Key Concepts and Exam Strategies for The Article in Class 8 English
In the following lesson, we are going to learn about The Article, what are Article, their uses, types, etc. with various examples. You are also provided with practice questions to assess yourself and test what you have learnt so far.
The Article
Article:
Article are Noun-Linked Demonstrative Adjectives. They can also be classified under determiners. Instead of characterising the noun, they serve the grammatical purpose of identifying it as a noun. A, an, and The are the three Article used in English. Article are used before nouns or their equivalents.
Before a noun, the definite article (the) is used to show that the reader is aware of the word's identity.
The indefinite article (a, an) will be used before such a noun when it is uncertain or whose identity is unclear.
The usage of Article ‘a’ and ‘an’ is also dependent on the alphabet of the noun word. If it starts with a vowel sound, Article ‘an’ is highly likely to be used. Whereas if the noun word starts with a consonant sound, Article ‘a’ is used.
There are numerous cases where a noun can be used without an article.
Division of Article
Types of Article
Definite Article(the):
The definite article is used before specific or particular nouns in the singular and plural. The prefix "the" denotes the word's specificity and its reference to a particular group member.
For instance:
The canine that bit me escaped. Here, we're referring to a particular canine—the one that bit me.
Use of Definite Article:
To Discuss a Specific Person or Item
When referring to a specific person or thing, the definite article 'the' is used.
Example:
The book you desire is no longer available. (What novel? The desired one.)
Come with me to the park. (In what park? Possibly the local one.)
Before a Single Noun Intended to Refer to the Entire Class
A singular noun is used with the definite article 'the' when it is intended to indicate the entirety of the class to which it belongs.
Example:
A beneficial animal is the cow. (In this case, the singular noun cow designates an entire class.)
The rose is the most delectable flower there is.
Eight legs make up the spider.
Before the Titles of Certain Books
The Vedas and The Iliad are two examples.
Before Superlative Adjectives
Superlative adjectives are preceded by the definite article ‘the.’
Examples:
I have never seen the most pretty view.
Which mountain is the tallest in the world?
Before Ordinal Number
Example:
Who received the first Nobel Prize for a woman?
The second part of the show was more thrilling than the first.
Before Musical Instruments
Examples:
The flute playing skills are acquired by him.
She wants to play the guitar.
Indefinite Article:
An article that refers to a noun without defining it or that refers to a noun to first introduce it is known as an indefinite article.
There are only two basic indefinite Article in English: a and an.
‘An’ is typically used before a word that begins with a vowel sound whereas ‘a’ is typically used before a word that begins with a consonant sound of the first letter of the noun word.
For instance:
On the ground, she discovered a penny. P (which is a consonant)
He consumed an apple. (The vowel 'a' is.)
Exception in Use of Indefinite Article:
Words which Sounds Like ‘You’
Many words sound like they begin with a vowel but don't. These situations call for the use of Article ‘a’ since the initial sound, which sounds like "you," is a consonant. Words like these include
A union
A European vacation
A URL
A eulogy
Words with the W Sound
Words that have a consonant sound like "w" but start with the letter "o" are another example of consonant-sound words masquerading as vowel words. The only terms in the English language that fulfil this definition are one and one.
Examples
That was a one-time idea.
It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
A one-on-one discussion took place.
H-Starting Word
These nouns employ Article ‘an’ despite all having the consonant "h" as their first letter:
Example:
an honorary
an heir
an hourglass
Omission of Article
Omission of Article
The English language uses Article in many sentences. However, there are some situations in which an article is not appropriate.
Rules:
Article are prohibited from being placed in front of proper nouns.
Eg. Delhi is India's capital.
Languages do not require Article before them.
Eg. Within a year, I had mastered Japanese.
Before being a common term used in its most basic sense.
Eg. Many different forms of machinery are made out of iron.
The names of the subjects, such as mathematics, biology, economics, etc., are not preceded by Article.
Eg. His passion for mathematics is something I dislike.
When terms like "nature," "science," "death," "life," etc. are used in a general sense, we eliminate Article.
Eg. Nature effortlessly abides by its own set of rules.
Before the names of meals like lunch, supper, etc., we avoid using Article.
Eg. Did you eat dinner?
And in many other cases.
Difficult Word with Meaning
Summary
The term "article" is used to indicate a noun's position as a noun without more explanation. An article is a word that modifies a noun, which can be a noun for a person, place, thing, or idea. Given that they offer specific information about the noun they precede, Article are a crucial component of the English language. Writing Article allows you to spread knowledge to a global audience and is crucial since readers may accurately connect their own experiences and opinions to the content of these Article.
Practice Questions:
Fill the Gaps with Necessary Article if Required.
1. I'd love to ask ___query right now.
2. Today is ___ lovely day.
3. Mohini is employed with __ job.
4. _____road was being crossed by __man.
5. She has a job.
6. At ___ centre of ___ square sits __colossal statue of Rani Lakshmibai.
7. Yours is____ amazing tale.
8. What city is ____Statue of Unity located in?
9. He is a member of __separate philosophical movement.
10. Do you know ___ location of ___ library?
11. She is __ chemistry MSc.
12. Rashmi is ___ really special girl.
13. She wasn't in ___ mood to crack jokes.
14. This is ___privilege for me.
15. ___ apple and ___mango cannot be compared.
16. Each one of them is ___ distinctive fruit.
Answers:
1. I'd love to ask a query right now.
2. Today is a lovely day.
3. Mohini is employed with a job.
4. The road was being crossed by a man.
5. She has a job.
6. At the centre of the square sits a colossal statue of Rani Lakshmibai.
7. Yours is an amazing tale.
8. What city is the Statue of Unity located in?
9. He is a member of a separate philosophical movement.
10. Do you know the location of the library?
11. She is a chemistry MSc.
12. Rashmi is a really special girl.
13. She wasn't in the mood to crack jokes.
14. This is a privilege for me.
15. An apple and a mango cannot be compared.
16. Each one of them is a distinctive fruit.
Benefits of Learning The Article in Class 8 English Grammar
Article are modifiers that come before nouns or noun phrases. By using Article, the meaning of the noun in a sentence becomes clear.
Article form an essential part of the English language and they provide information about the nouns they precede.
Many students struggle with the correct usage of a, an, and Article. Hence, it becomes mandatory to learn Article as a separate module to solidify knowledge of English grammar.
Article tell us if we are talking about a specific thing or in general and they can modify the meaning of a sentence by the way Article are placed.
Examples of Use of Article for Class 8
Some of the ways that practice exercises in Class 8 English are formed are illustrated below:
Use of “a” and “an” before naming words:
—---- lion
—--- doctor
—---- engine
Fill in the blanks with a, an, or the:
I see —--- lion
This is —-- apple
—-- moon is shining
Facts about Article for Class 8
An article is a word used to identify noun or noun phrases (which precedes the noun or noun phrase) as being general or specific.
Article are of two different types:
Indefinite Article - "a" and "an" are indefinite Article that refer to something in general such as "I ate an apple", "The girls are sitting on a bench", etc.
Definite article - "The" is the definite article that refers to something specific, for example "The moon is shining", "The Red Fort is in New Delhi", etc. You can use definite Article with singular, plural, or uncountable nouns.
Some tricks to use the correct article for a given noun are:
Check if the noun is singular, plural, countable, uncountable, definite, or indefinite. A countable noun will have more than one instance such as "exam" since you can have more than one exam held at the end of a year. But a word like "concentration" is not countable as you can not quantify concentration in 1s, 2s, or any other number.
Some words can both be countable or uncountable nouns depending on the way they are used in a sentence.
You can identify a definite noun by clarifying if you are referring to a specific instance or instances of an entity. For example, in the below sentence, the word "fear" is preceded by both an indefinite and definite article.
“Before I started school I had a fear of exams, but I fought the fear later”
In the first part of the sentence, the writer talks about a former fear, and in the later part, s/he is referring to that specific fear.
Use the following table to choose the correct article:
Important Topics of Class 8 English The Article
You will learn the following in the use of article for Class 8:
What are Article and how to use a, an, and the in sentences?
Fill in the blanks with the correct article.
Identifying the correct article for naming words.
Understanding vowels and consonants and how to use a and an for them.
NCERT Solutions - Class 8 The Article English Grammar Solution
NCERT Solutions for English Grammar serves as a comprehensive solution book for the students of Class 8 who are willing to expertise in the English Grammar subject.
The Class 8th English Grammar syllabus is comprehensively mentioned in this NCERT Solutions. Exhaustive Class 8 Grammar topics are present in the NCERT Solutions. Also, this is to be ensured that students from any board can refer to the NCERT Solutions for English Grammar Class 8 The Article.
FAQs on Comprehensive Guide to The Article in Class 8 English Grammar
1. What types of important questions on Articles can I expect in the CBSE Class 8 English exam for 2025-26?
For the 2025-26 session, you can expect questions on Articles to test your understanding in various formats. The most frequently asked types of questions include:
- Fill in the blanks: Using the correct article (a, an, the) in a given sentence.
- Error Correction: Identifying and correcting the incorrect use of an article in a sentence.
- Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs): Selecting the right article from a set of options.
- Sentence Transformation: Rewriting a sentence using the appropriate article as instructed.
These questions are designed to check your knowledge of definite articles, indefinite articles, and the omission of articles.
2. What are some important 'fill-in-the-blanks' questions for practice on the topic of Articles?
Practising frequently asked question patterns is key for your exam. Here are some examples focused on common rules:
- He is ______ honourable man. (Answer: an)
- I saw ______ one-eyed beggar on the street. (Answer: a)
- ______ Ganga is a holy river, but ______ Mount Everest is the highest peak. (Answer: The, no article)
- She bought ______ dozen bananas and gave me ______ orange from the basket. (Answer: a, an)
- Can you please pass me ______ salt? (Answer: the)
These examples test your knowledge of articles with silent letters, vowel sounds, unique objects, and specific nouns.
3. What are the key rules for using 'a', 'an', and 'the' that are most important for exams?
To score well, focus on these core rules:
- Use 'a' before singular, countable nouns that begin with a consonant sound (e.g., a boy, a university).
- Use 'an' before singular, countable nouns that begin with a vowel sound (e.g., an apple, an hour).
- Use 'the' for specific or previously mentioned nouns, unique objects (the sun, the Taj Mahal), superlatives (the best), and certain proper nouns like rivers and mountain ranges (the Nile, the Himalayas).
- Remember the concept of 'Zero Article', where no article is needed, such as with abstract nouns in a general sense (Honesty is the best policy), names of most countries, and names of individuals.
4. Why do some important questions use 'the' before mountain ranges like 'the Himalayas' but no article before individual peaks like 'Mount Everest'?
This is a crucial higher-order thinking (HOTS) concept often tested in exams. The rule is that the definite article 'the' is used before names of chains or ranges of mountains because they are seen as a collective group (e.g., the Alps, the Andes). However, no article is used before the names of single mountains or individual peaks (e.g., Mount Everest, K2) as they are treated as singular proper nouns, similar to a person's name.
5. How can I avoid common mistakes with articles when a word starts with a vowel letter but has a consonant sound?
This is a common trap in exams. The choice between 'a' and 'an' depends on the initial sound of the word, not the letter itself. To avoid errors, always say the word aloud.
- For words like 'university' or 'European', the initial sound is 'yoo' (a consonant sound), so we use 'a' (a university, a European).
- For words like 'hour' or 'honest', the 'h' is silent, and the initial sound is a vowel sound ('ow' or 'on'), so we use 'an' (an hour, an honest man).
Focusing on phonetics is the key strategy to master this and score marks.
6. Are there any important questions based on the 'Omission of Articles'?
Yes, questions on the 'Omission of Articles' (also known as the Zero Article) are very important and frequently appear in exams to test deeper understanding. Expect questions where you have to:
- Identify a sentence where an article has been used unnecessarily (e.g., "The honesty is a virtue.").
- Fill in a blank where no article is required, often marked with an 'x' or by leaving it blank.
Key areas for omission include: names of people, most countries and cities, languages, abstract nouns used in a general sense, and meals (e.g., 'He has breakfast at 8 a.m.').
7. How does the choice between 'a' and 'the' change the meaning of a sentence in an exam question?
Understanding this distinction is critical for answering context-based questions correctly. The choice of article signals whether you are talking about something general or specific.
- Indefinite Article ('a'/'an'): Refers to a non-specific, general item. For example, "I need a pen" means any pen will do.
- Definite Article ('the'): Refers to a particular, specific item that both the speaker and listener know about. For example, "I need the pen" means a specific pen that was probably mentioned earlier or is visible.
In exams, this can be the difference between a correct and incorrect answer, especially in error-spotting exercises.
