we don’t have to use any one of the articles. Such non-use of the article is given the name Zero Article or No Article.

           We use Zero Article or No Article in the following instances:

-         Before names of materials

Example:  Coal is found in Enugu State.   Not: the Coal is found in Enugu

State.

-         Before abstract nouns used in a general sense

Example:  Money cannot buy happiness.  Not: Money cannot buy the

happiness.

-         Before proper nouns

Example:  She gave birth to twins in November.   Not: She gave birth to

twins in the November.

-         Before illnesses 

Example:  She came down with malaria and had to be hospitalised.  Not: She

came down with the malaria and had to be hospitalised.

-         Before the names of cities, states, countries, islands or mountains

Examples:  Nigeria attained independence in 1960.  Not: The Nigeria attained independence in 1960.  Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain.   Not: The Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain.