Articles with General or Particular instance of Nouns

In this article, we will study the various uses of Indefinite and Definite Articles when a general or a particular instance of a noun is involved.

Articles with General or Unique/Particular Instance

Concept 1

We use ‘the’ before names of things unique of their kind (i.e. we know that there is only one of a particular thing).

For example:

• Astronomical objects (the sun , the world, the earth)
• Water body (the ocean, the Arabian sea, the Ganga, the Suez canal, the English channel)
• Mountain ranges (the Himalayas, the Alps)
• Also, the sky, the North Pole, the jet age, the international market, the travel industry, the arms trade etc.

Concept 2

We use ‘the’ before the names of certain books.

For example: the Vedas, the Bible, the Puranas, the Ramayana.

Concept 3

We use ‘the’ before musical instruments.

For example: the guitar, the flute etc.

She can play the flute pretty well.

Concept 4

Sometimes it depends on the context. That is we either use ‘the’ or ‘a/an’ with certain nouns depending on how they have been referred to in a sentence.

We use ‘the’ when we refer to following things in a general way:
the weather, the climate, the human race, the atmosphere, the sea, the public, the environment, the sky, the ground, the wind, the future, the past

However, if we want to describe a particular instance of these we use ‘a/an’.

Articles for General Description or Unique Description

When we describe someone or something - We use ‘a/an’ with a singular noun

This is a beautiful lake.
English has become an international language.

When we say that someone or something is unique - we use ‘the’ (or sometimes zero article)

It’s not Sydney but Canberra that is the capital city of Australia.
English is the international language of business.

Articles for Already known entities or when Context is known

Concept 1

We use ‘the’ when the listener/reader can identify the thing/person we are talking about. Otherwise we use ‘a/an’.

Concept 2

We use ‘the’ when it is clear from the situation which person/thing we mean.

This curry smells awesome. What’s in the curry? (it’s clear which curry we are talking about)

What do you think of the candidate? (it’s clear which candidate we are talking about)

Concept 3

We use ‘the’ when we have already mentioned that person/thing earlier.

Geetanjali took a cat to the party, but the cat jumped on the cake and then ran off.

I gave an interview yesterday. Some of the questions asked in the interview were funny.

Extra Books and Tools

If you prefer to learn via books, or want some good English Grammar books for reference purposes, you may read this article which enlists some of the books recommended by us.