REPETITION OF THE ARTICLE

 

A_ When two or more adjectives qualifying the same noun are connected by ‘and’, the article is used before the first adjective only. On the other hand, when they qualify different nouns, the article is used before each adjective. Compare the two sentences:-

a_He has a black and white horse.               

b_He has a black and a white horse.  

The first sentence means that he has only one horse which is partly black and partly white. But the second sentence means that he has two horses: one black and the other white.

B_ When two or more Nouns connected by ‘and’ refer to the same person or thing, the article is used before the first noun only. On the other hand, when they refer to different persons or things, the article is repeated with each noun. Compare the two sentences:-

a_The Secretary and Treasurer was present there.                  

b_ The Secretary and the Treasurer were present there.          

The first sentence means that only one person who was both secretary and treasurer was present there. But the second sentence means that two persons, one secretary and the other treasurer, were present there.

C_ When two nouns in a comparison refer to the same person or thing, the article is used before the first noun only; as:-

a_Jack is a better gardener than photographer.   

b_He is a better singer than musician.         

D_ When two nouns in the comparison refer to two different persons or things, the article is used before each noun; as:-

a_John is a better writer than a painter.               

b_He would make a better judge than a lawyer.  

OMISSION OF ARTICLE

1_Before the common nouns used in the widest sense; as:-

a_Man is mortal.                                           

b_Woman is the ornamental of the home.             

2_Before proper nouns; as:-

a_Akbar was a wise king.                                      

b_Mumbai is a big city.                                

Remember that when the article is used before a proper noun, it becomes a common noun; as:-

a_He is the Newton of our day. (i.e. as able as Newton was)

3_Before abstract nouns used in general sense; as:-

a_Honesty is the best policy.                         

b_He loved wisdom.                            

Remember that when an abstract noun is qualified by an adjective, it can take ‘the’; as:-

c_The wisdom which he showed was praiseworthy.

4_Before material nouns; as:-

a_Gold is a precious metal.                           

b_Bread is the staff of life.                            

Remember that you can say in a particular situation:-

c_The bread that I have is not baked well.            

5_Before titles coming ahead of proper nouns; as:-

a_Lord Wellington (not The lord Wellington)      

b_Queen of England (not The Queen of England)         

6_In certain phrases, consisting of a noun as the object of a verb; as:-

a_His cloth caught fire.                       

b_He lost heart very soon.                   

7_In certain phrases, consisting of a preposition followed by a noun; as:-

by hand, by land, by sea, by rail, by bus, by night, on foot, on sale, on horseback, at fault, at ease, in bed, in trouble, at school, in turn, at tea, at dinner, at home, at daggers drawn, in hand and glove with, at sixes and sevens, in addition to, ………..