Grammar
Focus:
Indefinite Article: A, An
1.
Indefinite
article ‘a’ is used before a singular countable noun beginning with
a consonant sound.
Example: a cow, a desk, a house, a one eyed man, a university boy, a usage, a eucalyptus
tree, a utensil, a U-turn,
a user, a useless
machine, a one-way
ticket, a useful book, a ewe,
a union, a European, a unique creature, a unicorn, a unanimous plan, a eulogy, a unit, a one-eyed boy, a UN spokesman, a UK plane, a US soldier,
etc.
2.
Indefinite
article ‘an’ is used before a singular countable noun beginning with a
vowel sound.
Example: an elephant, an umbrella, an aero plane,
an orange, an applicant, an hour, an
honest man, an heir, an heiress, an X-ray machine, an honorable person, an
heirloom, etc.
3.
Indefinite
article 'a' 'an' is used with English alphabets and abbreviations when
they are separately read out.
Example: an MA, an MP, an MBBS, an HA, an FM, an LLM, an M. ED, an NGO, an MBA, a ‘B’, a
‘D’, an ‘F’, an ‘H’, an I.A, an
M.A, an LG, an SP, a B.ED, an SOS, an
SDO, a UFO, a TOEFL score, a UNESCO office, a WHO officer, etc.
4.
Indefinite article
'a' 'an' is used when
a noun belongs
to a group/community, profession
and expresses the meaning ‘a kind of’ even though
they are uncountable nouns Examples: Noam Chomsky is a linguist.
Bill Gates is an entrepreneur.
Mrs. Sharma is a nurse.
He is a
Newar.
Gold is a
useful metal.
Milk is a drink.
Iron is a metal.
5.
‘A' 'an’ is used to
say how a person looks like.
Manisha’s a
little Hitler.
Rohan is an
honourable person.
Rina is an
enthusiastic learner.
Ritesh is a
violent person.
6.
'A'
'an' is used when talking about prices, quantities and rates.
They cost it 50p a kilo.
I can type 50 words a minute.
He was driving at 50 miles an hour.
7.
With
some phrases:
Examples: as a rule, have a pity, to have a knowledge, to make a guess at, to have a pain/
cough/fever/headache/ a talk/ a rest/ a walk/ a noise/ to have a bath/ a drink, to pay a visit, on an average, be in a temper, to give a warning, to take an interest, have a say,
at a glance, etc.
Grammar Focus: Definite Article: The
Definite
article ‘the’ is used:
1.
when something is mentioned for the second time.
He is wearing a hat. The hat is made in
Japan.
I saw an
ugly man yesterday. The man was very tall.
2.
before the names of things which are unique
and only one: the earth, the sky the universe, the moon, the great wall, the
Jupiter, etc.
3.
before superlative degree: Mt. Everest is
the
highest peak
in the world. Which is the coldest place in Nepal? She is the most beautiful of
all in school.
4.
abstract nouns qualified by an adjective
or an adjectival phrase or clause : The Wisdom
of Solomon is famous. The intelligence of
Einstein is very strong.
5.
before ordinal numbers: the first, the second, the fifth, the last, the next, etc.
6.
before the name
of musical instruments: the guitar, the flute, the madal, the harmonium, etc.
7.
before the names of river, seas and oceans:
the Nile, the Red Sea, the Pacific Ocean, etc.
8.
before the names of groups of island: the British Isles, the West Indies, etc.
9.
before the names of mountain ranges: the Himalayas, the Alps, etc.
10.
before the plural names of countries: the Netherlands, the Philippines, the UK, the
USA, etc.
11.
before the names of canals: the Suez Canal, the Gandak Canal, etc.
12.
before the names of deserts: the Sahara, the Thar, the Gobi, etc.
13.
before the names of Newspapers: the Kathmandu Post,
the
Washington Post, the
Republica, etc.
14.
before a period of decades: the fifties, the sixties, the eighties, etc.
15.
before the names of directions and poles: the south, the North Pole, the east, the
west, etc.
16.
before the names of periods
of history: the modern Age, the stone Age, the
Victorian age, etc.
17.
before the family
names and castes: the Rana, the Gurung, the Brahmin, the
Tamang, etc.
18.
before the names of holy books: the Ramayana, the Bible, the Quran, the Geeta, etc.
19.
before
the names of nationalities/religions/ races/ positions or posts: the Chinese,
the Hindus,
the Black,
the Prime
Minister, the principal, the class teacher, etc.
20.
before a noun modified by a ‘phrase’ or ‘clause’: The boy, who is in a black coat, is a university
student. I like the pen which is made
in Nepal.
21.
before the name of the adjectives that
represent social groups: the old, the unemployed the blind, the deaf, the young, the rich, the poor, the sick, the homeless, the elderly, etc.
22.
before special meals: the birthday party, the
wedding anniversary party, etc.
23.
before parts of day: the morning, the afternoon, the evening, etc.
24.
before the names of ships and aeroplanes: the Mary Celeste, the Titanic, the Buddha Air, etc.
25.
before the names of hotels, restaurants, theaters, cinemas, clubs:
the Soaltee, the
Guna Cinema, the Lion’s Club, the Rastriya Nach
Ghar, etc.
26.
before the names of scientific innovations: the telephone, the television, the computer,
the radio, etc.
27.
before the names of political parties: the Congress, the CPN-UML, the Forum, the
Labour Party,
the Communist
Party, etc.
28.
before the name of the historic events: the Martyrs’Day, the Independence Day, etc.
29.
before the names of the museums and
libraries: the National Museum, the American
Library, the Science Museum,
etc.
30.
before the names of the parts in the house:
the kitchen, the bedroom, the study room,
the dining room, the toilet, etc.
31.
some
other examples:
Pokhara is known as the Cherapunji of
Nepal.
The sooner
it is done, the better result it produces.
The more
you work hard, the more you earn.
Some of / a few of / most of the students passed the exam.
Repetition of the Article
The
secretary and treasurer has gone on leave.
The
secretary and the treasurer have gone on leave.
Here the first sentence clearly
indicates that the nouns secretary
and treasurer refer to the
same person. The repetition of the article
in the second sentence indicates that the nouns refer to two different persons.
Winston Churchill was a great orator and statesman. (Here the reference is to one person – Churchill.)
There were on the jury among others a great orator
and a great statesman. (Here the
reference is to two different persons.)
Grammar Focus: No Articles
We
do not use article before:
1.
uncountable and abstract nouns used in a
general sense.
Honey
is sweet. (NOT The honey is sweet.)
Sugar is bad for your teeth. Wisdom is
better than riches. Virtue is its own
reward.
Note
that uncountable nouns take the article the
when used in a particular sense.
Would you pass the sugar? (= the sugar on the table)
2.
plural
countable nouns used in a general sense.
Children
usually rush about.
Computers
are useful machines.
Note
that plural nouns take the article the when
they are used in a particular sense.
Where are the
children? (Whose children? Our children)
3.
the
names of countries, people, continents, cities, rivers and lakes.
India is a
democratic country. (NOT The India …)
Paris is the
capital of France. (NOT The Paris …)
4.
the names of meals. Mother is cooking
lunch.
Dinner is ready.
Note that we use
a when there is an adjective before breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc. We use the
when we are talking about a particular meal.
I had a late dinner yesterday.
The
lunch we had at the restaurant was very
good.
5.
the
names of languages.
Can you speak English? (NOT Can you speak the English?)
They speak French at
home.
6.
school, college, university, church, bed, hospital,
prison, etc. when these places are
used
for primary purpose.
His dad
is still in hospital.
We
learned English at school.
He is at university.
I go to temple every day.
He usually goes to bed at 10 pm.
Note that 'the' is used before these words when the reference is to the
building or
object rather than to the normal activity that goes on
there. I went to the hospital to see my friend.
I went to the temple to observe its architecture.
7.
the names of days and months. Saturday is the holiday in Nepal.
January is the first month of the year.
8.
the
names of diseases, games, colours and possessive pronouns.
He died of AIDs.
Cricket is a popular game. My favourite colour is white.
I like his hair style.
Grammar Focus: Common Errors
|
Incorrect Correct |
|
|
|
We live in a/the village. |
|
|
She works in a/the pub. |
|
|
He is the best player in
the team. |
|
|
She is the fastest
runner. |
|
|
Paris is a big city. |
|
|
I live in Kathmandu. |
|
|
Iron is a useful metal. |
|
|
Gold is yellow. |
|
|
We should not make
a noise. |
|
|
I have some/urgent
business. |
|
|
Do you sell eggs by
the kilo or by the dozen? |
|
|
The Indus is the
largest river in Pakistan. |
|
|
He is an M.A. in
English. |
|
|
The Muslims read
the Holy Quran every day. |
|
|
This is news to me. |
|
|
I am a student of
the Nepal Police School. |
|
|
Both the sisters
are in the ninth class. |
Additional Practice: Read these sentences.
A poor diet will
ultimately lead to illness.
This is an ultraviolet
lamp.
The teacher gave me an ultimatum.
She had a warm smile and an unaffected manner.
He set an unapproachable target.
The umpire’s
decision is final.
He has a unanimous
voter’s group for his support.
There has been an unaccountable
increase in cases of the disease.
The people I met
there were very friendly.
The jury reached a common verdict at the most
awaited case.
Retirement is an unaffordable
luxury for any workers.
The author is a Pulitzer Prize honouree. It is a user manual.
I felt an utter fool.
The effects of
global warming are catastrophic.
It is a useless room.
There has been an unannounced
increase in bus fares. She is a member of a union
He has a urinary
infection.
He has an unalterable
belief on god.
The prospects for the immediate future are good. Her father was a stern unbending man.
They presented an unanswerable
case for more investment.
The director is
standing on her immediate right.
The computer has a USB port.
I bought an urn filled with
hot soup.
The immediate cause
of death is unknown. She felt a deep sadness.
He is an uptight
teenager.
It’s a party for the new honourees.
It was a three-hour
exam.
She was treated as an honorary
woman.
The system is in
imminent danger of collapse. Mirrors in a room
often give an illusion of
space. It will take about an hour to get
there.
The earth is
illuminated by the sun.
There is a user manual of the new computer.
I have received an SOS
message.
The play offers some
illuminating insights into the King’s
character. I must buy a Unique Selling
Point.
It was an ill-timed
visit.
The only light in the room came from the fire. He lives in a utopian society.
It is an unattainable
target.
The decision of
government is a U-turn on
education policy.
Mr. Raman is an unappreciated
person.
The advertisements
are intended to improve the company’s
image. China has a unified
transport system.
Mrs. Thapa sang an unashamedly
sentimental song.
The house was
painted in an unappealing shade of Yellow. He made a unilateral decision.
One of the major parties
has an
unassailable lead in the local election.
The tiny window was the only source of light. He represents a united group of people.
It is an authorized
biography.
The ultimate
decision lies with the parents. There is a unisex hair salon.
An unbalance diet
leads to obesity.
The nights are
getting longer.
Investing in a unit trust
reduces risks for small investors.
Mrs. Sushila Karki is an unbiased
judge.
The heat was getting
to be too much for me.
TU is a university in Kathmandu.
The king had an unblemished reputation in the past.
The phone has been
ringing for half an hour. I saw a walker with a lump.
There is an unbroken chain
of events.
It was the best day of my life.
A black hen lays a white egg.
He has an uncanny ability
to see the
areas of problem.
What’s the matter with
you?
A civil denial is
better than a rude grant.
We had an unbelievable
time in Pokhara.
A.
Put
a, an, the or
nothing where necessary.
1.
2.
A
son is
sun
gives us light and heat.
old
age support of his father.
3.
Can
you tell me which steepest peak is?
4.
Abhishek
has come from UK.
5.
Could you close door
please? It is very cold here.
6.
Crown
Prince Charles of Great Britain is heir to the throne.
7.
Cruelty is universal attitude of human beings.
8.
Asmita sold horse and wonderful animal.
9.
He got award of Rs. 10,000.
10.
Aditya had got many
useful books.
11.
Mr.
Shrestha is honourable teacher.
12.
Anish is university
student.
13.
Abdul is inheritor to the throne of Bhutan.
14.
He is worst person I’ve ever seen.
15.
Bibas is CDO.
16.
I bought ewe in Dhunche Bazaar.
17.
Bandana bought novel yesterday. novel
was very inspiring.
18.
I
don’t want to miss opportunity to be doctor.
19.
Deepa
drinks tea twice day.
20.
I
feel shame to live on charity of
foreigners.
21.
Dipendra
gave Rs. 200 to aged
beggar .
22.
I
had sent you postcard from Sydney.
23.
Garima
has a picture of Alps.
24.
Kisor
has a picture of Hanging Garden.
25.
Mahib
has put on attractive uniform.
26.
Mausam went to open
field to play.
27.
It is one rupee
note.
28.
Mihang wrote useful article.
29.
Nabin plays flute well.
30.
Niraj
plunged deep into ocean.
31.
Malaysia is on equator.
32.
Pramila is honest woman.
33.
Pranita is third girl of our class.
34.
Now, we cannot live without
telephone.
35.
Once
a tiger was asleep in forest.
It was warm sunny day.
36.
Prasanna saw cute ape in the zoo.
37.
Once there lived beggar. beggar was blind.
38.
Our principal
has gone out.
39.
book you gave me on Saturday was very interesting.
40.
Milk is wholesome
food.
B.
Put
a, an, the or
nothing where necessary.
1.
People recite Geeta every morning.
2.
Plants release oxygen
3.
My sister is M.A. student.
4.
Please bring ashtray.
5.
Mrs. Regmi has good bike.
6.
Pratik has great deal of important documents.
7.
He is one handed
boy.
8.
She is one-eyed girl. So we should help her.
9.
Jessica is Eurasian
girl.
10.
The Karnali
is greatest
River in Nepal.
11.
lion is king of beasts.
12.
Nile is longest
river in the world.
13.
I played cricket yesterday.
14.
students have established
union.
15.
sun is star.
16.
Their
life depends on sea.
17.
There
are a lot of customers in restaurant.
18.
There is FM station in my village.
19.
Rameshwor saw ass yesterday.
20.
There is temple in the village.
21.
Urdu is not easy language.
22.
'Water' is uncountable noun.
23.
We can watch the
stars with the help of telescope.
24.
Prinsa
had lunch in very nice restaurant last Saturday.
25.
We
live in society.
26.
We need to do more for poor.
27.
We
need water for
living.
28.
Kathmandu is capital
of Nepal.
29.
Earth moves
round sun.
30.
Mahabharat is holy book of Hindus.
31.
There is playground
in center of town.
32.
Principal explained
whole problem to guardians.
33.
Rajshree
is looking for girl. girl is her sister.
34.
Do you remember place
where you were born?
35.
This is home of our uncle.
36.
She went to temple
to see her friend.
37.
honesty is best of all virtues.
38.
He
came back home on foot.
39.
What beautiful
garden it is!
40.
There is not cloud in sky.
C.
Put
a, an, the or
nothing where necessary.
1.
Bagmati is sacred river.
2.
He suddenly
took U-turn.
3.
Which is biggest river in Nepal?
4.
Let us discuss matter
seriously.
5.
honest man speaks truth.
6.
I
first met him year ago.
7.
Srilanka is island.
9.
Sanskrit is complicated language.
10.
Rashma got most expensive birthday present.
11.
The
student has come school without
umbrella.
12.
India
is one of most industrial countries in Asia.
13.
second
chapter of the book is very interesting.
14.
word to intelligent is sufficient.
15.
One evening
saint came to my door.
16.
Wisdom is gift of
heaven.
17.
There is little hope of his recovery.
18.
We
heard sweet bells over the bag.
19.
Rohit had great genius, sagacious and incentive.
20.
The rose is sweetest
of all flowers.
21.
The horse is noble animal.
22.
Banyan is kind of big tree.
23.
Sabita has got unique computer.
24.
We
go to temple
to pray.
25.
There is auditorium hall in our village.
26.
I like playing
guitar.
27.
There is university in Pokhara.
28.
Sanu Kaji is energetic leader.
29.
Iron is useful matter.
30.
No
political leader can make Nepal Utopia.
31.
Our
English teacher is not European.
32.
She is I.A. in English.
33.
Saugat
is going away at end of this month.
34.
Mt. Everest is highest peak in the world.
35.
Shreejal
learns to play violin at school.
36.
I met one-handed man on the way.
37.
Satis bought ewe yesterday.
38.
She is open minded student.
39.
girl in red
skirt is my sister.
40.
moon causes tides.
D.
Put
a, an, the or
nothing where necessary.
1.
Statue of Liberty was gift of friendship from France
in United States.
2.
tiger that
killed a man yesterday was really frightening.
3.
chimpanzee is endangered
species.
4.
ubersexual tourist visited our school today.
5.
Gold is expensive metal.
6.
Our
local health centre has MBBS doctor.
7.
Atlantic Ocean is hugest ocean.
8.
We
played volleyball yesterday.
9.
Som is expedient member of his family.
10.
Subina recites Bible every morning.
11.
Because of things man has discovered, we live longer.
12.
Who is smartest teacher of your school?
13.
school is
very near my home.
14.
I have black and white dog.
15.
Sumit is better poet than novelist.
16.
She is honour to this profession.
17.
We need someone
with excellent
knowledge of German.
18.
Suraj has
19.
My
parents gave me
deep
distrust of strangers.
good
education.
20.
Susmita has thorough understanding of the subject.
21.
Lake Victoria is one of largest
lakes in Africa.
22.
We
have U-shaped room.
23.
Himalayas are example of folded mountain range.
24.
Sahara
is the largest desert in world.
25.
Mandarin is official
language of People’s Republic of China.
26.
London is on Thames.
27.
British
Museum attracts thousands of visitors each
day.
28.
match between Korea and
Nepal was one-sided game.
29.
Utsav
gave the beggar one
rupee note.
30.
I got important message.
31.
Iraq lies in Middle
East.
32.
Carol is US citizen.
33.
We
have used unanimous
strategy to cope with this problem.
34.
They have one-pound
coin.
35.
She heard outcry from below.
36.
I
keep myself busy in kitchen every morning.
37.
He likes
such one
thing that entertains me.
38.
I
like coffee most.
39.
He needs good rest.
40.
It is urgent message.
E.
Put a, an, the or nothing to complete the following paragraph.
Take out large bowl, smaller bowl, electric food-mixer, large
plate, and wooden spoons. Have ready flat cake, five egg whites, sugar,and liter
of ice cream. You need freezer and oven.
Place cake on
plate. Put ice cream in large bowl. Beat it with electric food-mixer
until it is little
soft. Pile ice
cream on cake in pretty shape. Then put ice cream and cake back into freezer. Freeze ice
cream until it is solid. While ice cream is freezing, put egg whites in smaller bowl. Beat egg whites until they are stiff. While you are beating, slowly add two thirds cup of sugar.
Beat until sugar is dissolved and egg whites are very stiff. Turn oven on very hot.Take cake out of freezer. Spread egg
whites over ice
cream. Cover all ice
cream carefully. Put cake into oven and bake it for three minutes, until egg whites are golden brown. Remove dessert
and serve it immediately with chocolate sauce. ice cream is still frozen, but
egg whites are hot. cold
ice cream gives this dessert its name, “Baked Alaska.”
F.
Put a, an, the or nothing to complete the following paragraph.
When person takes trip
to beach,
he should bring things
to make trip more pleasant. He
will need towel, Frisbee, books, food, suntan oil, sunglasses, money, and radio. I always bring friend along,too. We sit on towel, read books, eat food, and listen to radio.
Then we play with Frisbee. Of course, we spend money, too.
When you go to beach at Miami, be careful of sun. sun is strong and hot. Stay in water as
much as you can. If sky is clear, danger
of sunburn is great. If sky is cloudy, you can stay out longer. Always
check weather before you go to beach.
