Articles are used to indicate the number of singular nouns (a, an) and to specify which noun is being talked about (the). A and an are indefinite articles. They are used to refer to a singular countable noun in general or for the first time.
Basic English Grammar rules can be tricky. In this article, we’ll get you started with the basics of sentence structure, punctuation, parts of speech, and more.
We also providing Extra Questions for Class 11 English Chapter wise.
Exercise on Articles for Class 11 CBSE With Answers
A, an, the are articles
Given below are some rules for the use of articles:
1. We use a before a singular countable noun beginning with a consonant sound.
Examples:
- a girl, a sofa, a spoon, a cow
2. We use an before a singular countable noun that begins with a vowel or a modifier that begins with a vowel sound.
Examples:
- an apple, an umbrella, an extra chair
3. We use a before ‘u’ that is pronounced as you, ‘o’ that is pronounced as wu, and “eu’ that is pronounced as y, and an before an unsounded ‘h’.
Examples:
- a one-eyed man, a European, a union, an hour
4. We use a or an when a noun is used for the first time in a text. When the same noun is used for the second time we use the.
Example:
- A man was walking down a street with a dog. The dog ran after a cat.
5. We use a or an when the noun doesn’t refer to any particular species or to any particular thing.
Example:
- I saw an elephant carrying logs of wood in its trunk.
6. We use a or an when we wish to express surprise, joy, horror, disgust, etc.
Examples:
- What a wonderful day!
- What an extraordinary thing to happen!
- What a silly fellow!
7. We use a or an in phrases that express speed, quantity, etc.
Examples:
- Petrol is almost seventy rupees a litre.
- We were travelling at eighty kilometres an hour.
8. We use a before some numbers.
Examples:
- a couple of …
- a few …
- a hundred …
9. We use the with singular and plural nouns and for all genders to denote something particular.
Examples:
- Get the milk from the fridge.
- Will some of the boys carry the chairs in?
- All the girls have to go for choir singing today.
10. We use the before a noun that refers to only one particular thing or a group of things.
Examples:
- Mohan is sitting in the study.
- All the teachers in the school are well qualified.
11. We use the before a singular noun that is used to refer to a class of people, animals, or things. An article is not required before nouns in plural or a noun that refers to a class in general.
Examples:
- The red panda is an attractive little creature that resembles a toy teddy bear.
- Yaks are found in Ladakh and Nepal.
12. We use the before an adjective that refers to a special class of people.
Example:
- Mother Teresa cared for the old and the infirm.
13. We use the before superlatives and the word only.
Examples:
- the largest
- the best the oldest
- the only
14. We use the before ordinal numbers such as first and second.
Example:
- I remember the first time I met you.
15. No article is used before a proper noun. But we use the if a proper noun is qualified by an adjective.
Examples:
- Who has not heard of the one and only Shakespeare!
- When we talk of Rome, we talk of the great Julius Caesar.
16. We use the when the noun it accompanies refers to something in the abstract.
Example:
- The judicial system itself had become unjust and corrupt.
- He implored the judge to correct the injustice.
Note:
A countable noun always takes either the indefinite (a, an) or definite (the) article when it is singular. When plural, it takes the definite article if it refers to a definite, specific group, and no article, if it is used in a general sense.
Examples:
- The guest of honour has arrived.
- I am expecting a guest for dinner.
- The guests are about to arrive.
- Guests are welcome anytime.
An uncountable noun never takes the indefinite article (a, an), but it does take singular verbs. The is sometimes used with uncountable nouns in the same way as it is used with plural countable nouns, that is, to refer to a specific object, group, or idea. Examples:
- The Internet helps us to access information from any part of the world.
- The information that you gave me was incorrect. Sugar has become cheaper.
- Please put the sugar in the pot for me.
Articles are not used before proper nouns except in the following:
Geographical places: the Gulf of Cambay, the Indian Ocean, the Ganga, the West, the Himalayas, the Thar Desert (but often not when the main part of the proper noun seems to be modified by an earlier attributive noun or adjective;
Example:
- We went’swimming at the Ocean Park.
- Pluralized names (geographic, family, teams): the Netherlands, the West Indies, the Mishras, the New England Patriots
- Public institutions/facilities/groups: the Sheraton, the Parliament, the Church
- Newspapers: The Hindu, The Hindustan Times
- Countries that are in the plural: the United States of America, the United Kingdom
Articles Exercises With Answers for Class 11 CBSE
1. Fill in the blanks using suitable articles. Put a (X) where none is required.
One day (a) ………………………….. certain gentleman went to meet Sir Isaac Newton just before (b) ………………………….. lunchtime. When he asked for him, he was informed by (c) ………………………….. servant that Sir Isaac was in his study, where nobody was allowed to disturb him. The visitor who really wished to speak to Sir Isaac, said he would wait till he came for lunch, and so sat down in (d) ………………………….. dining room. (e) ………………………….. short time later, (f) ………………………….. food was brought in—(g) ………………………….. boiled chicken under a cover. (h) ………………………….. hour passed, and Sir Isaac did not appear. (i) ………………………….. gentleman, feeling hungry, decided to eat (i) ………………………….. chicken. When he had finished eating, he covered up the empty dish and told the servant to boil another chicken for his master. But before that was ready, Sir Isaac came down to eat. When he found the gentleman in (k) ………………………….. dining room, he said: “I beg your pardon, Sir, because you had to wait so long. But just allow me (l) ………………………….. little time to take my lunch first, for I am quite hungry.” Saying this, he picked up the cover, and finding (m) ………………………….. dish empty, he remarked with a smile: “See, Sir, we learned people are really absent-minded! I quite forgot I had had (n) ………………………….. lunch already.”
Answer:
(a) a
(b) X
(c) the
(d) the
(e) A
(f) X
(g) a
(h) an
(i) The
(j) the
(k) the
(l) a
(m) an
(n) X
Fill in the blanks using suitable articles. Put a (X) where none is required.
Though you can make (a) ………………………….. decision purely on grounds of convenience, buying (b) ………………………….. newspaper is often more like joining (C) ………………………….. religious cult. Buy (d) …………………………. . Hindustan Times, for example, and almost by default you join its chairman (e) …………………………. . K.K. Birla in his crusade against The Times of India. Every newspaper has its ‘users’ groups’ and (f) ………………………….. band of loyal enthusiasts who tout its merits. That makes it all (g) ………………………….. more difficult for (h) ………………………….. uninitiated to decide what paper to read. (i) ………………………….. students have (j) ………………………….. huge advantage, however. (k) ………………………….. newspaper companies are so eager for students’ business (it builds “brand loyalty’), that many offer them huge discounts.
Answer:
(a) a
(b) a
(c) a
(d) X
(e) a
(f) the
(g) the
(h) the
(i) X
(j) a
(k) The