by R. S. Karunaratne

Articles with adjectives and singular nouns

There are only three articles in English. ‘A’ and ‘an’ are known as Indefinite articles. ‘The’ is known as the Definite Article.

We use indefinite articles with adjectives and singular nouns which begin with consonant sounds.

A noun is the name of a person, an animal, a plant, a place or a thing. An adjective is a word that describes a noun.

Haren lives in a small house.
There is a beautiful Christmas tree in Sharon’s house.
Nayana has a quick temper.
I need a large container for the books.
I had a horrible time when I lost my way in Kuala Lumpur.
The speaker related an interesting story.
Mother said, “You are such an obedient child.”
Leela has an explosive temper.
I need an airtight container for the biscuits.
Some people believe that 13 is an unlucky number.

Nouns and adjectives beginning with consonant letters do not always begin with consonant sounds. Similarly, nouns and adjectives starting with vowels may not begin with vowel sounds.

Ram came here an hour ago.
My car is fitted with a speedometer and an odometer.
Gamani is an enjoyable film.
A union member was arrested with anti-government posters.
Henry Jayasena gave an impressive performance in Hunuwataye Kathava.

We use indefinite articles (a, an) when we speak of somebody or something for the first time. We use ‘the’ when we speak of somebody or something
is mentioned a second time.
Sam went for an interview this morning.

The interview lasted 45 minutes.
We called a cab to visit the zoo. The cab came in about 15 minutes.
There is a magnificent hotel in Colombo. The hotel is 100 years old.
The representative from Sri Lanka is an excellent speaker.
Villagers captured an elephant eating sugar cane. The elephant was a big animal.

We use the indefinite article before a person, place or thing when it is familiar to us or clear that it is familiar to the reader or listener.
The train to Colombo is late today.
The postman brought me a lot of Christmas mail this morning.
I know the politician sitting next to my father.
The chairman of our company is very popular.
A tourist asked me, “Where’s the post office?”
We use ‘the’ when it is clear from the sentence which person, place or thing is referred to.
When you hear the dial-tone, ring the number.
Our plane touched down at the airport sharp at 10.15 a.m.
We thanked the man who rescued our brother from drowning.
The conductor started issuing tickets.
I went to the dispensary but the doctor was not there.

Words are wonderful raw material to make sentences. If your vocabulary is rich, you will be able to speak fluently and write impressively. So, make it a point to expand your vocabulary by learning new words. Here’s a quiz to test your knowledge of some words you may not be familiar with. Tick off the correct meaning and check your answers with the key.

1. Stop giving flippant answers to the examiner’s serious questions.

(a) impertinent
(b) short
(c) long

2. Some people are fond of using florid, overblown language in their writing.

(a) slang
(b) ornate
(c) formal

3. Some youth shave their heads to have a glabrous scalp.

(a) ugly
(b) attractive
(c) bald

4. In an imperious tone the police officer ordered the suspect to behave himself.

(a) polite
(b) arrogant
(c) elegant

5. The government is looking into an ingenious solution to the city’s transportation problems.

(a) hurried
(b) ill-fated
(c) clever

6. Some university students are intractable when it comes to private medical colleges.

(a) stubborn
(b) lenient
(c) bright

7. The opposition is trying to bring intransigent members to terms.

(a) old
(b) uncompromising
(c) young

8. Some modern poems are arcane.

(a) easy to understand
(b) readable
(c) beyond comprehension

9. Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex had a literary conundrum.

(a) riddle
(b) explanation
(c) device

10. I found a book on demonology in his private library.

(a) astrology
(b) psychology
(c) the study of demons

[Key:]

1. (a) 2. (b) 3. (c) 4. (b) 5. (c) 6. (a) 7. (b)8. (c) 9. (a) 10. (c)