Articles

Definite Article 'The' for Class 1 English

Articles in English grammar are words used with singular or plural nouns to indicate whether a noun is specific or general in a sentence. An article can be definite or indefinite. We use definite article to talk about a specific object, and indefinite article is used to indicate non-specific objects. This learning concept will only focus on the use of the definite article ‘the’. If students want to know more, they can take a look at the article concept.

Students will also come across:

• Use of article ‘the’ with examples.
• Definition of the definite article.
• Avoid common mistakes while using the definite article in a sentence.

Each concept is explained to class 1 English students using examples, illustrations, and concept maps. After you go through a concept, assess your learning by solving the two printable worksheets given at the end of the page.

Download the article worksheet for class 1 and check your answers with the worksheet solution provided in PDF format.

Definition

• Articles are used to tell us whether the noun - singular or plural is used in the sentence. The noun could be specific or non-specific.
• There are three articles – ‘a’, ‘an’, and ‘the’.
• a – non-specific or indefinite article
• an – non-specific or indefinite article
• the – specific or definite article

We have already discussed the articles ‘a’ and ‘an’ in the previous lesson. In this lesson, we will talk about the article ‘the’.

The Use of the Article ‘the’:

1. We use ‘the’ before the noun that shows any particular, specific, or unique person, place, animal, or thing.

Example:

The above sentence shows a particular elephant that the speaker saw standing under the tree. Therefore, we used ‘the’ to denote the noun.

2. Article ‘the’ can show both singular and plural nouns if the noun is specific.

Example:

In this example, we used ‘the’ before a singular specific noun ‘red dress’ and a plural specific noun ‘two shoes’, as the speaker knows about which red dress & shoes Riya brought.

3. Article ‘the’ is used with the names of oceans, seas, rivers, canals.

Example:

4. We use article ‘the’ before the names of celestial objects.

Example:

5. We use the article ‘the’ before a noun that has previously been mentioned in a sentence.

Example:

In this example, we used ‘an’ before orange in the first sentence. But in the second line, we used ‘the’ before the noun (orange) because we have already mentioned it in the previous sentence.

Common Mistake:

Don’t use ‘the’ before a noun that is not specific. Always use the article ‘a’ or ‘an’ for unspecific nouns.

Examples:

• I saw a boy in the street running behind a dog.
  In the above sentence, we are talking about a non-specific person. Therefore, we used article ‘a’.

• I saw the boy in the street running behind a dog.
  If you read this sentence, the meaning has changed now. Here the speaker knows which boy he is talking about, a particular boy.

Look at the points to follow while using the article ‘the’.